Celebrity Health - Amy Willerton
"I’m fitter now than ever before!”
Model and TV presenter Amy Willerton rose to fame after being crowned Miss Great Britain in 2013. The 25-year-old has since appeared on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and, most recently, Channel 4’s action-packed winter sports show The Jump.
©Image of Amy Willerton courtesy of Happiful magazine/Joseph Sinclair Photography
Q: Do you have an interest in natural health?
Amy: Yes. I’m one of those people who’s got rice milk and coconut oil in my cupboards. When I lived in LA I was very lucky that I got exposed to the trends quite early. I would seek out all of these vegan restaurants just because of the amazing food that they did and how creative they were. I loved finding out about healthy foods. I was one of the first people to start making courgetti and get into spiralizing and I love it. You don’t feel like you are being deprived. You’re just cleansing not clogging.
Q: Do you enjoy cooking?
Amy: Yes. I cook quite a lot at home. My favourite healthy dish is baked salmon. I just marinate a salmon fillet in soy, ginger and mushrooms then bake it in the oven. It’s so gorgeous and really easy and super light.
Q: What might you eat during a typical day?
Amy: I never used to eat breakfast but I’m a big advocate for it now. It comes with maturity! I try to have eggs in the morning, with tomatoes and cashews. It’s really nice and light and delicious and quick. For lunch I love being creative with salads. I love a vegetable stir fry. Salmon is a very nice thing to have for dinner. We are so lucky now with the internet and how we can just find new recipes and ways of doing things.
Q: Do you take any supplements?
Amy: Yes. I was told by my trainer to get a high fibre supplement to make sure everything is going through the full circle! I also take hair vitamins like Biotin to keep my hair healthy. I go in and out of taking multivitamins, but I’m really bad because I don’t like swallowing pills. I’d rather go for the chewy vitamin sweets that feel like a treat and something healthy!
Q: Did you enjoy taking part in The Jump earlier this year?
Amy: I loved it. I’m a huge fan of winter sports. I love challenging myself and getting stuck in with physical sporting activities, and skiing has always been one of the only sports that I’m actually really good at. It was an amazing experience.
Q: What effect did all of the training have on your health and fitness levels?
Amy: I feel fitter than ever now. I don’t like sitting down any more. I think I’m driving my boyfriend a bit crazy because he wants to watch a movie whereas I want to go for a walk, go exploring or go jump off something! Even though it’s been a few months now I’m just really hyperactive. It’s definitely spurred the adrenaline junkie in me. The diet we ate in the mountains was really fattening because it was all schnitzels and macaroni cheese, but because we were doing so much exercise I found that I was losing weight and toning up while eating those foods. It was crazy to me because I’ve always gone on the method that it’s 80 per cent diet, 20 per cent exercise. When I got back home I was straight back onto more normal eating. The training made a huge difference to my body. It’s really nice to feel less wobbly!
Q: How did you overcome your nasty crash in the skeleton and find the confidence to carry on with the competition?
Amy: Honestly, it was meditation that got me back on the sledge. It was a mental battle. I was physically fine as I didn’t get too hurt in the crash, so I kept telling myself that the worst thing that could happen had happened and that I was okay. It was just drilling that into myself mentally and trying to keep calm and allow myself to get back on. It was the same mental challenge every time I did the jump. Every challenge, your body is telling you that this is wrong and you shouldn’t be ploughing off a metal platform into oblivion, but you've got to do it anyway. Every morning and evening I did a meditation and I had a CD of deep breathing techniques that I did every time I got nervous. It really got me through it.
Q: Do you practise mindfulness?
Amy: I do a lot of mindfulness and meditation especially when I’m going through a tough time. It really helps to connect with yourself and sort things out in your head, because all of us get mentally blocked at times or are unsure where to go with things or making decisions. I find that once you clear the mind and get into that space of silence it allows things to sort themselves out.
Q: What exercise do you tend to do
Amy: I go to the gym sometimes but I’m more of an outdoors girl, especially now that the weather is warmer. I do a lot of hiking, I go on my bike and I’m always looking to do adventures around my local area. I went orienteering the other day. It was just running around finding all of these riddles and clues around a national park! Being outdoors makes exercise fun. It doesn’t feel like you’re working out; you’re just having a great time.
Q: When it comes to beauty, do you take a natural approach?
Amy: Yes, I do take a natural approach. I don’t wear very much make-up during the day unless I’m working or have something going on. I used to have really bad acne as a teenager so I am careful. I always try to make sure the acne doesn’t come back.
Q: What’s your top tip for healthy living?
Amy: Water is so key. I carry a bottle everywhere! I have a filter bottle so I can fill from any tap. In a restaurant, don’t order juice or cola, but instead order water. Your body will thank you for it.
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