under the microscope
Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, 35, answers our health quiz
GET YOUR FIVE-A-DAY? YES. I enjoy food and cooking, but I try to maintain a healthy balance. I love fish with salads and grilled veg or potatoes. I’m a big believer in breakfast and I’m a creature of habit — one slice of toast with Marmite, one with peanut butter, and I have lots of tea during the day.
HOW FIT ARE YOU? ON A scale of one to ten, around a seven. My gigs are pretty physical, so they’re a good workout. Plus, I have three boys — Sonny, ten, Kitt, six, and Ray, two, who keep me active. While I try to go to the gym three times a week, I don’t enjoy it.
POP ANY PILLS? NO. If I’m not getting enough from my diet, it’s my diet that needs changing rather than taking a pill. But if I feel my immunity is flagging, I’ll take some vitamin C.
ANY FAMILY AILMENTS? MY LOVELY maternal grandmother died from breast cancer when I was 11; I still miss her. Because she got it post menopause I’ve been told that from a genetic angle, my risk is no higher than the next person.
COPE WELL WITH PAIN? I’D LIKE to think I would, but it’s hard to judge. Even though I’ve had three children, I’ve never experienced labour as they were born by C-section, with Sonny and Kitt being born prematurely at 31 and 32 weeks respectively. I found that quite hard to accept because labour is such an important rite of passage at the end of your pregnancy.
WORST ILLNESS? WITH my first two children I had pre-eclampsia, which can lead to dangerously high blood pressure. I was assigned bed rest but, within a week, I had to be rushed to hospital for an emergency C-section. When I had Ray, it was such a relief to have a healthy, full-term baby. FAVOURITE FAMILY REMEDY? COMFORT food such as ice cream, on the sofa with a duvet pulled up, cold flannel on the forehead and Calpol. ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES? I HAVE tried acupuncture, though not for any specific ailment. I wasn’t bowled over by it.
HANGOVER CURE? I USUALLY pretend I don’t have one, as I’m a bit embarrassed! Stodgy food, like a bacon sandwich, goes down a treat.
ARE YOU A GOOD SLEEPER? I’M LUCKY I can get by on little sleep — six hours normally, but in an ideal world, I’d get more.
ANY PHOBIAS? I’M SQUEAMISH about door hinges because when I was younger I saw a little girl get two fingers crushed. I get very anxious if my kids’ hands are too near them.
LIKE TO LIVE FOR EVER? KITT says he’d like to be a superhero who can make everyone live for ever. But I point out that it’s important to pass the baton to newer generations and let them live their lives.
■ SOPHIE is the face of Wrigley’s Chew O’Clock Challenge campaign to encourage families to chew sugar-free gum at 4pm every day for two weeks, to keep teeth healthy.