Health Scan: Lifestyle Q&A

Kamal Orlando Ibrahim, Mr World

Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?

Yes, I definitely do have a healthy lifestyle. I have an obligation to be at the top of my game, but I’ve gone to the gym since I was a teenager and I was in the army for a few years, so I’ve always been active.

How often do you exercise?

When I’m at my peak, I would go to the gym four times a week and do weights, cardio and stretching. Clothes aren’t meant to cover you up, they are meant to show you off, and I think you need to be in good shape for your clothes to fit well, to look good and to feel good. If I’m not looking my best, I don’t feel good. If I haven’t been looking after myself, it brings me down. Exercise gives me energy and keeps me happy.

Do you get your five a day?

I’d have Weetabix or porridge, a protein drink and a vitamin tablet for breakfast. For lunch, I’d have wholegrain pasta with tuna and vegetables, and for dinner it’s wholegrain rice with chicken and vegetables and another protein shake. So, although I don’t calculate it out, I think I get my five a day.

Do you worry?

I do, primarily about work. I’m always worried about where the next gig is coming from, what skills I have to learn and whether I’m doing a good job. For the past few weeks, I haven’t had a chance to eat properly and to train, so I’m very conscious now about how I look and how I feel.

What do you do to relax?

Exercising and keeping fit helps me to relax. I feel much better after I’ve gone to the gym, the sauna or had a swim, and when I feel I’m looking after my body.

What’s your unhealthiest habit?

I’ve never done drugs, I’m not a smoker and the last time I was drunk I was a teenager, so I think the unhealthiest thing that I do is that I don’t eat. When I’m too busy, I skip meals and I lose weight and that’s the unhealthiest thing that I do.

In conversation with JOANNE HUNT