What is your personal philosophy around eating well?
One of the things I always say when I’m asked about the secret to eating well – so much so it’s become a mantra of mine – is to prep like a boss!
If you prep your meals and plan ahead, you are planning for success; you won’t be tempted to grab lunch or dinner on the go and make bad choices.
Plus you can save loads of money by prepping your own meals!
Do you have any tips for how we can make eating well a natural part of life rather than something that’s difficult to achieve?
I love taking recipes and putting my own healthy twist on them – that’s what I’m all about, whether on my Instagram or in my books.
I’m on a mission to make people realise being healthy and lean doesn’t have to be a chore.
You can eat loads of tasty food and, if anything, most people should be eating more than they are at the moment – more good fats, proteins and carbs post-workout.
I think a lot of it is mentality, that it’s hard work to be healthy, but I’m showing people that they can train for just 20 minutes a day and rustle up tasty food in only 15 minutes.
What role does exercise play in being healthy and achieving your body goals?
I always say that you can’t out-train a bad diet. When I was a personal trainer I saw time and time again people working super-hard and training like mad – then just eat a small salad post-workout!
It’s nuts; your body is an engine and you have to replenish it with fuel post-workout for it to run properly.
So exercise is a huge part of being healthy but it’s connected to what you eat; you can’t do one without the other if you want to get great results.
As a general rule, how much should we be exercising per week to stay healthy?
I’m all about HIIT training, which is high-intensity interval training that elevates your heart rate and melts fat. It’s so effective; you work really hard for 30 seconds, then rest for 30, and repeat.
If you do this four to five times a week you’ll be well on your way to a lean body. We can all find 20 minutes a few times a week!
What is your approach to eating low-carb?
A low-carb diet isn’t the way to go – your body loves carbs after you have worked out and you need to fuel your body properly so it can run at its best.
Stick to proteins and good fats for meals when you haven’t trained, then add in a portion of carbs to your post-workout meal to refuel.
Do you think it’s okay to indulge in some ‘treat’ type food every now and again, and how often do you think we can do this?
Of course, we’re all allowed a little treat every now and again! My weakness is a big juicy burger, with all the trimmings. I love that! But you can’t eat treats all the time and expect to be lean and healthy; it’s everything in moderation, because if you’re giving your body what it needs to function properly, most of the time you’ll actually find you have less cravings.
Of course go for it now and again with a cheeky treat; just make sure you get back to your normal routine the next day.
What are some of the most common misconceptions people have about eating healthily?
**That they should go on a ‘diet’. A diet is something you start and it finishes; sometimes you might get good results, sometimes you don’t, but you will always end up at some point back where you were. They are just not sustainable long term.
I’m teaching people how to live a lean life, how to have roast dinners, eat burgers, have pudding, how and when to exercise so you feel full of energy – it doesn’t have to be a chore and it is certainly not a diet.
What are your best tips for staying lean in the colder months?
You can smash a HIIT workout anywhere, so if it’s really cold you can do them in your living room, bedroom, wherever! You don’t need to head out into the cold.
I have tonnes of lovely warm recipes that are lean and healthy – from curries, to roasts to stir-fries, so there are lots of options to warm you up.
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