Under the microscope

TV PRESENTER Helen Skelton, 33, answers our health quiz

CAN YOU RUN UP THE STAIRS?

I CAN, but we live in a single storey house in the South of France. Our previous house had stairs, but because my son Ernie, 20 months, liked to throw himself down them, we moved. My main exercise is a daily 45-minute walk to the beach. My second baby is due in April. First time round I exercised for the whole pregnancy — I went into labour in a dance aerobics class — and I’ll do the same this time.

GET YOUR FIVE A DAY?

I HAVE to consciously make the effort because I’m so busy with Ernie. I eat a lot of spinach as I’ve got low blood pressure — a friend recommended it.

EVER DIETED?

I’VE never followed a diet, but I did weigh myself obsessively in my 20s. I am 5 ft 2 in and if I was a pound over 8 ½ stone it put me in a bad mood all day. Then I thought: ‘What’s the point in that?’ — so I’ve not had bathroom scales in the house for three years.

ANY VICES?

RED wine, though not now obviously.

EVER HAVE PLASTIC SURGERY?

RIGHT now, no, but I acknowledge that I change my mind a lot, so I wouldn’t rule it out. I might consider Botox in the future to get rid of the lines around my eyes and forehead.

ANY FAMILY AILMENTS?

MY PARENTS are alive and well, but there’s breast cancer on Mum’s side and, on Dad’s side, low blood pressure, which means you get dizzy a lot.

COPE WELL WITH PAIN?

I THOUGHT so until I had a baby. ‘I’ve run three marathons in a day, I can cope with giving birth,’ I said to myself, so had no pain relief — it was the most painful experience in my entire life.

HAD ANYTHING REMOVED?

NO. BUT I’d consider removing the butterfly tattoo on my back I foolishly had done at 15 as a dare.

WORST ILLNESS?

I HAD a kidney infection at 27, which was pretty grim. It happened after I did a 30-mile trek with the Marines for Blue Peter. I was in bed for days.

IS SEX IMPORTANT?

IT’S good for your emotional and physical health. My husband [rugby international Richie Myler] is a young, testosterone-filled sportsman, so it’s all good in that department.

TRIED ALTERNATIVE THERAPY?

I’M A total hippie. I drink lemon water as it’s a natural anti-inflammatory. I had acupuncture when I was pregnant with Ernie, which didn’t really relieve discomfort, but I’m a believer in the placebo effect, so I’ll try anything once. I’m training to be a Reiki master.

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE?

ERNIE kicking me in the head. He’s never slept through, so he’s in our bed every night.

Helen is a British lion eggs ambassador. Check out her favourite recipes at eggrecipes.co.uk