Tell
me about yourself
I am from the West of France, I moved many times inside a big triangle from Paris to La Rochelle to Nantes. I originally came to Ireland for a year of study during which I met a great Irish guy.
I have been living here for the past 6 years and we got married in 2010, I think my French cooking played a definite part in all this! I am passionate about food and health and how these two topics are linked together. I am really interested in understanding what goes on inside my body and how I can get the best out of it from good nutrition and sport! I feel sometimes I am part of the circus (not just with my aerial hoop dancing, which I teach as a hobby) but also that I’m walking on a wire to find the right balance between delicious food and a healthy body!
I have been living here for the past 6 years and we got married in 2010, I think my French cooking played a definite part in all this! I am passionate about food and health and how these two topics are linked together. I am really interested in understanding what goes on inside my body and how I can get the best out of it from good nutrition and sport! I feel sometimes I am part of the circus (not just with my aerial hoop dancing, which I teach as a hobby) but also that I’m walking on a wire to find the right balance between delicious food and a healthy body!
Tell
me about your healthy eating
Well since I moved away from France, my eating
habits completely changed. For a couple of different reasons; I did not take
the time to look for the ingredients I used to cook with, and I went for easy
and reachable options that led me to put on weight over a couple of years. In
December 2011, I entered a pole dance competition and looking at myself in
those pictures made me realised how dramatically changed I was as a result of
this easily accessible food. I decided to take things into my own hands and
started to read A LOT of different articles, asking myself what were my goals
and priorities regarding my body, food and health. From there, I decided to go
back to food that was making me happy, guilt-free and that provided me with
great tastes and a variety of nutrients.
 |
| Typical lunch: sea bass and Mediterranean veg, garlic and herbs |
For
you, what is the definition of a healthy diet?
A
healthy diet is something that makes you feel good and full of energy. It
should refuel you, not just physically but emotionally too. I am a definite
emotional eater; I need to feel a connection with my food. I need to enjoy the
look of it (I love presentation and dressing plates and tables) and the taste
and feel of it. Pleasure of the senses as we say! I stay away from things that
make me feel bloated or sluggish by listening to my body. Since I have switched
from a very monotonous diet to a diverse diet based on wholefood, I have never
felt better. It is quite close to the so called “paleo” or “primal” diet. It is
not actually a diet but more a lifestyle. I am looking after my body by giving
it a wide range of nutrients and it is grateful for it! I eat a lot of
different vegetables and meats and fish. I stay away from grains most of the
time (I love almond or coconut flour) and switched from milk to almond milk (I
love it!). I have occasional dairy products such as organic yogurt or French
cheeses! I regularly eat all different kinds of nuts and seeds. I also love
juicing; especially as a way to introduce new things into my diet like kale and
other green leaves I would not necessarily be a big fan off. A little tip for
juicing, make sure you use more veggies than fruits, otherwise you are just
sending a sugar shot straight to your blood stream! My favourite green juice
would be kale, cucumber, celery, a sweet apple and half of an organic lemon.
 |
| Green Juice, Nutty pumpkin spices oat balls |
Is
there a type of food you don't allow yourself to eat?
I eat anything I believe
is good for my body, but in reasonable quantities. I follow an 80/20 rules now,
it has become my daily routine but it was closer to 95/5 when I was trying to
lose weight. For most of the time, I eat whole unprocessed food, fresh and
mainly organic products. Basically I decide wisely on my grocery list and on
the food that I make for my everyday meals. When I am out with friends I make
the best possible choice but will allow myself treats. This makes the whole
healthy food paradigm realistic and fun rather than becoming an impediment to
socialising around food. I do keep a very low alcohol intake though, I will
only have one glass of wine once in a while or maybe a cocktail very
occasionally and for soft drinks, I don't drink anything other than water and
green tea (as well as my homemade juices for breakfasts).
Do
you have any nutritional advice for people who would like to keep fit or lose
weight?
The best advice I could give is to read and learn about nutrition and
to visualise what goals you have in mind and how other people achieved them.
You will have to find a routine that works for you and that is sustainable in
the long term through developing new habits. I read many articles on body mechanism,
biology, sports and training. I also follow athletes online and fitness food
bloggers. It is great to get inspiration from other people’s experiences. I am
also active online through my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/clairemariemurraydancer)
and Twitter @clairemarie87 where I post regular motivational posts, fitness
tips and recipes.
Claire-Marie's recipe
for Date and Chocolate Cake
100g
almonds
120g
dark chocolate, broken into pieces
120g
dried dates, pitted
3
egg whites
60g
caster sugar
(Optional
1 spoon of honey)
Preheat the oven to 180C. Blend the almond and chocolate in a food processor until fine. Finely chop the dates. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until it dissolves. Fold in the almond and chocolate mixture, followed by the dates. Spoon the mixture into a prepared tin (layered with grease proof paper if you wish). Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set. Cool in the tin before carefully turning out onto a serving plate. This will keep well for up to 5 or 6 days wrapped in foil.
Preheat the oven to 180C. Blend the almond and chocolate in a food processor until fine. Finely chop the dates. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until it dissolves. Fold in the almond and chocolate mixture, followed by the dates. Spoon the mixture into a prepared tin (layered with grease proof paper if you wish). Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set. Cool in the tin before carefully turning out onto a serving plate. This will keep well for up to 5 or 6 days wrapped in foil.
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*All pictures courtesy of Claire-Marie
Thanks Claire-Marie for answering my email interview!
Claire-Marie on Facebook here
Claire-Marie on Twitter @clairemarie87