Celebrity Health - Pat Divilly

Find your passion

Photo: Paul Wilson

Pat Divilly set up a small fitness class on Silverstand beach Barna, Co. Galway in 2012 and within a year he had 500 clients. His first book was called 21 Day Jump Start and he opened a gym and set up online training for clients around the world. He brought out two more books Naked Paleo and Upgrade Your Life and has emerged as one of Ireland's top motivational speakers specialising in the area of team building and leadership skills. Pat will be speaking at Vitality Expo on Saturday September 8 in the RDS, Dublin

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

I used to do workouts in the gym but I got bored with it, so now my two biggest enthusiasms are Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mountaineering. I used to do jiu-jitsu when I was younger and have got back into in it in the past couple of years. It is social and I compete in competitions which keeps me going. I train six days a week in a club in Galway with 90-minute sessions focusing on flexibility and mobility. I like to get out mountaineering in Ireland whenever I can in Connemara and Co. Mayo and take two big foreign mountaineering trips per year – to Argentina in January and Ecuador in October. When the weather is too bad for mountaineering I might do sprints on the beach instead. It’s important to find some form of exercise you really love and are passionate about.

What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?

For breakfast I might have an omelette with avocado and coffee. For lunch I like sweet potato fries with turkey burgers and dinner is steak or chicken salad with rice. I eat protein, fats and carbohydrates with every meal and stick to wholefoods, avoiding preservatives as much as I can. I eat a good amount of carbohydrates because I train a lot and burn it off. My bad habits are drinking too much caffeine and when I’m busy I sometimes skip meals, which isn’t good. I don’t snack much, but will eat nuts, fruit, protein bars, protein shakes and smoothies.

Do you take any natural supplements or drinks?

I take Udo’s Oil off the spoon or in a smoothie, digestive enzymes and Udo’s super 8 probiotic. I also take a vitamin D spray. Sometimes I take a teaspoon of greens – wheatgrass, spirulina and barley – mixed with water. I buy a powdered blend and mix it. This is a great way to get more greens into my diet, but food is my preferred choice.

Do you buy food in health stores?

I go to my local Evergreen in Galway and buy herbal teas, kombucha drinks and I like to try different types of protein bars, nuts and seeds.

Do you ever worry about your health?

No, I don’t. I feel the healthiest I have ever been. I decided I wanted health as a career in my teens. Nowadays I have more of a holistic and integrated approach to my health. I feel like I am getting healthier as I get older.

Do you have any tips for Rude Health readers?

The biggest thing I teach is that confidence comes from action. The best way is to take small steps and focus on small wins rather than massive leaps. Aim for three small wins per day – look at what you have achieved and write it down. For example, ‘I drank 2L of water, took a supplement and had protein with all my meals.’

Try to have a health goal that is not associated with the weighing scales. You could work towards a 5K run or try to do 20 training sessions a month. You will feel the benefits and this is the way to get results.

Be aware of your social circle – spend time with people who are a bit fitter and stronger than you and they will inspire you.

More celebrity health articles...
Articles from our latest issue...