Pippa O’Connor talks to RTÉ Create about Healthy Living And Weekend Treats.
These days, living well is about far more than just fresh fruit and vegetables. Living well is all encompassing. Of course, getting the right nutrition is an essential aspect of your overall sense of wellbeing, as is your daily dose of exercise, but so too is the chance to live it up once in awhile, to let your hair down and indulge in the occasional treat. The most important thing to be mindful of, and any health professional will advocate this, is balance; everything in moderation. With Centra, living and eating well can be a veritable pleasure, not a punishment of green food only. What's more, fuelling your body with a variety of wholesome and nutritious food is now effortlessly convenient. In our collective quest for the elusive 'balance', here, blogger and beauty entrepreneur and mother of two, Pippa O'Connor tells us how she makes it work, chocolate included.
Pippa, you've an incredibly busy lifestyle and your gorgeous kids to take care of too, can you give us an idea of your average week?
Every week is so different, work wise - I could be on a shoot for a magazine, working on my website Pippa.ie, in studio or in a million meetings. My week is never dull and I'm always chasing my tail, but I love it.
When we think of people who eat and live well we immediately think of someone that’s super organised. Do you have to be?
Well, I'm not an organised person in general and I'm certainly not when it comes to food shopping. I'm a basket shopper, always have been. That's why Centra’s convenient options are so ideal for the likes of me, and thankfully, they're healthy too!
Dinner in your house, midweek. What’s cooking?
It could be anything from a chicken stir fry to healthy meatballs and pasta with some veg on the side - usually broccoli as, surprisingly, it’s my son Ollie’s favourite! If it’s a comfort food dinner I crave, it’s got to be Shepherd’s Pie!
And at the weekends, do you indulge in a treat or two? What would your ideal treat night be?
Oh I love a night in with sweets and popcorn and a good movie. Chocolate is my weakness. I absolutely love chocolate!
A woman after everyone’s heart. Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day - and our favourite, for sure - and a perfect chance to start your day living well. What’s your ideal brekkie?
Midweek I'd have probably porridge with some berries on top. At the weekends we might cook some eggs and smoked salmon on toasted brown bread. Earlier this year I worked with Centra’s Dietician Sarah Keogh to get more fruit and veg into my diet, basically upping my 5 a day, and since then I’ve been more conscious of adding both where I can. Particularly veg! Omelettes with veg are super handy too, and really tasty.
You seem to have a perfectly balanced approach to living well, are we wrong to be too hard on ourselves when it comes to healthy eating?
It's so important to have balance in my opinion. We're all human, after all, and who doesn't love treats and a little indulgence every now and then? It keeps you sane. I know I certainly do and that's living! That’s what Centra’s Live Every Day is all about; people live busy lives and whether they choose to live well with healthier choices midweek or kick back every once in awhile with some well-deserved treats, you need convenient access to both.
So Centra’s got you covered on the food front, but what about the full 360 experience of living well?
We love getting outdoors with our boys, Ollie is three now and loves cycling his bike, playing football and practicing his golf swing! So I try to get out as much as possible. I want being active to feel fun for my boys growing up, not as something they have to do purely for health reasons.
Lastly, your ultimate advice for living well?
Have a little of everything in moderation and move often! Life is short really so I think people should enjoy themselves, love themselves and to just go for whatever makes you happy!
Pippa O’Connor is calling on everyone to get out of their comfort zone this Friday, September 23rd, at Dublin’s Herbert Park where you can soar through the skies on a city zipline! This unforgettable experiential event is open to the public from 12.30pm - 7pm. What's more, there will be lots of entertainment and refreshments on the day. Fitness expert Pat Divilly will be hosting workout sessions, there will be nutritional advice from dietician Sarah Keogh, hurling tips from GAA legend Henry Shefflin and music and more from top Irish DJ Marcus O’Laoire. For more information check out Centra Ireland’s Facebook page or visit: www.centra.ie
