Celebrity Health - Helen Fospero

Morning star

Liz Parry talks to breakfast TV presenter Helen Fospero about how she keeps herself and her family healthy and how she copes with those early morning starts

Q: As a regular presenter on ITV’s Daybreak and Lorraine how do you make sure you get a good night’s sleep when you have to get up so early?

Helen: "I find that I get a good night’s sleep in that I’m absolutely exhausted. So the quality of the sleep is good but the problem is there’s never enough of it! If I manage to get to bed by 9.30pm, after getting the kids to bed and preparing for the next day, then I’ve done well. I don’t have any trouble getting to sleep – I think I could fall asleep on a washing line – it’s just that a few more hours would be lovely."

Q: How do you ensure that you follow a healthy lifestyle?

Helen: "I’ve always enjoyed healthy eating and I make sure I eat plenty of fish, chicken and vegetables. I try to encourage the children (nine-year old Francesca and four-year-old Jack) to eat healthily too. We’re all foodies in my house and my husband Carl is a fantastic cook. We go to a farmer’s market every week to buy fresh, local produce and we try to buy organic when we can. I do have a weakness for things like coffee and chocolate but I think life would be a little miserable without them! It’s important to have a few treats in life."

Q: Do you follow a specific diet?

Helen: "I’m very interested in the alkaline diet but I don’t follow it religiously. I have an alkaline filter for my water and I make a juice every day made from avocado, cucumber, celery and spinach with some lemon juice. That might sound pretty unappetising to some people but I really like it and it makes me feel great! It’s nutritious, filling and it’s like ticking off your five-a-day in one go. If I had more time on my hands I would love to learn more about the alkaline diet."

Q: Do you take any supplements?

Helen: "I take a multivitamin and I take krill oil every day. I find that it’s particularly good for my complexion as well as my hair and nails. If I’m doing Daybreak or Lorraine and I’m getting up at 3am the hours can take their toll on your body, so sometimes I need a little extra help."

Q: What do you do to relax?

Helen: "I like to spend time with my family. We try to go away together whenever we can and we love going rollerblading in the park and eating our way round the local farmers market every Sunday. The children are used to life being very hectic – both Carl and I have very busy careers – so family time is very important to us. I think when you have such a busy lifestyle it’s important to keep yourself as healthy as possible. I’m very lucky as I rarely get colds or illnesses."

Q: Do you enjoy exercise?

Helen: "I’ve never really been much of a gym bunny but I like to think that I’ve always been fit. I’m probably at my fittest now and I think that’s down to discovering a technique developed by a lady called Zana Morris. It involves short, intensive weight training which I do three to four times a week for 15 minutes. You exercise different muscle groups each time and you also get a good cardio workout, so it’s good for your heart and lungs. It’s very easy to fit it in around a busy lifestyle so it’s ideal for a working mum like me. I’ve been doing this for two years now and I’m so pleased with the results. After my son was born I struggled to lose the last half a stone of baby weight, but after taking up the Zana Morris method, and following a healthy eating programme, I lost 9lbs in weight."

Q: Would you say that you have a positive attitude to life?

Helen: "Yes. I’m married to a New Yorker and he’s naturally an optimist so that rubs off on me I think. As a journalist I’ve witnessed a lot of awful things like the Northern Ireland troubles and the collapsing of the Twin Towers and it makes you realise that life is very fragile. I think it’s important to have a positive outlook and to make the most of every day. I’m very lucky to have my health; a wonderful, supportive family and a job that I love."

Read other celebrity health articles here...