Health Scan

Lifestyle Q&A:John Creedon

Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?

Reasonably so. I was born with a powerful life force and have always enjoyed good health, thank God. I have never been admitted to hospital, and apart from the usual (measles, chicken pox, stubbed toes and sprained ankles), I’ve never been unwell. Mind you, it’s not something I take for granted.

How often do you exercise?

I used to swim and play a lot of football when I was younger. But these days, I only swim occasionally and my footballing days are over.

I walk my two dogs a couple of times a week and that amounts to a few hours ambling in the wilderness of County Cork. This is more for my mental and spiritual wellbeing than any serious attempt at getting my place with the Cork hurlers. (Still . . . a boy can always dream, right?)

Do you get your five a day?

Yes, I have always been a great breakfast man and that always includes fruit. I’ve only recently realised that the ones you actually like count as fruit also, so I usually have the sweet ones like pineapple, mangoes, grapes, pears, melon etc, in stock. Also, after years of restaurants, I cook for myself quite a bit these days and I usually use lots of vegetables.

Do you worry?

I used to worry quite a bit when I was younger. Especially about paying the bills. In retrospect, it was with good reason. I was still in my 20s, with four small children, living in a rented house and surviving on weekly contracts from RTÉ and whatever other scraps that were available during that last recession. But, these days, I console myself that I’m still standing and to paraphrase the bible (Luke’s Gospel, I think) “. . . See the birds of the air? . . . They don’t sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns . . . yet the Lord looks after these the least of his creatures. What has a big huge fella from Ireland like you got to worry about?”

That’s not exactly what the bible says, but it’s close!

What do you do to relax?

Walking in nature and I meditate (although not as much as I should). But hey, worrying about it would only defeat the purpose, right?

What’s your unhealthiest habit?

My sweet tooth.

John Creedon presents The John Creedon Show, weekdays on RTÉ Radio One at 8.30pm