Health scan lifestyle Q&A

Norah Casey, publisher

Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?

I’m trying to. I dined out for too long on having a big baby. I kept making out that if I didn’t have a 10lb baby I’d look grand. In my kind of work, you can be very sedentary and work long hours, so I got a personal trainer last October.

How often do you exercise?

I do three sessions a week with the trainer and I try to do it early in the morning. I do a mix of Pilates and cardio. I really enjoy Pilates. It’s been a big improvement in my life in terms of stress.

Do you get your five a day?

I’m not a great lover of fruit, but I love vegetables and salads. I was vegetarian for about 16 years, but when I returned to Ireland in 2002, I started eating meat again. Don’t ask me why. I love greens – broccoli, spinach and green beans.

Do you worry?

We all worry a bit. I think in the current climate a little bit of worry or stress is a good thing. Because it’s my own business, I tend to work long hours and there’s usually something that’s niggling, but I try not to allow it to overwhelm me. I’m blessed to have wonderful family and friends, so it tends to be work worries – cover sales and, of course, there’s a lot of new investments with Dragon’s Den and I worry that I’m giving them enough time.

What do you do to relax?

Although I get great opportunities to eat out, I love nothing better than to have friends around and cook. I’m a big reader too. I’d probably read about five books a week – I could be juggling a biography with a history book, chick lit or a travel book. Unless it’s really terrible, I’m going to plough through it.

What’s your unhealthiest habit?

I don’t smoke and I drink in moderation. The thing that makes me feel really guilty is that I still enjoy lying in the sun. I do wear sun block, but I’m still slightly addicted to having a least one week in the year where I do nothing but lie on a lounger.

In conversation with JOANNE HUNT