Martine McCutcheon talks to us

by Taryn Davies | 24 November 2011

Martine McCutcheon says that she has music she would like to release

Martine McCutcheon has been busy working recently, we've seen her on our screens fronting Activia yoghurts, but behind the scenes she's been doing other stuff too.

"Well, lately I've been doing some work on the new novel, which I'm really excited about, I've also been doing some writing, some music which I'd like to get released next year."

So, next year is planning on being a very busy one for the actress, who has also announced it will be the year that she will walk down the aisle with her longtime boyfriend, singer Jack McManus.

We caught up with her for a quick chat.

Do you want to tell us what the TLC plan is about?

Well, the TLC plan is all about taking care of yourself and making sure that you realise that when it comes to your health and your digestive health it's the engine of your body and if it's not working properly it can have a real impact on the way you feel.

So many women don't realise that they can do something to improve it and it's something that they don't really want to talk about. So, we've been trying to make sure that people do give themselves Tummy Loving Care and look after themselves and make sure that they can get in their skinny jeans, if nothing else.

Do you follow a strict diet to stay in shape?

I don't follow a strict diet, I'm a big believer of everything in moderation. But also, if you do feel a bit heavier or you don't feel really good, or you're a bit out of shape; the best thing to do is kind of balance things. So, I'll try and have a juice with an Activia in the morning because that's really light and then I'll have something like brown rice and salmon for lunch and then in the evening I try not to have any carbs.

I find if I do that, mixing it with walking and swimming whenever I can, the weight will sort of fall off. But, I make sure that no matter what I have my one day a week for treats and then that way you're not feeling deprived.

What food vices do you have?

That would be chocolate and warm bread with butter.

We hear a lot about Super Foods - they have all of these extra health benefits - are there any particular ones that you think we should be getting more of?

To be honest with you, I'm a big believer that if you get things organically and if you eat food in their naturalist state possible, I think it's just the best way. I think that if you do anything too extreme or go too far with supplements it can be hard to keep it up and I think that the real deal is the best really. But I do also think that having things like wheatgrass in your juice in the morning, things like that, again it all helps.

You mentioned that you like walking and swimming; what other exercises do you do?

That's what I like best. I just put my headphones on and try and make it as fun as possible. The TLC have got an online plan, Activia TLC Plan, it's really good. I did that at the beginning of the year and that got me really into shape. Just because when you make it fun and you keep it varied, I think that your body feels like it's not as much like hard work and it kind of goes with it a it more easily really.

I think that you do really need to make a little bit of time, even if it's just a walk to the bus stop, rather than being dropped off. Or you try and ride a bike when you can or in this cold weather, you try and go to the gym or take the stairs rather than the lift. You can always burn more calories if you really want to. But it's something like anything in life, it's the choice that you make.

Does your routine change much as we delve deeper into the winter months?

I find that I do more dance classes, I go to Dance Attic. It just makes me feel great, even if my weight doesn't change, knowing that I've had a good sweat and I'm glowy and that I've done something it just makes me feel good about myself.

What would you say are the essential things for a work out?

Make sure that you've eaten well beforehand, so you don't feel too faint and you give yourself that gap in between, so you're not going to have any digestive problems or any cramps, things like that. Then I would say that, once you've kind of fuelled yourself, just to make it fun because if you don't make it fun, you won't stick to it.