For this week’s Spotlight On feature, we spoke to Ursula Walsh.
Ursula is a qualified health and nutrition coach whose goal is to help everyone who wants to change to a healthier lifestyle.
Ursula originally hails from Mexico but after meeting the love of her life 9 years ago in Ireland, she now resides in Co Offaly.
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The mother-of-three spoke exclusively to Goss.ie about her passion for health and nutrition, what you can be doing to maintain a healthier lifestyle and how to have the ultimate ‘Hot Girl Summer’.
Check out our exclusive chat with Ursula below:
How did you first become interested in health and nutrition?
After my pregnancy, I gained a lot of weight so my first interest was to become healthier for my children. I have two kids that are very close in age to each other, so I just wanted to become healthier for them and I wanted to give them a healthier lifestyle as well. A healthier lifestyle than the one I was having before pregnancy.
You’re a mother of three kids, how do you find time to balance staying healthy while also being a mum?
Well, I think the most important thing for me is to have a routine where I can have time on the days that I specifically have off for either exercising or cooking or going with the kids for a cycle, whatever it is. It is important I have a routine for everything because otherwise, I could just be on my phone, or I could get distracted with the kids or spend too much time doing something I shouldn’t. It’s handy to prioritize the things I need to get done and have a limit on the time I spend on things throughout the day, this will give me the opportunity to get everything that I want to get done, done.
What advice would you give to moms who are finding it difficult to balance home life and staying healthy?
I think a very important tip that I have that works for me is to more or less, it doesn’t have to be perfect but plan your meals and snacks for the day, so you have an idea about what you are going to cook because I think when you do your weekly shopping it’s very easy to overspend and overbuy. You might buy extra of everything and then you end up eating that extra of everything, but if you plan your meals and your snacks you have in your head what you need for the week. It’s easy then when it comes to cooking you cook what you have already planned. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but a rough idea always works very well for me.
What advice would you give our readers who want to become healthy but don’t have the time?
I think being healthier doesn’t necessarily have to take a lot of time, and I have found that out through my own experience. Sometimes I end up cooking something that is not healthy and cooking something healthy and in reality, it took the exact same time. I think that planning your shopping and just researching recipes that you will like and enjoy will benefit you.
Being healthy shouldn’t be treated like a punishment, that you feel that you are eating something you don’t like, it should be treated with positivity. I have found cooking dishes with my family we prefer healthier options, healthier doesn’t mean not eating pasta or bread if you find a balance it works. I think if you find the right balance and add a lot of vegetables to your pasta it actually has no impact on your health, if anything it can help you have a very balanced diet.
What are 5 things we could be doing in our everyday lives that would improve our health and wellbeing?
Firstly, it is important to take baby steps to become healthier. I think sometimes people, me included want to do everything at the same time. One day you wake up and want to drink lots of water, eat super healthy and exercise a lot. However, if you do baby steps, for example, one week you focus on drinking more water and then the following week you can start to incorporate walks throughout your day. Just doing baby steps is a very good way to get where you want to be.
Secondly, drinking water sounds obvious but a lot of us don’t do it most of the time, and not drinking enough water or keeping hydrated causes you to be hungrier and eat more. It also leaves you feeling not energized which can affect your everyday life.
Another tip is exercise. There is no other way to lose weight. It is scientifically proven that exercise can prevent 26 diseases. So, I believe including a little bit of exercise throughout the day, even if it is 20 minutes or 30 minutes, is enough to keep your body active.
It is also important to include a load of vegetables in your diet if you eat enough vegetables, you will have enough fibre in your body which means that your body will work and function better.
Regardless of if you are vegetarian or not another tip is to include protein. You can include protein from a vegetarian diet and include protein from an animal diet, whichever one you prefer. I think including protein in your meals will keep you satisfied for longer and will stop you from looking for food straight away after eating
Also having snacks is very handy, healthy snacks if you have them near you, will be handy to grab. If they are near you, you will be more likely to just reach for a healthy snack.
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What is your favourite thing about your job?
Well, I think my favourite part I don’t know if it is the most interesting, but my favourite part is that I can work from home. At least that way I’m able to be with my kids.
What advice would you give to our readers who want to have a ‘Hot Girl Summer’?
A ‘Hot Girl Summer’ to me is to be confident with who you are and what you have. And I think that to have a ‘Hot Girl Summer’ or to have a perfect body all comes down to your confidence, how you feel and how you reflect within yourself. As long as you have confidence, you love yourself.
What would you say to our readers then, who are not confident in themselves and their bodies going into Summer?
A good start is to not compare yourself. If you compare yourself there is going to be somebody else who will be different to you, that you might think then you have to achieve that, but in my opinion, you have to be happy with what you have and understand that this is who I am. For example, in my case, after my pregnancy some things changed and I have just excepted them and I love the way I am, and the way my body is. Just accept it and be confident in what you have.
And finally, what does the future hold for Ursula Walsh?
My big dream is to write a book. I hope that the future will unveil a book deal for me.
Ursula was interviewed as part of the Centra Choices Define Us Campaign. Centra, Ireland’s leading convenience retail group has launched a new campaign that celebrates Choice called ‘Choices Define Us’. Centra is at the heart of communities all throughout Ireland with 481 locally owned and operated stores nationwide and is committed to offering choice that meets the evolving needs of shoppers today and into the future.
