The successful sporting executive,
journalist and author, 43, shares her healthy eating habits
Karren says:
‘I’m notoriously bad at breakfast, but I
can’t move without my coffee. From Monday to Thursday, I’m in London and the
only things I have in my flat are coffee and long-life milk.
‘I do some work from home then head to the
office where I’ll have lunch quite early. Usually, it’s a ham sandwich on white
bread as I don’t like brown bread. I’m always snacking on almonds between meals
– I find they keep me going and they’re delicious. I don’t eat much fruit –
it’s too hard to keep fresh when I’m on the go, that’s why almonds are perfect.
I love vegetables, so for dinner I’ll probably have a chicken stir-fry.
‘From Friday to Sunday, I love to cook for
my family at home. My speciality is slow-roast lamb with garlic mashed potatoes
and green beans. And there’s always a big cake afterwards!
‘This year, I decide I wanted to make
better choices. I walk a lot to and from work, and at weekends I play tennis or
go cycling with my family. Since January, I’ve lost quite a bit of weight
through healthy snacking. The biggest changes I’ve noticed are I eat better and
both my skin and hair have really improved.’
Dietician Fiona hunter
‘Karren’s diet is not too bad, although
there is room for improvement. The first healthy habit she needs to adopt is
eating breakfast. After seven to eight hours without food overnight, her body and
more importantly her brain, needs food to work efficiently. As Karren doesn’t
eat much fruit, a smoothie or muesli with fresh fruit would be a good choice.
Almonds are an ideal snack, as they’re very practical, easy to transport and
are nutritious. Karren’s salt intake could be too high as she has ham for lunch
and stir-fry for dinner. Opting for low-salt soy sauce with her stir-fry will
reduce salt in her diet.’
Try almond nut butter on oatcakes when you’re puckish. The oatcakes are low GI and spread
with a small amount of the butter, you’ll get high-energy, low-fat snack that’s
quick and easy. Try Meridian Almond Butter, 170g ($4, Holland & Barrett).
Meridian
Almond Butter
Grab a handful of almonds twice a day to keep your energy up and help avoid a
snack attack. Eight to 10 almonds is sufficient. Soaking them overnight in
water makes the nutrients more available.
Try making
flavored almonds by roasting them with cinnamon. As well as enhancing the
flavor, the cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar and boosts brain function. Coat
the nuts in whisked egg white, add a dash of vanilla essence and honey, and
roast.
Karren’s guilty pleasure…
‘I eat out a lot when I’m in London. I’m a
plain eater, so I like to enjoy a main meal and skip starter and dessert – my
favorite is steak and chips.’
A 100g portion of chip-shop chips contains
= 240 calories, 12.4g of saturated fat and 30.5g carbohydrate
Try sweet potato wedges instead. One large
sweet potato will serve two. Oven cook with canola oil and garlic – so
delicious we guarantee you won’t go back to regular chips! One 100g portion
contains 122 calories, 0g of saturated fat and 19g of carbohydrate.
