Celebrity Health – Nathalie Lennon

Zest for life

Nathalie Lennon is a personal trainer, nutritional coach, wellness blogger and inspirational speaker. She helps people learn how to break down their limiting beliefs, surpass comfort zone boundaries, and build self confidence through weekly coaching based on personalised nutrition plans, training programmes and mindset tasks. She lives in Wicklow.

What sort of exercise do you do to keep in shape?

I worked in a gym as a personal trainer and running bootcamps for three years, so exercise was my job. These days I have gone down the nutritional coaching route and during lockdown I still worked with my online clients. I had already moved out of the gym before Covid. I like to share my love of exercise on Instagram and for me variety is key. If I want to be stronger I focus on weight lifting, I also love running and hiking because it’s important to incorporate the outdoors into your training.

These days I am walking and doing circuit training using body weight – I have only recently returned to the gym, before that I was doing everything at home. At the gym I am putting four or five exercises together into one set in one area of the gym – it could be a machine with a dumbbell for example. I also use a timer, which helps me to feel more motivated. Exercising like this in the gym is better for social distancing. I tend to go to the gym every other day at times when it is quieter and avoid rush hour. I know that gyms have had to turn people away in the post-work rush and are operating booking systems.

What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?

I have two favourite breakfasts at the moment. I love scrambled eggs made with two eggs and extra egg whites or an omelette with lots of steamed vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, spinach, kale, mushrooms and tomatoes with toast.

In the winter I have porridge oats cooked with grated courgette cooked in egg whites and water, with stevia, spirulina or another green powder, berries, yogurt, seeds and peanut butter.

I often eat lunch on the run and I enjoy salmon and couscous or tuna and bean salad. For dinner I love hearty dishes – lentil and bean soups, baked pies, prawn stir fry and curry. I would eat seven to ten portions of vegetables per day. I love to try new recipes in the kitchen and share them online.

I went through a phase of tracking calories, then I decided to have a better relationship with food and qualified as a nutritional and health coach. Now I concentrate on wholesome, local, seasonal food which I cook from scratch.

Do you take any natural supplements or drinks?

I have been taking Zest Active for two years – before that I used to take Revive Active. Zest Active is a supplement that has 25 active ingredients specially designed to support energy, the brain and the immune system. I mix a sachet in water first thing every morning before a training session – then I wait 30 minutes and get training. It really gives me a boost – when I don’t take it I am susceptible to getting run down, my energy levels go down and my cognition is not as clear.

I take an iron supplement if I am not eating much meat, and occasionally I take a probiotic, especially if I have been on antibiotics.

Do you like health stores?

I love supporting smaller local health stores, and just browsing and seeing what they have – although that is more difficult in current times. I love finding gems such as new snacks or herbal teas, or maybe shower gels and shampoos without chemicals and parabens. There’s always something great to find in a health store and Ireland has some great small independent shops.

Do you ever worry about your health?

Yes I did in the past. I was caught up in calories and macro tracking and stuck in a vicious circle. I would overtrain if I had eaten too much and was living in a diet-obsessed way. I felt that I had lost my sense of inward connection, so I decided to improve my mental health and connection with my body. I went to see a dietician who told me that my bone density was low, so I exercised less, ate more and three months later my levels were up. I realised you have to put your true health from the inside out first. Health doesn’t have a certain weight or body fat percentage.

Do you have any tips for Rude Health readers?

Realise that you are mind and body – these are more connected than we know, so look after both because they are one.
Keep everything in moderation.
Your thoughts become your truth.
Look for the silver linings in life.

Follow Natalie Lennon on Instagram: @nathalielennon_

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