As the presenter of Newstalk’s health and wellness show Alive and Kicking, Clare McKenna embarked on a journey of wellness and self discovery. Now a qualified health coach to boot, she has learned how to differentiate between fact and fiction. Here, she shares a snapshot of some of those hard-won lessons…

What personal experiences or turning points led to you becoming an advocate for health and wellness? “I only really got into exercise in my early twenties. Once I discovered the gym, I really loved it. From there I became more conscious of what I was eating. However, I began to count calories, to use the gym as a way to work them off, but it was only years later that I began to see that as something negative. We are steeped in the messages of diet culture, which makes us feel like we are not enough as we are and need to punish ourselves to change. Guilt and shame are not motivating emotions.

“Four years ago when I took on the job of presenting Newstalk’s health and wellness show Alive and Kicking, I was exhausted. Worn out from trying every fad, overwhelmed by all the noise. Was I to eat meat or go plant based? Run or lift weights? I was throwing things into my shopping basket because it had paleo on the front with no real understanding of what that meant. So I decided to begin again, and with the help of a team of people I met through my show, I went on a year-long journey to figure out what health and wellbeing truly is. I flipped my focus from what I looked like to how I felt. I have lived differently since then, no food rules, counting nutrients not calories, prioritising joy and being flexible with my routine.”

Any daily habits or routines that contribute to your overall wellbeing?
“I meditate in the morning before I wake the kids for school, it really helps to start my day that way and when I don’t get to do it my day doesn’t run as smoothly. I just throw on a guided meditation on my phone, light a candle and lie there. I make a point of marking it as ‘my time’. “I think about how many nutrients I am eating so if I’m having porridge for example, I’ll add in some berries, nuts, seeds and spices so I’m increasing the nutrients but I never count calories. I’m also conscious that I’m getting protein in each meal and that healthy fats are in my diet too. I make time to home cook and to sit and eat, enjoying my food. “I drink loads of water. I charge my phone in the kitchen (I have a light up alarm clock by my bed) and after reading to the kids, I read myself before going to sleep.”

How do you stay consistent with regular exercise?
“I struggle too and don’t always get it right. On a week that is busy with work and commitments, often the ball I drop is the exercise class and I don’t beat myself up about that. However, after a few days of that I start to feel sluggish and my energy is low. So my advice is to add small amounts in. Instead of trying to get to the gym or to run 8km try incorporating a walk into your lunch break, take the stairs, put an online yoga class on your phone and even do 15 mins. Our bodies are designed to move so even getting up from the laptop for a walk around every 30 mins can help with focus and concentration.

“Our brains are designed to protect us and will always try to keep us on the couch, it's called negativity bias, that voice in our head that tells us we are too tired. It takes work to really suss out when it's the truth and you need to rest and when to push through, go for that walk or do that class.”

How do you incorporate mental health and emotional wellbeing into your life?
“I take the time to come away from my phone. Of course I look at Instagram more than I should at times and have often been emailing someone when my kids are trying to talk to me, but I know when it’s time to recharge my head, as much as I know it is time to recharge the phone battery. Belly laughs with friends is essential!”

Personal growth often accompanies a health and fitness journey. Any personal achievements you've experienced on your path to a healthier lifestyle?
“Qualifying as a health coach was a big one. I had two good friends who studied at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and became health coaches so I took the plunge and loved the course. It's all about looking at areas of your life that might be impacting your health and wellbeing before you even look at what’s on your plate, although nutrition was a big part too.

“A health coach is not supposed to replace a medical professional and isn't there for diagnosis or medication but to work with the medical professionals to give people the time and space to
explore areas of their life such as their career, relationships, joy, spirituality and home environment as well as ways to bring in and build change.

“My online course is called ‘Nourish Yourself’ and I aim to help people work out how to do that for themselves. To look at their own lives, what's working, what isn't and how to introduce lasting change. It’s a new way of looking at health and wellness. There’s no mention of weight or weight loss, or what you are going to cut out. Instead there is a focus on what you are going to add and how you want to feel as opposed to changing how you look.

“The analogy of the oxygen mask on a plane is often used, you have to attend to your own first. My message to people is nourish yourself – mind, body and soul. You deserve to feel as healthy and well as you can.”

You can find Clare McKenna on social media @claremckennapresents and her coaching program at nourishyourself.ie