With Veganuary just gone, being vegan is certainly in vogue but what are the pros and cons of a vegan diet? To find out the truth, the pros and cons of being vegan and whether it is for you, I’m joined on this week's Real Health by professional dietitian, Maeve Hanan. Maeve gives some great tips on making sure your diet is balanced and what kind of foods to focus on - and it's not just about fruit and veg. Plus she addresses the role of a vegan diet for athletes as well as the growing interest f...
Feb 06, 2020•24 min
For this week’s Real Health podcast I want to discuss nutrition, exercise and lifestyle in the context of long working days and shift work. It can be hard to trying to tick all the boxes between work, family and keeping yourself fit and healthy, but my guest for this episode, Debbie O’Reilly, is an emergency paramedic and former competitive athlete, who knows exactly how hard it can be and has the solution and advice to be your best when you’re slogging through shift work, be it at the frontline...
Jan 30, 2020•20 min
Gerry Hussey is my guest on this week’s Real Health podcast and to call him a sports psychologist doesn’t do him or the topics we discuss, justice. While Gerry does explain the work he does with elite athletes in helping them to succeed, the reality is, what Gerry teaches is applicable to all our lives. It is about making the most from your life, living life fully and asking yourself the hard questions that need to be answered. ‘WIN - What’s Important Now?’ are the guiding principles that Gerry ...
Jan 23, 2020•38 min
Many of you will know that I’m a big of walking as a great exercise for both physical and mental well-being and this week’s guest has certainly taken walking even further with her #100daysofwalking, encouraging anyone that can, to do thirty minutes of walking every day for the first 100 days of the year. Dr. Ciara Kelly, Newstalk’s Lunchtime presenter and walking aficionado, joined me on this week’s Real Health podcast to explain how and why she started her #100daysofwalking, the benefits she ha...
Jan 16, 2020•29 min
There are so many myths and misconceptions around health and fitness at this time of year that I decided, for this week’s episode of the Real Health podcast, to call out the BS around many of the gimmicks and quick fixes being pedalled. They don’t work, they’re not good for your health in the long term and I hope that, through my podcast, people will start understand the truth behind what’s actually needed to achieve real, long-lasting health and fitness. From the truth about sit-ups and six pac...
Jan 09, 2020•27 min
I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year and you’re all set and ready for your resolutions to get healthier in 2020? On this week’s episode I bring you 10 Real Resolutions for 2020 to get healthier this year. Normally people set goals and ambitions that are too big and after just a few weeks they fade away and give up on what they had wanted to achieve. Instead, let’s avoid that by getting you healthier in the long term and try not to do too much too soon. So, write down these 10 Re...
Jan 02, 2020•26 min
Christmas is over and I hope you all had a wonderful time with friends and family and didn’t go over-board on the turkey, ham and wine?! The days between Christmas and New Year are a great time to take stock, look back and reflect on the year and life in general, and so for this week’s Real Health podcast, I sit down with one of Ireland’s most famous and controversial journalists who is now the host of his own hugely popular podcast, The Stand, Eamon Dunphy. I wanted to speak to Eamon about his ...
Dec 26, 2019•22 min
She may have had to move on from RTE after reaching retirement age, but for presenter Mary Kennedy, her career is anything but over – starting with Dancing with the Stars to look forward to. Before Mary started her rehearsals, she joined me on this week’s Real Health podcast for this week’s ‘Life Lessons’ episode looking back on her career and life, what she learned and would do differently. Plus she has some great advice about the dangers of being cash-rich and time-poor, why family trumps care...
Dec 19, 2019•38 min
Christmas is just around the corner and the party season is in full swing, but have you been over-indulging and enjoying yourself a bit too much? Have you been hit with the dreaded hangover yet or perhaps not looking forward to it happening? On this week's Real Health I've got the answers for you with Ireland's favourite GP, Dr. Sumi Dunne. Sumi explains what a hangover is, what happens to your body (and head), what to do and what not to do and how you can help to get over from its symptoms the ...
Dec 12, 2019•26 min
Celebrating ten years presenting Operation Transformation, Kathryn Thomas joins me on this week's Real Health podcast to look ahead to the new series in January. She also tells me what it was like stepping into Gerry Ryan's shoes, why acting was her first love and how she got her break into TV. We discuss the importance of balance and positivity in her life and why finding the thing that you love to do is so important. Plus, Kathryn gives some tips for getting yourself on the right road to healt...
Dec 05, 2019•33 min
Between Black Friday and the Toy Show, present buying for Christmas is first and foremost on a lot of people’s minds, and on this week’s Real Health, I thought, why not ask two of Ireland’s leading personal trainers what their wish list for Christmas would be? John Belton of No. 17 Personal Training and Paul Moran from BodyRock Performance joined me with their recommendations for training-related gifts for friends and family. There’s a few gadgets and gizmos on their list to aid in your running ...
Nov 28, 2019•28 min
The next few weeks are going to be busy. Between office parties and family and friend get-togethers, there will be plenty of socialising, eating and drinking over the Christmas period. But, how to make sure all the work you’ve done on your health and fitness throughout the year doesn’t go to waste over the next few weeks? This week’s Real Health episode will help solve that problem. I give you my ten tips that will make sure you can enjoy yourself but still keep you on track with your training a...
Nov 21, 2019•17 min
This week I’m finding out all about pilates and yoga, the difference between them, the importance of movement, and the massive benefits that can be had from their practice. To give me insights, tips and advice, I speak to two of Ireland’s leading experts and practitioners, Annie Kirwan and Lee Tracey, who are co-founders of Reformation, a Dublin-based studio. Annie and Lee also reveal how and why yoga and pilates became so important to them, how they ditched careers in science and finance to pur...
Nov 14, 2019•27 min
Unless you've been living under a rock in 2019, my guest on this week's Real Health podcast is known to pretty much everyone in Ireland after winning ITV's Love Island. He was a hugely popular winner and not only is he a proud Limerick man, he is also a very talented international athlete in rugby and athletics. Greg O'Shea joins me on this week's episode to tell me about his Love Island experience, how he convinced his Mum to let him do it, what life has been like since the TV show, and we also...
Nov 07, 2019•24 min
In his work with Leinster Rugby and Dublin GAA, elite performance nutritionist, Daniel Davey, has seen how consistently eating good food can help you perform at your highest level. But it’s not just in elite sport that this is true either. Anyone can feel and perform better with the right food choices. A healthy diet with appropriate energy and nutrients will make you feel energetic, positive, healthy, fit, strong and confident. Tremendous results can be accomplished through the right diet and o...
Oct 31, 2019•28 min
It’s the 40th anniversary of the Dublin Marathon and is the biggest one yet. So, if you’re one of the 22,500 runners taking part – or if you’re just into any kind of running – on this week’s Real Health, I wanted to bring you some race tips and advice from one of Ireland’s greatest ever runners, Catherina McKiernan. Catherina has been an Olympian, European cross-country champion, four-time, World cross-country silver medallist, and is still the national marathon record holder with her victory in...
Oct 24, 2019•19 min
It’s cold, damp and dark, the fire is looking more inviting each evening and it is becoming more and more difficult to train. Yes winter is arriving, so how to make sure you stay on track during these next few months? For this week’s Real Health podcast I’ve got my top ten tips for winter training success. The key is to set yourself up for success. Write them down and put them into action so you don’t put on weight or don’t lose your training routine. Try any one of these tips – even better do a...
Oct 17, 2019•22 min
It massively impacts you in terms of running, training and everyday life and yet it’s not an area of health and fitness that people pay much attention to. What am I talking about? Your mobility, and on this week’s Real Health podcast, I speak to Brian O’Loughlin of Movement101 and find out why movement and mobility are the real secrets to Real Health. “It’s not about stretching or foam rolling,” explains Brian. “It’s about being able to physically move the way you want to move. Foam rolling and ...
Oct 10, 2019•29 min
I've covered nutrition before on the Real Health podcast from performance to healthy eating and this week I'm discussing fuelling your life with nutrition advice and tips from Danny Lennon of Sigma Nutrition. Danny is the founder of Sigma Nutrition and has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, during which time he completed his research thesis directly under the world-renowned vitamin D researcher Professor Kevin Cashman. On this episode, Danny has ten ke...
Oct 03, 2019•35 min
Aoibhín Garrihy, entrepreneur, former Fair City Actress and former Dancing with the Stars finalist, joined me on this week’s Real Health podcast to talk about family, career and health. Aoibhín gave up acting and headed west to Clare, where, she says, she has found happiness. “Every time I headed to the west I felt a weight lift off me, felt happier and at ease. The outdoors is my happy place. When you free yourself from shackles it can be very free-ing and liberating.” Aoibhín also talks about ...
Sep 26, 2019•29 min
“I didn’t really know who I was and most of us aren’t really comfortable with who we are.” Alison Canavan, the personal wellness coach and former model, has been through her own struggles and now wants to bring self-empowerment and awareness to more people. Joining me on this week’s Real Health podcast, Alison opens up about her journey, dealing with insecurities and how mindfulness has helped her deal with life’s struggles. She also takes me through the 5 As – Awareness, Acceptance, Accessibili...
Sep 19, 2019•24 min
In a special bonus episode live from the 2019 Ploughing Championships in Carlow, the Real Health podcast finds out about the health of the nation from Kate O’Flaherty, Director of Healthy Ireland, and Conor Owens, Child Psychologist with the HSE. We’re living longer, and slowly but surely, as a country, we're eating healthier and getting fitter, but there is still a lot more to do with obesity a major issue and set to become even more so in the future. Karl talks to Kate and Conor about what we ...
Sep 17, 2019•16 min
It’s September, the summer is over, schools are back, the nights are drawing in and life is going back to its familiar routine. What better time then to get your fitness – physical and mental – back on track? After all, September is the new January… This week’s Real Health podcast is dedicated to re-establishing your fitness routine and to help you through it with some great tips and advice, I’m joined by Janet Cleary, a clinical nurse and mindfulness coach, Peter Thornton a wellness advisor wit...
Sep 12, 2019•25 min
This week’s episode is about mental health but it’s also a raw story of dark depths, attempted suicide and the ability to overcome and deal with the thoughts inside your head. Graham McCormack is a former MMA fighter who in recent years has been very open about his battles with anxiety, depression and mental health. It’s perhaps the last thing you would expect to hear from a combatant in the ultra-alpha male sphere of combat sport, but I’m delighted to say that Graham joined me on the show to ta...
Sep 05, 2019•38 min
Sleep is an area we don’t pay enough attention to yet it’s when our body recovers the most and it is vital for our mental and physical health. It is one of the most neglected areas of health but one of the most important. For this week's episode I give you my top 10 tips for sleep optimisation that you can put into practise starting today. From your sleep environment to eating, and movement to visualisation, these are simple and easy to implement habits that work and not only will your sleeping ...
Aug 29, 2019•22 min
Nutrition and food has become a crucial component in the GAA in terms of performance and preparation and this week I wanted to find out more and to get some tips and advice from someone who is not only a nutritionist but an inter-county GAA footballer. Mayo's Evan Regan joined me on this week's Real Health podcast to discuss all things GAA, food and nutrition. He explains how more and more nutritionists are becoming involved, not only at county, but at club and underage level too. Significantly,...
Aug 22, 2019•27 min
Steroids. It's a topic I've been wanting to cover since the Real Health first started. Just how much is it on the increase, especially for gym users and the younger generation of men who are under pressure to look a 'certain way'? Over half a million doses of steroids are being confiscated by the Gardaí every year and it is on the rise. To find out more, this week I’m joined by David Nolan of Synapse Performance. David is the current head of performance for the Rugby Academy Ireland and is also ...
Aug 15, 2019•30 min
“It’s the biggest health problem this country has.” These are the stark words from Professor Donal O’Shea, the HSE’s Clinical Lead on Obesity, who joins me on this week’s Real Health podcast to talk about the obesity epidemic that is affecting Ireland. Did you know that a report by the European Commission on Obesity found that obesity levels in Ireland are far higher than the EU average? Not only that, but by 2030 Ireland could be the fattest nation in Europe, with 89% of men and 85% women being...
Aug 08, 2019•34 min
I regularly get asked what's in my weekly food shop and what do I buy in the supermarket from people wanting advice and tips to ensure they're set up for a week of healthy eating. This week's episode deals with just that - it's my top tips for your ten food shop essentials. It's the ten foods that are in my shopping trolley every week. The food shop is crucial to your health, stocking up with the right foods to set you up for the week. Also important is making sure you have healthy food and snac...
Aug 01, 2019•19 min
He’s the World Rugby Player of the Year, a multiple European Cup, Pro14 and Six Nations winner and Johnny Sexton joins me on this week’s Real Health podcast from the Laya City Spectacular that was recently held in Dublin’s Merrion Square. Johnny talks to me about his down-time and off-season, as well as the return to pre-season training in preparation for what will be the biggest of years with the Rugby World Cup looming. He’s open and honest about the difficulties of training at this time of th...
Jul 25, 2019•19 min
