‘The leaders are proof you can change your life’
As another series ends, Sophie Pratt on the Operation Transformations
THE final episode of Operation Transformation hits our screens tonight and all five leaders have managed to hit their targets, according to dietician Sophie Pratt.
‘Everyone did absolutely fantastic in the 5km in Phoenix Park,’ Sophie says. ‘I’m not going to give away any secrets but they have exceeded their expectations.
‘It was a great day, lots of people were involved with so many different age groups.’
When Sophie met the leaders first, each one had a different issue they wanted to address.
‘In terms of the food side of things there were a lot of issues,’
‘Anne has literally got her independence back’
she says. Noel O’Connell, 57, wanted to get healthier. ‘Noel has a lot of health issues and diabetes is one of the main things,’ Sophie says. ‘I was trying to manage his food a little bit better as when he came to the show he hadn’t had any education about that. That was Noel’s main goal to manage his health a little better. And that just involved small changes and regular eating patterns.’
For Darragh Fitzgerald, 37, it was a matter of getting back to fitness and making sure he was eating the right foods with proper nutrients and the right amount of calories.
Edel O’Malley, 36, from Ballinrobe spoke to Inspire about how she had lost her sense of self as she put her family first.
‘Edel pretty much had to get loads of nutrients into her because she has been thinking about having another child,’ says Sophie. ‘So fertility health was the key focus for Edel and also general health for herself, so a healthy, balanced diet, wholefoods and less processed foods.’
Similarly Michelle Rogan, 36, from Meath, wanted to find a healthier way of eating while managing her three children.
‘It was to get Michelle back to a healthier weight, improve her energy levels, get regular eating patterns going involving wholefoods and lots of vitamins and minerals.’
But it was 55-year-old Anne Cushen from Kiltealty, Co Wexford who made the biggest changes. After being diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her early 40s, Anne has had two hip replacements, the latest in the summer of last year. She loves dancing but found the operations had reduced her mobility and she wanted to be able to do more which is why she signed up for the show.
‘Anne was basically absolutely stuck in herself,’ Sophie says. ‘Mobility was restricted, flexibility was restricted and from my perspective it was an anti-inflammatory approach that we were trying to achieve with her diet. We wanted to get lots of foods in there to reduce the inflammation and allow her to become more mobile.’
For arthritis symptoms, eating healthily can make a big difference.
‘Processed foods are foods that cause inflammation and that is what you want to shy away from,’
Sophie says. ‘Foods high in added sugar and high in added salt and alcohol, also reducing caffeine.’
Anne did enjoy the occasional dinner out and there are special occasions but Sophie says to keep the desserts for just that.
‘It’s not complete omission but just to reduce these things and boost the diet with loads of antiinflammatory foods. Nuts, coloured fruits and vegetables, Omega 3 — all of these played a role in Anne becoming who she is now,’ Sophie says.
‘This year in particular was a fantastic year to show that the food you eat can have an effect on your overall health. There is a reason why we eat certain foods and why we eat certain foods at a certain time within reason and it is to try and reduce the risk of these health issues down the line.
‘Weight is a tiny factor within all those other factors; it just shows that nutrition is so important.’
And of course, eating healthily makes a difference to other things too.
‘It is based on a healthy, balanced wholefoods approach which does introduce weight loss naturally so I think it is important that we look at our overall health instead of just specifically weight-focused because it does usually go hand in hand.’
These are small changes, Sophie says, and although they take a bit of getting used to, they can be done.
‘As a dietician I like to be very realistic and I will say it as it is and these changes can be tiny but they can be incredibly beneficial and we have shown that - ask any of the leaders.
‘Obviously it does take time in terms of what foods to buy and prepping and so on but honestly I would think they would all say it is quite easy to do. We are talking small changes and little preparation techniques going forward.
‘This year’s leaders have been incredible. You can have all the information and get all the advice and not implement it but this year’s leaders have tackled things head on and they have been incredible.
‘Anne has literally got her life back, she has her independence back, her strength and her mobility,’ Sophie adds. ‘She is a different person. She can go on and do anything she sets her mind to and it shows what can be done.
‘At the start of the show she was very restricted and she is now as free as a bird. It does take a bit of effort but she has proven that it is worth it.’
Operation Transformation is on RTÉ One at 9.30pm tonight and on the RTÉ Player.