Real Health with Karl Henry

Christmas is fast approaching and many of us are looking forward to some time off work, eating our favourite festive foods and indulging a little more than usual. With that in mind, I thought this week is the best time to bring you some of my top tips to surviving the season. I’m going to teach you all the tips and tools that I can, to get you through the festive period in the healthiest way possi...

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday over and done with, Christmas is well and truly underway. So, this week we’re going festive bringing you a Real Health Christmas gift guide. Struggling to find the perfect gift for your fitness fanatic friend or family member? Well, we have everything you need right here. From recovery boots to fitness wearables, we have presents at all price points. It’s not all...

This week on Real Health, I’m doing a follow on from last week’s show, where I gave you top tips to measure your health. For this episode, I’m looking at the best tests and screenings you should be getting that will tell you where your health is at. From skin checks to diabetes screenings, we have it all here. Joining me to take us through his top health checks that could save your life is Profess...

On this week’s show, I’m bringing you the best ways to measure your health. It’s possibly the most overlooked aspect of health and wellness. In this politically correct age, measuring your health in some respects has become a bit of a taboo topic. Some people recommend that you don’t do it at all. However, it's something I feel very strongly about. Having worked in the fitness industry for over tw...

On this week’s Real Health episode, we’re going back to basics bringing you the best tips and tricks you need to make cooking at home hassle-free.   To chat us through her top tips for making cooking as easy as possible, I’m joined by food influencer Sarah Butler. Her new book, Home Cooking, Simple Food For Busy Lives is about helping people get out of their food rut and develop cooking skills, al...

With lockdowns behind us and life returning to some form of normality, many of us have found we are carrying a little extra fat than we’d like. So, for this week’s Real Health episode I’m bringing you the top things you’ll need to help you lose fat.  I’m delighted to be joined by former Munster and Ireland rugby player Peter Stringer. Now a certified personal trainer, Peter takes me through his to...

On this week’s Real Health episode, I’m delighted to be joined by hotelier John Brennan to discuss lessons he’s learned throughout his life and how he overcame obstacles along the way; from struggling in school to finding his passion for hospitality.   In his new book, My name is Jhon, John writes about his battle with dyslexia, life as an entrepreneur and how a cancer diagnosis wasn’t going to st...

On this week’s show I’ll be looking at how you can achieve your best potential for a healthy lifestyle in your 40s.    I’m joined by Dr Marc Bubbs, naturopathic doctor and performance nutrition lead for Canada Basketball. His new book, Peak 40 looks to give you all the tools you need to reignite your energy and passion at any age, but particularly in your 40s.      Marc says between the age of 41...

On this week’s show I’ll be talking about sleep, something so many people are interested in - probably because we feel we aren’t getting enough. With many workers having returned to the office, how will this impact our sleep?    
  I’m joined by Professor Andrew Coogan, behavioural neuroscientist who specialises in sleep. He is also the director of the Chronobiology and Sleep Research Laboratory a...

On this week’s Real Health episode, I’m bringing you the top ten tips you’ll need to overhaul your diet.     No fads, no gimmicks, just easy things you can do to improve your health. I’ll be looking at why we shouldn’t skip meals, the importance of hydration and why incorporating colour into every meal can be a simple yet effective way to improve what you eat.     To discuss all this, I’m joined b...

On this week’s show I’m talking about sex, the importance of communication and the stigma around seeking help for sexual issues. My guest is sex and relationship educator Grace Alice O’Shea. Grace has a qualification in Occupational Therapy and a master’s in Health Promotion, specialising in sexual health. She says she is passionate about making Ireland a more sex-positive country, where people ca...

On this week’s show, how to get motivated and how to stay motivated. Many people feel they put on weight over the summer with a change in routine and increased alcohol consumption. This is totally normal. We’ve all been through a tough year and a half, and we’ve had the chance to enjoy a slice of normality over the summer so don’t beat yourself up. Get a pen and paper out when you’re listening and...

On this week’s show, I’ll be talking about the menstrual cycle. For far too long periods have been a taboo subject. Each month many women are faced with bleeding, severe pain and a litany of menstrual problems. However, with new attitudes, treatments and technological developments things are changing. Joining me to talk about periods, pain and irregular cycles is leading expert Dr. Caoimhe Hartley...

On this week’s show, I’ll be talking about Suicide Awareness in Ireland. Every year suicide accounts for over 800,000 deaths globally. Even though attitudes have changed in recent years, there is still a stigma surrounding suicide. We can all play a role in reaching out to someone we think in is in need – no one should suffer in silence. Last month Pieta House launch their: ‘Know the Signs Campaig...

On this week’s show I’ll be talking about the prevalence of smoking in Ireland. Ireland is recognised as a global leader in tobacco control having developed extensive treatment programmes for those struggling with tobacco and nicotine dependence. But can the country reach its goal of becoming tobacco free by 2025? Joining me on this week’s podcast is Dr Damien Lowry, Senior Counselling Psychologis...

On this week’s show I’ll be talking about pelvic floor physiotherapy. One in three women leak urine – it is a massive problem in this country. Some women will have a severe urge to pee, which can happen very often, hourly, or more and it can have them up several times at night. These women though they are not leaking, their lives are ruled by their bladders. It is also an issue for many men. But t...

On this week’s episode of the Real Health podcast, I'll be discussing anxiety, what it is and how we can offer support to someone who has it. I’m joined by Counselling Psychologist and anxiety expert Dr Rachel Allan, to talk about how we can help somebody with anxiety, by becoming better listeners, supporting them when they try to make a change and how to look after our own mental health in the pr...

This week’s Real Health episode is all about pain. Chronic pain is something that impacts many in Ireland, with chronic back pain one of the most common forms that people suffer from. On the show, I’ll be talking about what pain really is, our understanding of it and how some pain can be contagious. I’m joined by doctor and clinical fellow at Oxford University, Monty Lyman, who is an expert in pai...

On this week’s show, I’ll be talking about cocaine addiction in Ireland. The latest figures released by the Health Research Board, shows the number of people seeking treatment for problem cocaine use has increased, with the number of crack cocaine cases increasing by 400 per cent in recent years. The HRB says last year, cocaine was the only substance where they saw an increase in those entering tr...

On this week’s show, I’m talking all about healthy aging, the myths around it, and why it’s important to keep exercising as we get older. I’m joined by personal trainer and fitness expert Jacqueline Hooton, who specialises in how to stay active in your 50s and 60s. She’s all about promoting active ageing, while helping to avoid physical decline in midlife. Jacqueline is an expert on knowing the im...

This week we’re going to talk about running injuries and how to avoid them. Running has become one of the most popular ways to improve fitness, and to stay in shape. Especially during lockdown when gyms, team sports and swimming pools were off limits. But most runners must deal with injury at some point. Most injuries are caused by repetitive stress, but sudden injuries like a sprained ankle or a...

We all know drinking plenty of water is good for us. But how else can water improve our health and well being? On this week’s show, I’m talking about how we can embrace water, from the sea to the shower - looking at the other ways it can help us. I’m joined by Dr Catherine Kelly, geography academic and Director of the Wild Beach School in Brighton. She’s the author of the new book Blue Spaces: How...

This week, I’m joined by one of the world's leading brain surgeons and neuroscientists, Dr Rahul Jandial. We discuss how our brains process stress and how to enhance its performance so we can work better under pressure. Dr Jandial says the brain needs stress to be able to cope with future challenges, but too much can be detrimental: “We need stress in life. If we don’t have enough stress, we becom...

This week it’s all about wellness and I’m giving you my top ten tips for increasing your wellbeing. This episode is jam packed with lots of helpful ideas to improve your health and happiness. Firstly, it’s important to decide what wellness means to you and what exactly you’d like to change. I’ll take you through strategies for achieving your goals, eating well, sleeping well and reducing your stre...

This week we’re talking about CPR after Danish mid-fielder Christian Eriksen received emergency medical treatment on the pitch when he collapsed recently because of a cardiac arrest during the first half of the Euros clash with Finland in Copenhagen. Thankfully Erikson is recovering and he will have a heart-starter device implanted so he doesn’t suffer further arrests. I’m joined by Galway GP Dr B...