Health Scan: Dr Katherine Condren

Do you have a healthy lifestyle? I don't believe I have the best work/life balance. I'm at a busy life stage, working full-time and I have teenagers. I hope my life will become easier as time passes. I am trying to get my children to help more in the house. I try to eat well but I love chocolate in the evening.

How often do you exercise? We have dogs, so I try to walk them a few times a week. I also swim once a week. At the weekends, I try to get out into the countryside for a longer walk. During my holidays in Mayo, I walk, swim and cycle. I feel my best if each day has some exercise. I must be reasonably fit as I trekked the Inca trail over four days to Machu Picchu this summer with no problems.

Do you get your five fruit and vegetables a day? Yes, I think I do. I always start off my day with a glass of orange juice. Mostly I would have some salad at lunchtimes, usually in a sandwich. In a meal, I enjoy vegetables the best and am trying to dish up less meat and rely more on vegetables. I am also trying to build up a bigger repertoire of vegetarian meals for the family.

Do you worry? I think worry is part and parcel of life. I worry about my work, my children and the future but I control my worry; I tell myself that everything at the moment is fine and I will cope with what is ahead if I have to.

What do you do to relax? I enjoy baking. I enjoy chatting with my friends of whom my number one is my husband, Charles. He has always had the ability to make me smile and relax. If he sees me looking a bit tense, he always says, unprompted: "It's not going to happen." I enjoy reading in bed, which I do before I sleep and when I wake up, even on work days.

What's your worst habit? I am a bit of a perfectionist; I think that is an attribute of being a dentist. It makes one strive to excel at work but bringing it home is not a good idea. I try each day not to mind the mess that having teenagers in the house entails.

Dr Katherine Condren is a dentist and president of the Orthodontic Society of Ireland. orthodontics.ie