LIFESTYLE Q&A:Actress Tara Breathnach, who plays Tina O'Dowd in Ros na Rún
Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?
I do my best to stay healthy and to be active, to eat well and have treats in moderation. I get very cranky if I don’t get out the door for a walk at least once a day. As an actor you have to fit into the costumes!
How often do you exercise?
I do something every day – it might just be a walk by the sea to clear my head after a long day at work. I go horse riding whenever I can. I won’t say I run, I “jalk” – which is a jog for a bit and then a walk. I’m gradually building up the stamina. In the winter, I do swing dancing and use the gym too. If you go and do a class for an hour, you’ve earned the right to collapse on the sofa.
Do you get your five a day?
I get 10 a day. I used to be called Bugs Bunny at school because Mum used to chop up raw carrot for me. I’d have fruit and yogurt in the morning and in the winter there’s nothing like a lovely bowl of porridge. I could quite happily just graze on salad-y stuff all day.
Do you worry?
I am a bit of a stress head, yes. I worry about stupid things and when that happens I just have to kick myself out the door and go for a cycle or a walk, and it all makes sense when I come back.
What do you do to relax?
Horse riding is one of my favourite things because it’s just you and the horse. Everything just becomes so much simpler. Outdoors overlooking the sea in Spiddal or by the bog, it’s just stunning.
What’s your unhealthiest habit?
Stressing would be one of the top ones, and in terms of food, I’m addicted to dried fruit. I don’t buy muesli or granola too often because I can turn it into a bag of bran flakes very quickly. I pick out all the fruit; they call me “the mouse” at home. And I drink an awful lot of tea, I don’t talk about cups, I talk about pots.
