Real Health with Karl Henry

It’s the 40th anniversary of the Dublin Marathon and is the biggest one yet. So, if you’re one of the 22,500 runners taking part – or if you’re just into any kind of running – on this week’s Real Health, I wanted to bring you some race tips and advice from one of Ireland’s greatest ever runners, Catherina McKiernan. Catherina has been an Olympian, European cross-country champion, four-time, World...

It’s cold, damp and dark, the fire is looking more inviting each evening and it is becoming more and more difficult to train. Yes winter is arriving, so how to make sure you stay on track during these next few months? For this week’s Real Health podcast I’ve got my top ten tips for winter training success. The key is to set yourself up for success. Write them down and put them into action so you d...

It massively impacts you in terms of running, training and everyday life and yet it’s not an area of health and fitness that people pay much attention to. What am I talking about? Your mobility, and on this week’s Real Health podcast, I speak to Brian O’Loughlin of Movement101 and find out why movement and mobility are the real secrets to Real Health. “It’s not about stretching or foam rolling,” e...

I've covered nutrition before on the Real Health podcast from performance to healthy eating and this week I'm discussing fuelling your life with nutrition advice and tips from Danny Lennon of Sigma Nutrition. Danny is the founder of Sigma Nutrition and has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, during which time he completed his research thesis directly unde...

Aoibhín Garrihy, entrepreneur, former Fair City Actress and former Dancing with the Stars finalist, joined me on this week’s Real Health podcast to talk about family, career and health. Aoibhín gave up acting and headed west to Clare, where, she says, she has found happiness. “Every time I headed to the west I felt a weight lift off me, felt happier and at ease. The outdoors is my happy place. Whe...

“I didn’t really know who I was and most of us aren’t really comfortable with who we are.” Alison Canavan, the personal wellness coach and former model, has been through her own struggles and now wants to bring self-empowerment and awareness to more people. Joining me on this week’s Real Health podcast, Alison opens up about her journey, dealing with insecurities and how mindfulness has helped her...

In a special bonus episode live from the 2019 Ploughing Championships in Carlow, the Real Health podcast finds out about the health of the nation from Kate O’Flaherty, Director of Healthy Ireland, and Conor Owens, Child Psychologist with the HSE. We’re living longer, and slowly but surely, as a country, we're eating healthier and getting fitter, but there is still a lot more to do with obesity a m...

It’s September, the summer is over, schools are back, the nights are drawing in and life is going back to its familiar routine. What better time then to get your fitness – physical and mental – back on track? After all, September is the new January… This week’s Real Health podcast is dedicated to re-establishing your fitness routine and to help you through it with some great tips and advice, I’m j...

This week’s episode is about mental health but it’s also a raw story of dark depths, attempted suicide and the ability to overcome and deal with the thoughts inside your head. Graham McCormack is a former MMA fighter who in recent years has been very open about his battles with anxiety, depression and mental health. It’s perhaps the last thing you would expect to hear from a combatant in the ultra...

Sleep is an area we don’t pay enough attention to yet it’s when our body recovers the most and it is vital for our mental and physical health. It is one of the most neglected areas of health but one of the most important. For this week's episode I give you my top 10 tips for sleep optimisation that you can put into practise starting today. From your sleep environment to eating, and movement to vis...

Nutrition and food has become a crucial component in the GAA in terms of performance and preparation and this week I wanted to find out more and to get some tips and advice from someone who is not only a nutritionist but an inter-county GAA footballer. Mayo's Evan Regan joined me on this week's Real Health podcast to discuss all things GAA, food and nutrition. He explains how more and more nutriti...

Steroids. It's a topic I've been wanting to cover since the Real Health first started. Just how much is it on the increase, especially for gym users and the younger generation of men who are under pressure to look a 'certain way'? Over half a million doses of steroids are being confiscated by the Gardaí every year and it is on the rise. To find out more, this week I’m joined by David Nolan of Syna...

“It’s the biggest health problem this country has.” These are the stark words from Professor Donal O’Shea, the HSE’s Clinical Lead on Obesity, who joins me on this week’s Real Health podcast to talk about the obesity epidemic that is affecting Ireland. Did you know that a report by the European Commission on Obesity found that obesity levels in Ireland are far higher than the EU average? Not only...

I regularly get asked what's in my weekly food shop and what do I buy in the supermarket from people wanting advice and tips to ensure they're set up for a week of healthy eating. This week's episode deals with just that - it's my top tips for your ten food shop essentials. It's the ten foods that are in my shopping trolley every week. The food shop is crucial to your health, stocking up with the...

He’s the World Rugby Player of the Year, a multiple European Cup, Pro14 and Six Nations winner and Johnny Sexton joins me on this week’s Real Health podcast from the Laya City Spectacular that was recently held in Dublin’s Merrion Square. Johnny talks to me about his down-time and off-season, as well as the return to pre-season training in preparation for what will be the biggest of years with the...

It all began with a veg shop in Greystones, and what started as a simple dream has, over the last fifteen years, become an overnight success story with books, cafes, TV shows, online courses, and of course, their food products. The Happy Pears are one of Ireland's great health and food business successes and on this week's show, Stephen and David Flynn, join me to tell me how it happened. Their en...

Gut health is everything to do with your bowel and its healthy functioning is a vital part of your daily life. Frances Flannery, aka Your Gut Friend, is a gut health specialist and continuing our health masterclass series, she joins me on this week’s Real Health podcast. Bloating, constipation, these are issues people don’t like to talk about, but Frances has some great professional insights and a...

It’s another exclusive Real Health interview this week when I had the opportunity to speak to one of Ireland’s favourite sports people, Brian O’Driscoll. From a sunny Herbert Park, Brian spoke honestly about the lows of life after rugby, how he needed to train hard again to find happiness and balance in his life, and why he needed to partner up to help motivate himself when it came to training and...

After 30, your brain starts to shrink. It's a scary fact and as it's our most important organ it makes sense that we should look after it and keep it fit. After all, you brush and care for your teeth every day, surely you should be doing the same for your brain? That's what this week's guest, Sabina Brennan, says on this week's Real Health podcast. Continuing our health masterclass series, Sabina...

Let's talk about sex. In the first of a masterclass health series on the Real Health podcast, I'm talking about sexual health and sexual communication with sex educator and owner of Sex Siopa, Shawna Scott. Shawna gives her tips for improving sexual communication as well as explaining our evolving sexual needs and why we shouldn't be afraid to try new things out with our partner. "The things we’re...

Personal trainer, Dominic Munnelly, is back to answer more of your fitness and gym questions on this week’s episode of the Real Health podcast with me Karl Henry. Dominic is one of Ireland’s leading personal trainers and when he was on the show two months ago he had so much information to give I had to invite him back on again and to answer more of your health and fitness questions. Dominic covers...

Marty Morrissey is one of Ireland’s best-loved TV personalities but there’s so much more to the GAA commentator that you probably never knew. Marty joined me live at Bloom 2019 where we discussed going outside your comfort zone, taking on life’s challenges and why it’s so difficult for him to find a happy life-balance. Candidly, he admitted that he still needed to lose three stone and why, having...

If you want to establish healthy habits into your life then make them simple and easy to implement. People like simple things and these ten tips to help transform your life aren’t difficult – and that’s the secret. On this week’s episode, from focusing on your happiness to taking steps to improving your sleep, as well covering food, finances and training, these ten ways will help make a difference...

Did you know about the eating plan that says you can stay in great shape physically and mentally while still enjoying delicious food? According to dietitian and author of Mediterranean Mood Food, Paula Mee, we can have it both ways and she joined me on this week’s episode of the Real Health podcast to discuss the recipes, science and habits behind the Mediterranean style diet. It may be well estab...

"If you can walk comfortably for thirty minutes, then running is worth giving it a shot. Most people stop because they’re trying to do much. Lower your expectations from the start and start small. Little wins make you more likely to get out the door." Mary Jennings, author of Get Running and founder of running classes website, ForgettheGym.ie, joins me on this week's episode to explain how and why...