Celebrity Health - Roz Purcell
Natural born feeder
Former winner of Miss Universe Ireland, model Roz Purcell has won Celebrity Come Dine With Me and is a regular on TV3’s Xposé. She began blogging at naturalbornfeeder.com in 2013 to document her love of cooking and to share her recipes. Originally from Co. Tipperary, she now lives in Dublin. Natural Born Feeder (Whole Foods Whole Life) by Roz Purcell is published by Gill Books
What sort of exercise do you do to keep in shape?
"I do a bit of everything because variety keeps it interesting. I box, cycle, run, weight train and I swim in the summer. I ty to do some exercise every day and on a rest day I might go for a walk. I think it’s important to listen to your body. My family are into doing triathlons and I will sometimes do a half-distance triathlon, but always in the summer when it’s a bit warmer."
What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?
"I don’t advocate any particular diet, for me it’s all about wholefoods. Breakfast varies a lot. After a long cardio session I might have porridge with plant milk, egg whites, stevia and fresh fruit. Before training I might have eggs, avocado and salmon then carbohydrates after. I am quite scientific about it. I’m not fearful of carbs, but I eat them at the right time for my body and it depends where I am with training. For main meals I am a huge fan of fish. Yesterday for lunch I had salmon, a kind of home-made coleslaw with shredded cabbage, kale, miso and soya and a sweet potato. For dinner I went for courgette, chick peas, home-made pesto and chopped up fresh tuna. If I eat meat it’s mainly Irish lamb in season. I am careful where I get meat from, I make sure it is traceable and do my research. I love to walk into a health store and see what’s new. I buy bulgar, lentils, buckwheat groats, lentils, beans, quinoa and spirulina. I want to make healthy food fun.
Is it hard to be healthy when you have to travel for work?
"I love snacking so that helps. I eat lots of almonds, usually toasted or dehydrated. Medjool dates give me an energy burst if I am cycling. I love making my own protein bars and these are easy to carry around. I love eating fruit, but it depends on what’s handy and seasonal. In summer I eat a lot of Irish berries and in the autumn I eat a lot of apples. I choose Irish vegetables, very fresh and in season. A good snack is cucumber dipped into a tahini dressing or cashew butter. Obviously we don’t grow bananas in Ireland, so I have to make an exception there."
Do you take any natural supplements?
"I run and train quite a lot so I take Revive Active, a complex for joint muscles made with marine algae. I take apple cider vinegar in the mornings. I eat umeboshi, Japanese salt-preserved plums, when I need support for gut health. I used to take fish oils, but now I have a lot more fish in my diet."
Do you ever worry about your health?
"Yes, I freely admit I’m a hypochondriac. I understand the importance of health. I know that if you have a health problem nothing else matters, so I get check-ups regularly and eat as clean as I can."
How do you relax when you are not in the public eye?
"Baking is my therapy, so it was great working on the book. Training clears my head and helps me to unwind."
Do you have any health tips for Rude Health readers?
- Don’t go cold turkey on any particular kind of diet because you won’t be able to stick to it. Instead pick something achievable and sustainable that will last.
- Try the 80-20 approach, where you aim to eat clean 80% of the time.
- Don’t feel guilty if you slip up, and go easy on yourself. Check out the guilt-free alternatives in my book.
- Take the wholefoods approach – don’t rule out anything or cut food groups out but go for natural foods you have to cook myself.
- Avoid processed foods and foods containing words and additives you can’t even pronounce.
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