Latest news with #ex-Countryfile
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Julia Bradbury has daily shot of one thing after quitting alcohol
The ex-Countryfile host, 54, takes a quick swig of one kitchen ingredient every day - it'll probably surprise you Julia Bradbury swears by a surprising trick to support her long-term health. The ex-Countryfile host, 54, takes a quick swig of one kitchen ingredient every day and claimed even her children can't get enough of it. You may be surprised to hear the ingredient in question is none other than extra virgin olive oil. Julia favours cold-pressed, mono-varietal and organic types. "I don't drink alcohol anymore, but I do still have shots," she explained in an Instagram post last month. "Of extra virgin olive oil or EVOO for short. LOOK FOR COLD PRESSED. And my kids like to gulp it down too, as you can see (using it for salad dressings and drizzled over food works just as well)." Julia was motivated to adopt various healthy habits, including this one, after her cancer diagnosis in 2021. Although she doesn't blame herself for the cancer, she previously told The Sun that her life wasn't exactly healthy day by day. So, even after getting the all-clear, she's sought to change her lifestyle for the better. "My health reset in 2021 (a breast cancer diagnosis) meant an overhaul of my high sugar, alcohol-rich diet," she continued on Instagram. "Since then, I've spoken to experts around the world to teach myself and learn as much as I can about healthy living good nutrition, and how to spend as much time on planet earth here with my beautiful children. "As a half-Greek, I have grown up with olive oil, but who knew about all the benefits?! It doesn't just taste great." Julia then went on to highlight the various benefits of olive oil, including its potential cholesterol-lowering perks. She explained: "A diet rich in EVOO can help lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol (there's a bigger story to this, for another time) and raise 'good' HDL cholesterol. It also supports healthy blood pressure and improves overall heart function. Think of it as a loving gift to your arteries - delicious and life-affirming." Crucially, Julia isn't alone in her views either. Dr Gareth Nye, a Biomedical Science lecturer at the University of Salford (@ told the Mirror that they are backed by a wealth of evidence. "According to one recent study, people who regularly consume more than half a tablespoon of olive oil per day have, on average, a 19% lower chance of dying from heart disease than those who rarely or never have olive oil," he said. "There are strong suggestions that it improves risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes and may lead to better cognitive function." Dr Nye said that virgin olive oil is preferable for daily consumption as it hasn't gone through 'extra heating processes' that can impact its beneficial components. However, nothing suggests that taking a daily shot is better than eating it with salads or other meals. He added: "Ultimately, olive oil will bring with it extra calories, and the benefits of the oil can be easily offset by a poor diet and lack of exercise elsewhere. "In summary, as a part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, olive oil can provide a boost to the body, but taken in isolation as a quick fix, a shot of olive oil will not be tremendously useful to you." Both Dr Nye and Julia also agree that olive oil may boast some 'brain-boosting' benefits. Last year, another study found that people who consumed more than 7g of olive oil per day had a 28% lower risk of dying from dementia than other participants. "Although this isn't a cure, it shines some light on the underlying mechanisms behind dementia and may provide us with a better understanding to help future therapies develop," Dr Nye added.
Daily Mirror
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Julia Bradbury reveals extreme measures she's taking for her health after breast cancer battle
She opened up about her health during an appearance on James Martin's Saturday Morning TV host Julia Bradbury has revealed the significant steps she's taking to safeguard her health after a cancer diagnosis caushed her world to "stop." The ex-Countryfile presenter, who is 54 years old, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and had to undergo a mastectomy. Now in remission, she opened up about her fight against the illness during an appearance on James Martin's Saturday Morning. In today's episode of the ITV cooking show (April 26), she disclosed that she's adopting radical measures to secure her future health, details of which will be included in her forthcoming book, Hack Yourself Healthy. "My world did stop, but once I was through [cancer treatment] and I had a left mastectomy, I really just thought 'Ok, what am I going to do now for myself to enhance my life, enhance my health and make sure I can stay healthy," she said on the ITV show. "I was always into my health, I was always into walking and I enjoyed my food, but when you really start to look into health and really start to analyse what it is... then it becomes quite prescriptive." She also mentioned undergoing genetic testing recently to understand precisely which foods are most beneficial for her body, reports the Express. "What I've done for the book is undergone all sorts of genetic testing so I know what my genetic blueprint is," she elaborated. "There will be certain things, a certain way that I'm wired, and there'll be certain foods I can eat that will enhance my health." Julia Bradbury was one of the original faces of Channel 5 when it first hit the airwaves in 1998, presenting alongside comedian Tim Vine. She later became a familiar face on Watchdog from 2005 to 2009 and kickstarted a new chapter for Countryfile with co-host Matt Baker. On today's episode of James Martin's Saturday Morning, the popular chef was joined by culinary talents Lisa Goodwin-Allen and Judy Joo, as well as First Dates' Merlin Griffiths, who was on hand to mix some tantalising cocktails for everyone. Merlin has previously opened up about his own battle with cancer, confessing that he would "never be the same again" following his treatment. He was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer in 2021, and was declared cancer-free two years later. In a heartfelt 2024 interview with The Mirror, Merlin revealed: "My life will never quite be the same, and anyone that has gone through bowel cancer and the horrific treatment that it involves will understand. I might look whole, but I'm actually missing about 45% of my insides. It's quite a major amputation internally that I have had."
