My Healthy Life With Kathryn Thomas

IMAGE sat down with TV presenter and Pure Results Bootcamp founder Kathryn Thomas on embracing activity and making the most of the mornings.

Are you happiest in the morning, afternoon, or evening??I am happiest in the morning when I have a really busy day ahead. I can’t wait to get stuck in. My dogs also do a morning singsong at the top of the stairs, which never fails to make me smile.

Have you always had a healthy relationship with food? My mum ensured we ate very healthily as children. We were never allowed fizzy drinks or crisps. So much so, we would be drooling into everyone else’s lunch boxes. I went off the rails in college, as most students do, but thankfully I enjoy eating fresh veg, and I love salads. Don’t get me wrong – I love an Indian on a Saturday night, which I look forward to after clean eating all week.

When did you embrace exercise in your life??I have always been active. My earliest TV jobs had me running all around the place.

What is your go-to workout??My trainer at Pure Results Bootcamp, Niall O’Callaghan, has got me into Metafit. I love it. It’s a mix of bodyweight and HITT sessions all done to music. It’s hardcore.

What do you think is the best exercise for your whole body? I think weight training is essential for women because it builds strength and really helps against diseases like osteoporosis and their debilitating ailments in later life. It is essential for getting good tone too.

How often do you workout? Three times per week and I do cardio an additional two days.

Do you have any tricks to help muscle recover??At Pure Results, we are huge advocates of foam rolling to really get into tired, sore muscles. But dynamic stretching is also essential before training.

Photo credit: Barry McCall

What’s your go-to healthy recipe? Spicy Asian chicken broth.

What is your greatest indulgence? Cheddar cheese and red wine? life would not be the same without it.

When dining out, what can we do to make healthier choices? When dining for pleasure, don’t even think about it. Life is too short. Enjoy and jump back on the wagon the next day. But if you find yourself dining out a lot in the evenings, bread should be lifted from the table. Order the meat or fish dish with no sauce.

What do you eat during a typical day??Berries with nuts and yoghurt, rye bread and marmalade, boiled egg salad with avocado, a cookies and cream Fulfil bar, and chicken stir-fry with brown rice.

Do you take any vitamins or supplements? Vitamin D, B12 and folic acid.

Your top tip on how to be naturally healthy and happy??Think of yourself ten years from now. Do you want to be cancer-free, with a healthy heart and bones? Do you want to feel strong? Life is for living. Live healthily. Move more. Be good to your body because it wants to be the best for you.

Who has been your most influential teacher in leading a healthy lifestyle? Jennifer O’Callaghan, our nutritionist at Pure Results, turned her life around after she was in a car crash. She changed her entire attitude to food and lifestyle when she was forced to help her body repair. She is a wealth of knowledge.

Advice for staying healthy while travelling? Throw a resistance band into your suitcase. It’s great and so multi-functional. A five-minute abs blast in the morning makes you feel less guilty standing at the all-you-can-eat buffet!

Anything new you plan to incorporate in 2017? Our PureResults bi-location camps in Parknasilla, Co Kerry, and the Temple Lodge and Spa, Co Westmeath will be putting an additional emphasis on yoga. Our head trainer Robyn has just returned from training in India, so we are super-excited about getting bendy!

you can find more information about The?Pure Results Bootcamp on pureresultsbootcamp.com

This article originally appeared in the IMAGE Magazine January issue which is on shelves now