Michaela Strachan is encouraging us all to take part in the Miles for Macmillan walks
TV presenter Michaela Strachan is helping to support the Miles for Macmillan walks that are taking place during August and September.
She is taking part in the Regent's Park walk on August 31st and is hoping to encourage as as many people as possible to come and join me and raise money for Macmillan cancer support.
We caught up with her for a quick chat about her fitness and nutrition advice, and of course why you should all be taking part yourselves.
1. How are you encouraging people to take part in the walks?
Not only will it be a fabulous day out but it's raising money for such a worthy cause. In the last year I have lost 4 friends to cancer and know far too many people who have been affected by it. I also feel very strongly that we should get out more, exercise more, breathe more, spend time with people close to us. All these things we can do by joining the walk. Regents Park is just one of the locations. There are 9 big beautiful walks, most happen during the weeks after Regents Park. There's Clumber Park in Worksop, Herrington Country Park in Sunderland, Hatfield Forest in Essex, Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, Ragley Hall in Warwickshire, Hampton Court Castle in Leominster, Chatelherault Park in Hamilton plus a few in Wales and Northern Ireland. The walks are a national fundraising event supported by Boots UK and are the perfect excuse to get out with family and friends and enjoy a day out in the fresh air. If you don't fancy actually walking you can sign up to be a miles maker volunteer and do a bit of marshalling or manning info desks. Whatever you do you'll have fun doing it.
2. Are you training for them?
Not specifically. I'm reasonably fit anyway and regularly exercise so an 8mile walk won't be too challenging for me, especially as it's fairly flat! I walk a lot at home in Cape Town especially in the Table Mountain national park which is far from flat.
3. What benefits have you seen from walking so much?
I try and do a walk about once a week. The dog benefits a lot! Otherwise it's a quick walk round the block for him. Why I enjoy walking so much is because it gives me the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends whilst getting a bit of exercise and fresh air. We choose beautiful routes and being able to take a couple of hours out of my day to appreciate nature, breathe and enjoy good company, I find it a much better way of seeing friends than going for coffee, a lot more fulfilling.
4. How else do you like to keep in shape?
Walking is part of my fitness routine. I like variety so do a real selection. Yoga on Mondays, running on Tuesdays, pilates on Wednesdays, dancing on Thursday, a walk either Friday or over the weekend. In the summer I also try to go cycling. Unless I'm filming then it all goes to pot a bit.
5. Which have you found best de-stresses you?
I guess walking. It's obviously a more gentle exercise and because I walk with friends, chatting while walking definitely means you feel quite de stressed after. Yoga is also great for distressing.
6. Do you follow a strict diet?
Not really. I am vegetarian so obviously I don't eat meat. Breakfast is always fruit with yogurt and muesli. I have a very light lunch, toast with avocado or a sandwich or wrap with mushrooms and salad, something like that. When I'm at home I cook most nights and enjoy having a varied menu. I have a vegetable garden and there's nothing better than harvesting something from the garden and having it for dinner. We grow a lot of spinach for instance so spinach and coconut soup is a regular. Also stir fry with whatever is available to pick. Last night we had sweetcorn soufflés with asparagus and mange tout. Tonight we're having a black bean casserole. Because I cook a lot of different veggie dishes, I must say that I never get very inspired by the veggie choice when I go out. It's often very unimaginative.
I don't eat puddings unless it's a treat or a night out. We don't really have cakes at home. Biscuits are a weak point and I'm rather partial to a bit of chocolate! I think we eat a fairly healthy diet and choose organic when we can and avoid processed food.
I'm actually off alcohol at the moment too. I'd got into the habit of having a glass of wine every night and thought it would do me good to stop for a while. It's been 2 months so far. Not sure how much longer I'll do. I don't feel any better for it but I think it has broken the habit of every night drinking. I think when I start again I'll try to only have a glass of wine 3 nights a week instead of 7.
7. What's your guilty pleasure food that you like to indulge?
I never really over indulge, it's not really in my nature. I eat a lot of nuts, although they are good for you, sometimes I can just keep going and then realise I've eaten my way through a huge packet! My son and I do sometimes indulge in a packet of wine gums! Again, once I start, I find I have to finish the packet! A latte and a croissant is a bit of a guilty pleasure although a minor one!
8. What sort of health snacks do you eat?
Well I try to eat nuts if I get the munchies rather than reach for the biscuit tin. If I'm being good, I try to limit the amount I eat and not finish the packet. We eat a lot of fruit in our house. If we're going out I'd rather take a tuppa of pineapple than crisps or muffins.
9. Are there any foods you avoid in your diet?
Meat of course. Anything with too much cream. Over processed food. I'm not good with hot spice so avoid that. I've never enjoyed that burning flavour, I've never really seen the point of burning your mouth and having to drink masses of water when trying to eat! Think I must be missing something with the vindaloo culture!
10. Why are you supporting the walks?
I have lost 4 good friends in the last year to cancer. My partner lost his wife to cancer before I met him. I have seen the effects of losing someone to cancer on a family. It's tough and far too many people are affected these days. I am also passionate about getting people away from screen time and out into the fresh air. We spend far too much time huddled over screens these days, even when we're walking, some people are hunched over their mobile phones. Breathing is a big part of staying healthy. How are our organs supposed to work at their best if we're hunched and squashing them half the time? We need to get out and fill our lungs with fresh air regularly to help our bodies work to their full capacity. We also need to communicate with people face to face and not just through social media and by walking with friends you can tick so many of the boxes especially if you can raise money whilst doing it.
11. Why should people get involved?
People should get involved because it's a great thing to do. A fun day out, a worthy cause, an opportunity to get together with friends and family and enjoy a day out. And it'll be a lot of fun.
Michaela is taking part in a big, beautiful walk for Macmillan, supported by Boots UK, to ensure that no one has to face cancer alone. Please click through to find your local walk which are taking place from 31st August to 15th September:www.macmillan.org.uk/walk