TV presenter Davina McCall has spoken about her interest in blue zones, saying that for her and her partner, hairdresser Michael Douglas, “being around people we care about is so important”.
Blue zones are areas of the world where people live longer than average, with such populations occurring in Japan, Italy and Greece, among other places.
Speaking to Women’s Health UK, McCall said: “I’m interested in blue zones – the places in the world where people live the longest – and what they all have in common is community, living together and caring for each other.
“For me and my partner, being around people we care about is so important. For quality time with my kids, I just go along with whatever they want to do.”
McCall, 56, who recently hosted ITV1 and ITVX dating show My Mum, Your Dad, also spoke about doing intermittent fasting, which involves not eating for certain periods of time.
She said she does not eat anything between 8pm and 10.30am, adding: “I used to snack all evening and didn’t see anything wrong with it as I was reaching for healthy foods, such as carrots and hummus… Since putting a cut-off point on my eating, I crave (snacks) so much less and wake up feeling better.”
The former Big Brother presenter has been vocal in championing women’s issues, including contraception and the menopause, having produced documentaries on both subjects and a book (titled Menopausing) on the latter.
In Channel 4 documentary Davina McCall’s Pill Revolution, the presenter was filmed having a coil fitted to help dispel misinformation around contraception.
Talking about staying physically strong during menopause, she said: “It’s much harder to keep quality muscle during and after the menopause, so eating enough protein is important”.
She also said “beast mode” training does not work for her the way it used to, saying a recent workout session on holiday had left her “with backache and Achilles pain”.
She added: “At my age, ‘beast mode’ training doesn’t work for me like it used to. I prefer to stick to lower-intensity strength training sessions using weighted and bodyweight movements.”
In June, McCall was made an MBE for services to broadcasting in the King’s Birthday Honours following a television career spanning more than two decades.
– Read the full interview in the December issue of Women’s Health UK, also available as a digital edition.
