1 Up and at it – what is your morning routine?
I am very much a morning person. I get up at around 6.30am and take my medication which is a result of recovery from breast cancer. I shower, put on the washing machine and then around 7.30 I have breakfast by myself. I listen to Good Morning Ulster and constantly shout at the radio whenever I hear negative news regarding politics in Northern Ireland. I also do my daily exercises for my upper body which I have been doing since my surgery last year.
2 What might you eat in a typical working day for...
Breakfast? Weetabix and Rice Krispies, followed by natural yoghurt with berries including blueberries, raspberries, pineapple slices and kiwi. I will follow this with a boiled egg.
Lunch? Lunch will usually be salad or some sort of pasta.
Evening meal? Probably curry or potatoes (sweet and ordinary), green vegetables and grilled fish or meat.
3 Is nutrition important to you?
Nutrition and staying healthy are very important to me and I am of the firm belief that your body is very much determined by what you eat and how you exercise. Nutrition is particularly important because of my previous health condition. I drink a lot of water – every morning, I drink 500 ml of water before breakfast. I used to take the occasional glass of wine but now I am teetotal.
4 Best meal ever?
I go to my cousin's house for the evening meal and my cousin-in-law is a superb cook – nutrition is the priority with all her meals, which are excellent, whether traditional dinners or pasta or curries. Last weekend I was at the Edinburgh Festival and had an excellent meal of macaroni cheese in the Dome Restaurant which is quite close to Princes Street.
5 Do you have a guilty pleasure?
I love sweet potatoes and root vegetables – roasted.
6 Have you ever been on a diet? If so, how did it go?
Once, I went on a diet when I was at Queen’s University and lost some weight, but that's quite a number of years ago. Now, I believe that it is more important to have a balanced, nutritious diet that provides the body with protein, energy and vitamins it needs.
7 Do you take health supplements?
No, I don’t take health supplements, as I try to avoid plant oestrogen.
8 How do you relax?
Relaxation has always been difficult for me as I like to be on the go all the time. I go for walks and like to read. I also find going to the cinema and theatre relaxing.
9 Teetotal or tipple?
I used to like the odd glass of red wine, but have become teetotal and don’t miss it at all. In fact, water and red berry tea would be my 'tipple' now.
10 Stairs or lift?
I am inclined to go for the lift. I do realise that stepping or stairs are much better for your health and I have to do 'stepping' as part of my exercise class every Thursday in the wonderful new Down Leisure Centre in Downpatrick.
11 Do you have a daily exercise regime?
I do exercises every morning involving light weights, band expansion exercises and shoulder movements (rolling shoulders). I also do hand press-ups against a wall. This greatly exercises my upper body, something I am required to do following breast cancer surgery in March last year. I now walk much more every week, as well.
12 Best tip for everyday fitness?
Just do exercise every day as part of a daily routine – and stick to it.
13 On a scale of one to 10, how fit do you think you are and how fit would you like to be?
Around five or six – so I would like to be much higher up the scale. Thankfully, as a result of my current exercise programme and healthy eating regime, I have regained energy levels and feel much better.
14 Have you tried, or would you try, alternative therapy?
I have never thought of alternative therapy. My late father was a great believer in homoepathic medicine, but I am inclined to remain rigidly tied to tried and tested therapeutic remedies.
15 Were school sports happy times or do you have a memory you would rather forget?
Quite honestly, I was not a fan of physical education or school sports. I was more of a bookworm.
16 Did you ever have a health epiphany which made you change your lifestyle?
As I always had bronchial and asthmatic conditions, I always ate a healthy diet. My real health epiphany came last year with the diagnosis of breast cancer – so now I make sure I exercise every day and attend a weekly exercise class organised by Macmillan Cancer Care in collaboration with local councils called Move More. As a consequence of such an exercise programme, I do move more and with higher levels of enjoyment.
17 Best health/lifestyle advice you were ever given and would pass on to others?
Eat a healthy diet with an emphasis on routine times for eating. Don’t miss mealtimes and do daily exercise which involve a measure of relaxation. To relax the mind is also good for the body and I do this through reading.
18 Who inspires you or who would you try to emulate in terms of fitness / attitude to life?
That is a difficult question as I just try to be myself and follow my own regime which suits my particular circumstances.
19 What time do you normally get to bed and do you get enough sleep?
If I don’t have anything on in the evening, I am in bed by 8pm. I usually sleep well and read a little before I go to sleep as this helps me relax.
20 Would you say you have a healthy attitude towards your own mortality?
I have a healthy attitude to life but I am not a person to think about mortality. I live every day full of action, good food, plenty of water and exercise.
