Real Health with Karl Henry

It's Volume 3 of your most popular fitness questions answered on this week's show. You've asked and I'm answering!The five questions I answer this week cover:- health supplements- muscle v fat- cardio v weight training- age and exercise- GPS watches and runningYou'll have to listen to the show to get my thoughts and advice and if you have any questions you want addressed for future episodes then get in touch: realhealth@independent.ie or @KarlHenryPT on Twitter and Instagram.For more from the Real Health podcast visit the show page at:https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-real-health-podcast/The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a topic that seems to be everywhere and it's the fitness industry’s biggest push – fat loss and the magical way to do it. There’s a lot of myths out there and there are practical tips that do work, but the reality is there are no quick fixes. Dietitian Orla Walsh joins me on this week’s show to debunk the common myths around fat loss and gives us her top five tips for actually losing weight.“The most important thing is that you don’t have free rein in the evening,” explains Orla. “It’s evening eating that is making people overweight - it’s when they’re munching on food they don’t need. Have a rule that you don’t eat after dinner in the evening.”As for her top five tips for losing body fat, Orla says don’t focus on the scales, look out for your blindspots, have equal meal sizes and find alternative rewards to food. ‘Stop rewarding yourself with food, you’re not a dog!’ she tells Real Health listeners and make you sure listen out for her one minute exercise for rewards, comforts and energisers. Let me know how you get on by emailing me at realhealth@independent.ie or via Twitter and Instagram @KarlHenryPT.The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you running in the 2018 Dublin City Marathon? I'm very jealous because it's one of the best marathons in the world and is an absolutely brilliant day. I've run it four times with a PB of 3h39m and although I'm not running it this year, I will be out on the course giving encouragement to you and the 20,000 other runners. And as a special bonus episode for my Real Health listeners, I've put together some simple tips to keep you calm and relaxed and help guide you through the race.I’ve got tips on gear, prep and food to warming up, pacing yourself and using the crowd to push you through and I hope this episode will help you to enjoy the day that bit more.The very best of luck with the marathon and do let me know how you get on. I'm on realhealth@independent.ie or @KarlHenryPT on Twitter and Instagram.For more Real Health episodes just go to:https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-real-health-podcast/The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anxiety and stress is affecting more and more Irish adults these days and we’re finding it harder to cope with what life throws at us. Did you know that 80% of adults in Ireland have been affected by anxiety, with almost half (44%) reporting that their mental wellbeing is of real concern to them?While fitness and exercise helps greatly, we also need to look after our emotional being as well. Sarah O'Neill chartered psychologist and MD of Spectrum Mental Health joins me on this week’s show to discuss dealing with the growing anxiety in our work and personal lives.“Stress can be helpful in the short term to help us respond to challenges,” Sarah explains. “But long term it can become chronic and debilitating.”Sarah recommends checking in with your BACE on a regular basis which is:Body – how is your physical health?Achievement – celebrate your achievementsConnection – reach out to people, we are all social animalsEnjoyment – don’t forget to enjoy life as well!Plus, she has some great tips and practical exercises if you find your mind and body going through the triggers of stress and anxiety, including how to avoid avoidance, talking it out, and developing a greater awareness and understanding.Let me know how you get on by emailing me at realhealth@independent.ie or via Twitter and Instagram @KarlHenryPT.For more from the show visit:https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-real-health-podcast/The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The dark, cold, rainy nights are coming in and it's easy to sit on the couch and find excuses to not go training. But beat those winter blues by using my ten tips for your Winter Survival Guide.I break it down between gear, exercise and food covering outdoor gear to use, layering, group training, events, new training, stews and soups and the importance of a flask.My 10 tips will help make sure you don't fall off the wagon this winter so you don't have any excuses for not getting out - even if it's cold, wet and windy!Let me know how you get on by emailing me at realhealth@independent.ie or via Twitter and Instagram @KarlHenryPT.For more from the show just visit https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-real-health-podcast/The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a truly inspiring interview on my podcast this week as I speak to Mark Pollock about the inner strength needed to cope with life's toughest challenges.‘He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how’ is Nietzsche's quote and Mark’s mantra for living."If you know why you’re doing what you’re doing and it makes sense to you, then you can put up with all the tough stuff. It sits over everything to do with my life really," Mark explains. He expects problems while exploring the possibilities and it’s how he made it to the South Pole and has coped with blindness and being in a wheelchair.20 years ago, in the space of two weeks, he went from being a person about to start a new job and life in the city in London to becoming completely blind and stuck back at home in his bedroom. "Suddenly I was a blind person and had to try and find a place and identity in the world again," he says.All of which led to running ultra marathons in some of the world's most inhospitable climates and now, after the accident leading him to being in a wheelchair, he's looking to tackle paralysis through the Mark Pollock Trust.It's an incredible story that can only but inspire and why not also take part in Mark's Run in the Dark in November? For more information go to www.runinthedark.org and also check out Mark's incredible Ted Talk with his fiancée Simone George:https://www.ted.com/talks/mark_pollock_and_simone_george_a_love_letter_to_realism_in_a_time_of_griefContact me with any questions/comments on Instagram and Twitter @KarlHenryPT and realhealth@independent.ie and for more shows go to: http://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-real-health-podcast/The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know the seven relationships that will define your life for better or worse? Allison Keating has been a psychologist for 18 years and she joins me to talk about her first book, 'The Secret Lives of Adults', in which she explains why, but most importantly how, we need to improve the key relationships in our lives. 'Life is busy and people are finding the constant juggle too much,' she says. 'The last ten years has been an epidemic of anxiety and stress that is now turning into burn-out. It’s a symptom of modern society but its how we respond to it that determines our life.'Find out how you can better cope with adulthood and get some practical tips and exercises that you can use to help with your daily living.If you have any questions or comments about the show you can email realhealth@independent.ie, contact me on Instagram and Twitter @KarlHenryPT or visitwww.independent.ie/podcasts/the-real-health-podcast/The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dublin's All Ireland winner, James McCarthy, joined me on the Irish Independent Talks Stage at the 2018 Ploughing for this week's Real Health bonus episode.I spoke to the Dublin star about the pressure and challenge of the 5-in-a-row and got some insights into what the health and fitness regime is like for the All Ireland champions.For more from the Real Health podcast just visit the show page at www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-real-health-podcast/And for any questions or comments, you can contact me on Twitter and Instagram @KarlHenryPT.The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trisha Lewis' story is one to inspire and this week I speak to the Cork woman about her weight loss, her health journey and ultimately taking responsibility for her life and her actions.'I was so sick of trying everything and failing. I was 26 stone and knew if I failed this time there was nowhere else to go for me,' she says. 'I don't look to the future, if I get through today without failing that's a success. If you have weight, be honest with yourself and take ownership of it.'Trisha has now lost six stone since February and hers is a story of honesty, inspiration and bravery. And the best part of it all? 'Happiness and being confident walking down the street once again,' she says. You can follow her incredible story on Instagram @trishas.transformation and for more from the Real Health podcast go to www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-real-health-podcast/The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.**See the Real Health podcast live at the Dublin Podcast Festival and kickstart your real health lifestyle with physical, mental and energy experts, Annie Kirwan, Neil O'Brien and Deirdre McSwiney. For tickets and information go to DublinPodcastFestival.ie.**See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the vegan lifestyle for you? It’s not just about food but about how you are living your life and how it’s impacting animals in the process. For journalist and blogger, Holly White, she became vegan four years ago and hasn't looked back since. Holly joins me on this week's podcast to discuss the vegan lifestyle and to give some practical tips and recipe advice for those interested in becoming vegan.For Holly it means a diet with no eggs, no meat, no dairy, but she says, the vegan diet doesn't have to be one of extremes or difficult to embrace.Even if you're not committed to becoming a vegan, Holly definitely has some great recipes and healthy eating advice that we can all take on-board, including using ingredients such as lentils or tofu in ways that we hadn't considered before.'Lentils contain more protein than beef,' she points out and says everyone should try a vegan shepherd's pie made with lentils.For more from Holly, check out HollyWhite.ie and her new book, 'Vegan-ish', is out now.For more from the Real Health podcast check out the show page at www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-real-health-podcast/The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.**See the Real Health podcast live at the Dublin Podcast Festival and kickstart your real health lifestyle with physical, mental and energy experts, Annie Kirwan, Neil O'Brien and Deirdre McSwiney. For tickets and information go to DublinPodcastFestival.ie.**See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.