Under the microscope

TV presenter and beauty guru Trinny Woodall, 56, answers our health quiz

CAN YOU RUN UP THE STAIRS?

EXERCISE keeps me sane. Since March, I’ve been doing live Pilates sessions with my trainer three times a week on Zoom.

GET YOUR FIVE-A-DAY?

YES. I’m hooked on porridge made from cauliflower rice, topped with berries and nuts.

EVER DIETED?

FOR years I was a size 8 and weighed under 9 st, but I didn’t diet. Now I’m a size 12, and I’m finally comfortable with my body.

ANY VICES?

GREEN & BLACK’S butterscotch or ginger chocolate. I have it with berries to assuage any guilt.

POP ANY PILLS?

LOTS! The main ones are l-lysine because it’s antiviral, zinc for inflammation, daily vitamin C, magnesium for brain function, and magnolia rhodiola for when I’m feeling low.

ANY FAMILY AILMENTS?

MY DARLING mummy, Ann, passed away in October from vascular dementia, aged 90. It has made me acutely aware of keeping my brain sharp. I do University Challenge and the New York Times crossword daily.

WORST ILLNESS/INJURY?

TEN years ago, I injured my neck during Pilates and had to have surgery to replace a vertebra. For three years, I did little exercise because I was so worried about exacerbating it. While my partner [Charles Saatchi] says I love to complain about my health, I’ve only taken one sick day in the past three years.

COPE WELL WITH PAIN?

FOR cosmetic procedures, my pain threshold is extremely high. I would never dream of having numbing cream for Botox.

ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES?

A FRIEND who is a shaman made me realise I was living in a perpetual fight-or-flight state, waiting for the next crisis, and the stress was affecting me physically and mentally. Meditation helps.

EVER BEEN DEPRESSED?

I’LL readily admit when I’m feeling a bit s***. I’ve had therapy on and off for 20 years. When I hit 51, I felt the freedom of not giving a damn about what other people think.

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE?

IF I’M not in bed and asleep by 10.30pm I drift aimlessly until 1am.

BIGGEST PHOBIA?

SWIMMING in deep water, as well as vertigo.

LIKE TO LIVE FOR EVER?

I DON’T know. I don’t know what will happen to me when I die.

Trinny London’s BFF latest product, De-Stress Serum (£39), is available from trinnylondon.com.