When Kelly Holmes walked away with double gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, she walked off with the admiration and respect of an entire nation of sports lovers too. Our most beloved sporting Dame has become the role model for her legion of fans and for aspiring athletes all over the UK. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to get the inside track on the secrets of her spectacular success?

With Kelly joining us for a live web TV show, you now have the opportunity to do just that. As a person who understands profoundly the importance of maintaining energy levels throughout the day, Kelly has been chosen as the face of this year’s Kellogg’s Wake Up to Breakfast Campaign. As such, she’ll be going online to offer tips and advice designed especially to help you bring out your inner champion. Log in to the chat to find out how sharing Kelly’s unmatchable experience at the highest level of sporting excellence can change your life .

For more information visit www.kelloggs.co.uk/whatson/wakeup

H: Host, Lis Speight
K: Dame Kelly Holmes, athlete

A: Alison Greenhalgh, nutritionist

H: Hello there and welcome to the Healthcare Show, I’m Lis Speight.  Now with our increasingly busy lives it’s sometimes a challenge to fit in the most important meal of the day – breakfast.  So here to tell us why we should all be making time for a bowl of cereal every morning, I’m pleased to say that we’re joined by nutritionist Alison Greenhalgh, welcome along Alison, great to see you today

A: Thank you, lovely to be here

H: And also a woman who knows all about the importance of looking after her body, Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes – welcome along Kelly, it’s great to see you looking really well

K: Thanks for having us

H: Now Kelly’s going to be telling us all about her diet and a little bit about her training regime, and also talking a little bit about the Olympics, so do stay tuned. But let’s start off by asking Alison about breakfast.  Why is it such an important meal?

A: Well it is the most important meal of the day, and I’m saying that as a nutritionist, but also someone who you know – I certainly notice if I’ve missed breakfast, I’m sure you do as wellH: Yes, you get into the habit of having it don’t you?

A: Yes you do, and why do you need it?  Well break-fast, you’re breaking the fast of your overnight sort of sleep, and it’s probably you know at least 12 hours since you’ve last eaten, so you’re replenishing your nutrients, your energy and so for that very reason it’s important that you make sure you have time for breakfast in the morning, give you energy so you can go out and perform at your best during the morning.  It’s also important to make sure that you’ve got the right vitamins and minerals because lots of breakfasts provide those, and scientific studies have shown if you miss breakfast you don’t make them up for the rest of the day

H: Oh right so get a good start and you’ve already got some in the4 bank as it were

A: Exactly, bank those nutrients

H: Exactly.  Now Kelly do you always have breakfast?  Now be honest!

K: Well some days I have missed it but I get the effects of that. I mean I try to have breakfast, my days are so long these days that you know you kind of think oh do I fancy breakfast at 6 o’clock in the morning, and sometimes you really don’t, but I know then that I’ve got a really hectic day and the next time I’m likely to have a decent meal is like 1, 2 o’clock

H: Yes

K: You kind of then make sure that you have something

H: Yes.  And what’s your favourite, what do you have in the morning?

K:  Well I have Special K and cereals mainly and a bit of fruit on top and an orange juice, it’s so quick and easy to have – you know even if you’re having a handful of cereal just to get something, get your metabolism started and actually feel a bit alert.  You know we always talk about the aspects of energy but also your brain to be alert as well you know to really kind of kick-start that day, and then not to crave something at 10, 11 o’clock,

H: Something more naughty that –

K: Yes I mean we all do and find that because of our lifestyles but actually it’s kind of about putting everything in your body now and then if you’ve got the time, have a good breakfast, a substantial one because that can really help you throughout the day, especially if you’re thinking about your weight a bit more and how you look and feel – especially women

H: Actually if you have breakfast, you’re less likely to put on weight, I read that somewhere – is that true Alison?

A: People who eat breakfast cereals on a regular basis are slimmer than those that skip so lots of women out there think right if I skip a meal then it’s less calories, and I’ll lose weight.  No actually the opposite is true, you need to kick-start your metabolism

H: Yes

A: In the morning

H: Get it going

A: And make sure that you kind of have your regular kind of three meals a day and actually two snacks and make sure you kind of plan for those two snacks as well because if you skip your breakfast, you know you’re right, you’ll pick something up either on your way to school or on your way to work, and we spend over £500 million on kind of chocolate and crisps on our way to work or school which is quite horrific really

H: Not the ideal.  And on that subject actually we’ve had some of your questions coming in already and Sally said – sorry Josie said “my sister is always in a bad mood in the mornings and I’ve noticed she doesn’t eat breakfast.  Is this linked?”

A: Yes.  Absolutely yes we know that mood but also if you think about your brain, your brain needs carbohydrates in the morning you know, and if it’s not got any carbohydrates then it’s going to effect your mood, and we also know that kind of through science effects your mood but there’s a bit link between the amount of fibre that you eat, and it puts you in a good mood if you have fibre in the morning so –

H: That’s interesting

A: So have your breakfast and make sure that your sister has her breakfast too

H: Yes

A: Because you’ll be in a better mood for it

H: Everyone will be better, it makes for a happier household doesn’t it?  But Kelly do you have a particular diet when you’re training?  You’ve been doing Superstars recently haven’t you?

K: I have yes

H: Do you have to have sort of more carbohydrates in the morning, I mean how do you work it?

K: Well when I was an athlete I did really look at my food a bit more about energy input for when I was training, racing and you know all the different sessions that I was doing, and then also for recovery

H: Right

K: Because that was important

H: Yes I didn’t think of that you see, I suppose as an athlete you would, but what sort of food would you eat for recovery?

K: Well recovery where for me mainly protein based type foods like chicken or – well I used to have protein shakes as well because they were really easy to consume after you’ve just been intensive before you have your main meal a bit later on, because we were always told that if you want to replace the energy and rehydrate as well you have to do it within –

H: Really quickly

K: Sort of 20-30 minutes so

H: When you’re out on the field it’s not always easy to have a chicken –

K: You can’t have a big meal –

H: Dinner is it?

K: We used to have you know cheese and ham and so cheese and ham sandwiches prior to a race, about two hours before and I don’t know why but for some reason it did just give me that extra boost, maybe because it’s got the fats, carbohydrates, proteins all mixed together but for me it worked really well when I was performing, but now I mean I think I’d have probably a more balanced lifestyle.  I’m not obsessed by food at all, I do believe in a balanced lifestyle so I do like chocolate

H: Yes

K: And I do like treats and I do think we shouldn’t neglect that otherwise you just come to that think when you crave it and if you are looking at your dietary needs or your weight or whatever that may be, you’ll just end up going the opposite direction, you just think no, I’m not going to go for this, so I have chocolate but I have balanced that because I do have fruit and I do have vegetables and I do kind of have that in moderation, I don’t eat it every day

H: And if you’re burning it off as well, if you have a little bit of high energy stuff like chocolate

K: Exactly

H: If you’re going to burn it off

K: Yes you can moderate your weight and you’re happier.  At the end of the day it’s about being happy as well, and if you’re always constantly thinking about your weight you’re not a happy person, so actually get a balanced lifestyle where you have a bit of – you have the good foods, you also have a little bit of bad just because you kind of psychologically feel you’re having it, but you know just look at that in a reasonable way and also like you say, exercise as well.  Exercise doesn’t have to be like an elite athlete, it’s about upping the amount that you normally do, so if you’ve got quite a sedatory lifestyle and you go in the lift every day to work, go up the stairs

H: Yes

K: You know I mean it’s things that you do different in your lifestyle which will help kick-start the body as well

H: Yes.  But going back to breakfast, Alison what would you say is a good breakfast versus a bad breakfast?  I mean is the old fry-up – are days of that gone do you think?

A: Well first of all there’s no good and bad foods, let’s just be really clear about that, and you were talking about balance – that’s the key word here, is all about balance.  So what’s an ideal breakfast?  Well probably the one that’s kind of low fat and high in carbohydrates and lots of vitamins and minerals, so if I was to prescribe it would be a big glass of fruit juice, big bowl of cereal, couple of slices of toast and you know maybe sprinkle your kind of cereal with some fruit as well so that’s absolutely ideal.  If you are going to have a fry-up that’s fine but just make sure it’s kind of every now and then and make sure you grill your kind of bacon or your sausages, and maybe have a poached egg instead of a fried egg, so there’s kind of even small things like that make a big difference to the fat intake

H: Ok so little and often then

A: Yes

H: No little but not so often

A: Yes

H: On the things that aren’t quite so good for you

A: Yes balance and moderation

H: Sorry Kelly –

K: we’re also doing the Kellogg’s wake up for breakfast campaign because it’s about more about being alert for the brain fuel as well, so actually it’s kind of really the important things about why you’re having food. There’s so many different aspects why you’re having breakfast, so it is about metabolism, it is about being more alert, it is about having energy, it is about the feel-good factor, not being irritable

H: Yes

K: Because you’re kind of depleting yourself of all of that food, so that’s really why kind of I’m back in the Wake Up for Breakfast campaign, and actually on the website kelloggs.co.uk we’ve got some good tips for parents that want to kind of get their kids into breakfast –

H: Yes so if you start

K: If you need to get your brain going.

H: With a young age then it’s a good habit to get into

K: Yes

H: Isn’t it for the rest of your life?

K: Absolutely

H: So the website’s a good place to go, there’s some games on there –

K: Yes there’s some games in there, we’ve devised some games and they’re not all physical things, a lot of them are kind of you know getting your mind ticking over before you start the day so they’re kind of nice things there, and you know I suppose breakfast is the only time that maybe the family will sit together as well

H: Yes that’s true

K: As well so –

H: It can be a bit chaotic though Alison can’t it at breakfast time?  How can you – if you’re trying to get out to work, how do you sort of make time for breakfast really? Cereals are quick aren’t they I suppose

A: They are, they’re quick, but it’s kind of being as organised as you can do, and do everything the night before.  You know I put out my little daughter’s kind of school bag, you know I make the packed lunch the night before, I even put my tea bag in my kind of cup.  Every second counts and I’d rather do that the night before and have 5-10 minutes with my family,

H: Yes

A: And it’s almost about having that karma in the morning, you know start the day in a really positive kind of mood.  If you’re running around the house crazy crazy, it’s not a good start -

H: Kind of not the best way to start the day

A: To the day

H: You’ve got to be a little bit disciplined about that though haven’t you?

A: You do, you do

H: Get your routine going and then once you’ve set that in stone then you’re pretty much up and running with it aren’t you?

A: It’s all about routine and you know children and adults alike respond to routine

H: Yes

A: You almost don’t have to think about it

H: Exactly

A: Yes

H: We’re like little rats really aren’t we, once it’s in there!  Right we’ve had quite a few of your questions in and keep them coming. Sean from Wembley said “I’m a cycling freak and might be an Olympic contender in the future” – ha ha 2012 here we come.  “I eat breakfast and look after my body but now and again I get hungry for a snack. What would you suggest?” What would you do if you were out on the track and you were hungry Kelly, what would you have – what do you carry in your handbag for – or in your training bag.  You don’t have a handbag on the track do you?

K: Well as a sportsperson I mean he probably knows a little bit about the sort of carbohydrate drinks and the sort of snack bars that you can have, there’s a variety of different snack bars.  I know there’s Nutri-Grain but there’s also all kind of oats meal-type based snack bars and things, but certainly I know as a cyclist he probably would be – get his consumption food doing carbohydrate-type based drinks or protein shakes like I say for after, but they’re kind of more sporty-wise but certainly snacks – having a – I’ve said about a cheese and ham roll, I mean I used to carry that around with me

H: That’s quite easy to make as well isn’t it?

K: It’s very easy, it’s got pretty much a mix of everything in it hasn’t it – it really helped me.  But also nuts, I had cashew nuts – after every race at the Olympic Games, I don’t know why but I came into this thing of having cashew nuts

H: They’re quite a comfort food actually aren’t they?

K: Good fats and kind of protein and whatever

H: They’re quite filling

K: Yes they really helped me recover

H: Yes

K: So those kind of little hand bites, hand-size bitey things that you can just quickly re-fuel with I think are probably the best thing

H: Yes and Alison what would you say –

K: The banana maybe

H: Everyone says bananas don’t they but you just get a bit sick of eating bananas all the time don’t you?

K: Yes I don’t like bananas

A: I think probably just to kind of build on, it’s absolutely perfect answers coming from a nutrition point of view, but I’d build in variety, you know don’t get bored, you know and be organised, you know go to the supermarket and get your – you know your packets and throw them in your bag so have a variety and whatever your mood takes you, whether it’s nuts one day, kind of bananas the next, oat cakes –

H: Yes.  What about cereal bars, are they quite a good idea?

A: Cereal bars are fantastic because they’re kind of low in fat, high in carbohydrate and they also kind of give you sustained energy

H: Yes

A: And they tend to be kind of fortified as well so it’s –

H: And they’re quite easy, you can have one of those kicking around in your handbag for weeks can’t you?

A: Definitely

K: Yes and as a sports person realistically you do look ahead, yo9u have to prepare so when you are going out training you have to make sure that you’ve got your water, your carbohydrate drink and you’ve got your re-fuel – your energy whatever that may be and something that you normally have before a performance as well, and you have to be prepared for that like – everybody does you said about handbags or whatever same about a sportsperson, if they’re really serious and he wants to go for 2012, he’s – nutritionally he’s quite optimum and he needs to make sure that he’s kind of meticulous with some of those

H: Yes

K: So preparation so that he’s got it ready for after the training

H: Yes it’s more –

K: It’s more the after because you want to recover in time for the next session otherwise you’re performance starts depleting, then you don’t you know reach your full potential so he has to start maybe really thinking about that –

H: You’ve got to be organised

A: And maybe if he’s a member of a club he could speak to the sports dietician whose kind of affiliated to the club, you know if he’s so lucky to be a member of a club like that

H: And there’s quite a lot of information on the internet as well I’m sure –

K: Yes there’ll be a lot on the internet about things like that

H: And on the subject of eating for sport actually, Kyle sent a question in, he says “I’m currently trying to put on some muscle and so I’ve been eating high protein meals regularly.  Can you suggest how I boost my breakfast without needing to cook a full English breakfast all the time?”  Because you haven’t always got time to do that have you? Alison, any tips for the more protein at breakfast time?

A: Ok I just wanted to almost de-bunk the myth that you need lots and lots of protein

H: Right

A: To kind of build muscle,  you know I’m sure you’ll vouch for this actually what’s really important is they get enough carbohydrate.  Yes you’ve got to have protein in your diet but if you don’t have the energy to kind of build the muscle through the carbohydrate

H: Right

A: Then it’s not going to happen for him

H: So it’s quite complicated actually isn’t it-

A: Yes it is

H: How your body works these things out

A: It is.  So it’s having that balance, you know making sure that he’s not eating too much protein, so he’s having protein but he’s also with every single meal and every single snack he’s having lots of kind of carbohydrate,

H: Right

A: Complex carbohydrates so in the morning if he wants a fry-up that’s fine but every now and then

H: Yes

A: Make sure he’s always got cereal, toast, fruit and juices and nuts for protein in the morning

H: So a good balance.  It’s for everyone, it’s good tips for everyone actually isn’t it?

K: What about eggs, what is the eggs kind of –

A: Yes you know eggs you know everyone thinks that you shouldn’t be having too many eggs from a cholesterol point of view

H: There’s always something isn’t there?

A: Again it’s all about moderation, you know there’s a little bit of saturated fat in eggs, but if you’re only having a couple a week and you’re eating kind of low fat meat the rest of the time, absolutely fine, you know balance and moderation in everything.  I know it sounds boring but it’s true!

H: Well I hope that’s been of some use to you Kyle.  We’ve got the Olympics, Beijing Olympics coming upon us.  Kelly, anyone that you’re looking out for particularly?  How’s the team GB going to be doing? 

K: I think team GB will do great this year, and like they always have actually and I think we sometimes forget all the great performances that we’ve had at any one championships because they’re either overshadowed by some brilliant events, like high profile sports like I suppose athletics is one of those, it’s towards the end of the Olympic games and I happened to win two gold medals –

H: Did we mention that, she happened to win two gold medals!  How fantastic!

K: But as well as myself, I mean we had about 28 medals at those games –

H: Yes so you got a lot of the glory really but there’s a lot of others that are doing really well –

K: Yes and I think you know Athens saw a lot of retirement from established athletes

H: Yes

K: So we’re sort of looking for the next generation as such

H: Yes it’s exciting actually isn’t it –

K: Yes

H: Seeing some new ones coming through

K: Really, really exciting and that’s going to obviously stand good stead for 2012.  Beijing I think cycling’s probably going to give us one of our best medal tallies –

H: Oh right

K: They won about 9 medals at the world championships that were held in Manchester earlier in the year

H: And that’s a really good sort of set-up, it’s a bit like the Oscars isn’t it, and it – and the Golden Globes, you sort of see what happens at the World Championships and it sets you up

K: Yes exactly because the World Championships are the biggest championship for your sport and then you go obviously into the arena of the Olympics multisports.  And rowing’s always been successful for us –

H: Yes – we’re really good at rowing –

K: we are

H: do you think it’s because we’re such a wet country, do you think that’s why –

K: Probably, that’s right.  Well for the first time ever Steve Redgrave was telling me that the women’s four may have a good chance

H: Oh right

K: Of gold this year –

H: Excellent

K: Which would be brilliant. On the athletics I think Kelly Sutherton is actually a heptathlete, she won bronze in 2004.  Her main rival Carolina Kluff is out, so we think that hopefully, fingers crossed it’s Kelly’s time.  400m girls are doing really well, Phillips Idowu is number one in the world for triple jump, so athletics, fingers crossed we’ll pull it out this year

H: We’ll be alright

K: So I think we’re going to look for some really great performances, they’ll probably be some prize performances in there somewhere for all sports

H: It’s all so exciting isn’t it-

K: It is

H: And the whole country sort of gets behind it, I mean do you think that 2012, you think with London having the Olympics that’s going to really bring sport to the fore?

K: Oh yes I mean I’ve certainly seen the change around in the last couple of years anyway, certainly since we were hosting it.  People were a bit sceptical obviously but I think we really will hold the best games ever of course

H: It was so exciting when that news came through, I just remember you jumping up and down

K: Breaking Steve Cram’s back yes, but no really I think it’s a chance for us to leave a legacy of sport and to really inspire a whole new generation of sport in this country, and I think as soon as that handover ceremony at Beijing to London, I think we will see a big change in our country.  It’s always been it’s going to come and it was 7 years away –

H: It seems a long way away but it’s not actually is it –

K: No –

H: Not when you’ve got to build all those things as well

K: Well look at how quick this 4 years has gone since Athens, it’s like it was yesterday and it’s 4 years ago, so you know we’re only round the corner and I really think it’s going to be a brilliant thing for our country and I think it’s going to save probably sport and us able to inspire and change a lifestyle of young people.  A lot more having a focal point now because I think schools are really hot on it, communities out in cities are all thinking about sport in some way, whether you’re a fan or a – you know one of the volunteers there or you kind of want to get into coaching, you’re a parent, you want to go down and help at a club, you know the emphasis is becoming really good now you know

H: And you’re doing a lot of work with schools as well at the moment aren’t you?

K: I am yes, I was made the national school sports champion three years ago, so that’s given me a great opportunity to travel the country and see the work that’s happening in schools, and originally I was quite disappointed that PE wasn’t on top of the agenda in schools because I think it’s vital that we really encourage children from a confidence, self-esteem point of view, leadership, communication skills that are learnt from that, more attainment in class because you’ve released your energy, but also I just think that it’s something that should be in a young person’s lifestyle so that when they become adults they know about being competitive, they know about what it takes to lose and pick yourself up and then also be the best you can be, so I’m really excited about the Olympics because I think it will really change the nation and be so brilliant for us and you know the young people today

H: Yes we’ve had quite a few of your questions coming in actually, we talked a little bit about the Olympics, and we’ve had one in from metro.co.uk, and they say “Kelly do you think team GB’s best track and field medal prospects – who do you think they’ve” – sorry I’ll start that one again – “Kelly who do you think team GB’s best track and field medal prospects are, and could there be a surprise medallist from Britain this time round?”

K: Yes I mentioned Kelly Sutherton, Nicola Sanders and Christine Ohuruogu who are in the 400m, they both came – well Nicola got a silver and Christine got a gold in the World Championships last year, so they’re probably favourites to get medals

H: Yes

K: Hopefully.  Phillips Idowu I mentioned in the triple jump.  I think that what we will probably see is people in finals

H: Right yes

K: Now the chances once you’re in a final anything can happen

H: Yes

K: And that’s where we’re going to see the surprise medals from because that’s where –

H: And that’s really exciting because it is really wide open on a lot of sports –

K: Some events are really wide open these days because like I say established athletes and things are kind of retired these days and you’re seeing more people come through on the odd event, and so I do believe there’s a few athletes – I’m not going to put pressure on those ones –

H: No exactly

K: Who aren’t already up there because I know what it’s like, I really –

H: It’s fantastic to get to the Olympics anyway isn’t it?

K: To get in a team, people don’t understand how hard it is to get the qualification for the Olympics in the first place, and Britain always raise the general qualification to make sure they take the best team with them, so getting in the event is one thing, getting in a final is amazing, being on a rostrum, hardly anyone will be an Olympic champion of course –

H: Amazing.  We’re honoured to have you here, we really are.  We’re nearly out of time actually so we’ve just got one last question in from Ken.  He says “do you think sports like skateboarding should be taken more seriously and would it get kids into sport for having more unusual sports like skateboarding in the Olympics?”  Do you think it would get more kids involved?

K: Well in the Olympics there are a lot of other sports that have started coming in like BMX coming in Taekwondo came in in 2000 – yes 2000 and so there’s other sports that people are more interested in, but the best thing is the schools are actually bringing in all of those types of sports in

H: Yes it’s not just netball and hockey any more is it?

K: No and what we’ve found is the engagement of children, because children are so different these days to actually say that you’ve got to be a netball player, hockey, football, cross country – it turns a lot of kids off and a lot of adults that all know that from school days, so what they’re bringing now is things like rock climbing, salsa dancing, cheerleading, Marshall arts – you know you name it, things that are going to get engage first, so BMXing, there is a thing – I can’t remember what it’s called now but it is like a skateboard sort of boogie board thing they call it, it’s got this kind of bar that moves and you see these kids flying around the gym

H: Wow that’s amazing

K: And they love it, and you know if that’s –

H: It’s all about getting children involved

K: And if that’s engaging them they’re more likely to take up something else later on, so yes – a lot of changes and who knows what’s going to come in the Olympics and we’re in control of it for the next one so it will be really exciting

H: I know how exciting!  Well we’re out of time actually so thanks so much to Dame –

K: Thank you

H: Kelly Holmes for talking us through it and good luck with Superstars

K: Yes thanks

H: And also to Alison Greenhalgh for her top tips on how to keep healthy and how to get a head start to the day.  And if you want any more information on how to kick-start your mornings then you can go to the website which is www.kelloggs.co.uk/whatson/wakeup and there’s loads of information there about to make time for breakfast and how to get into a little bit more sports.  So thanks very much for watching and we’ll see you next time. Bye bye

Still got a question or comment?

Name

Your question Question