{"id":275280,"date":"2025-11-06T14:20:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T14:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/275280\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T14:20:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T14:20:16","slug":"at-50-i-feel-happier-and-healthier-than-i-did-in-my-30s-clodagh-mckenna-on-ageing-well-eating-right-and-dancing-through-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/275280\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018At 50, I feel happier and healthier than I did in my 30s\u2019: Clodagh McKenna on ageing well, eating right and dancing through life"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When you watch Clodagh McKenna on ITV<\/a>\u2019s This Morning<\/a>, she\u2019s fresh off doing a meditation<\/a> behind the scenes \u2013 and probably a dance<\/a> too.<\/p>\n

All the crew are so used to it after six years of the Irish chef appearing on the popular daytime show that \u201cthey all know \u2013 they just walk past\u201d.<\/p>\n

The 50-year-old explains: \u201cI do a meditation when I wake up in the morning, then I do another longer meditation about half an hour before I go live [and] I do my dance for five minutes in my headset all around the back of the studio. The dance is to really be myself [on live TV<\/a>] and be calm inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

But how she eats is the main driver behind her energy<\/a> and smiles we see on TV. \u201cIt\u2019s a running joke, how many times I get asked, \u2018How do you look so positive and happy?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer \u2013 alongside dancing behind TV sets \u2013 is her diet<\/a>, which \u201chelps me with energy, it helps me with my mental health<\/a> and it keeps me happy\u201d.<\/p>\n

There \u201cisn\u2019t enough attention\u201d brought to the relationship between food<\/a> and mood, she says, which is why it\u2019s the centre of her ninth cookbook<\/a>, Clodagh\u2019s Happy Cooking (\u201ca really personal book where I share my relationship with food,\u201d she notes).<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s a decision you make, to realise, \u2018Oh, this really affects how I feel physically\u2019 \u2013 when you feel light and nourished, physically, you just feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Her<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Her ninth cookbook, \u2018Clodagh\u2019s Happy Cooking\u2019, explores how what we eat affects how we feel \u2013 inside and out (Kyle Books)<\/p>\n

\u201cI never eat processed foods,\u201d she says, \u201cNow, if I do, if I have it once in a while, if I\u2019m at somebody\u2019s house or something, I really feel it, or the next morning, I can really feel it. I feel my energy is low.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s especially as I hit 50 this year \u2013 I\u2019ve just got to put more consideration into the food I\u2019m eating.\u201d<\/p>\n

The chef, from Cork, adds: \u201cTo change how you feed yourself is giving yourself the best gift you can give yourself in life. I have a lot more on but my energy and my mental health is definitely way better than in my 30s, way, way, way better!\u201d<\/p>\n

These days, McKenna eats at least three to four servings of fibre-filled pulses a week, a homemade juice every morning with \u201ccelery, fresh turmeric, ginger, flat leaf parsley, lemon and spinach \u2013 I get all of that goodness into me in the morning\u201d, and a little granola with yoghurt for protein. <\/p>\n

\u201cDoing all those things really, really helps me \u2013 my stress levels are lower. I can\u2019t imagine [if I didn\u2019t] how I would feel at my age, with my workload at the moment, running the farm<\/a>.\u201d McKenna runs a sustainable farm named Broadspear, in Hampshire, with her husband Harry Herbert, on the grounds of Highclere Castle \u2013 the main location for TV\u2019s Downton Abbey.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really about loving yourself more,\u201d she adds, \u201cIt\u2019s about putting you first and making sure that your engine is well oiled. It\u2019s about looking after and feeding your body, and knowing if you do that when you\u2019re got more energy and you\u2019re looking after yourself, everything else around you benefits from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna says not to try and overhaul your diet at once and instead to make small changes so they stick. Here\u2019s her advice.<\/p>\n

1. Start the day with a homemade juice<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say, start with juicing,\u201d she suggests. \u201cI think that it\u2019s quite overwhelming if you have too many things that you\u2019re going to add into your week. So pick one thing a month [to change].<\/p>\n

\"For<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

For McKenna, baking is more than a weekend ritual \u2013 it\u2019s a way to ground herself and boost her mood (David Loftus)<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t have a juicer, invest in a simple thing like a NutriBullet, or there are also copies \u2013 anything that will literally just blend it!\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna has a \u201cbrightening juice\u201d recipe with beetroot, and a \u201cbloat-be-gone juice\u201d, including pineapple, ginger and mint, or even a stronger, \u201cbody revival shot\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to do it every morning so you need to get up 15 minutes earlier, so you\u2019re going to bed 15 minutes earlier, so just reset your clock. I go to bed incredibly early and I get up early as well,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

2. Bake your own bread<\/p>\n

Shop-bought bread<\/a> can be full of preservatives, and McKenna swears by baking her own.<\/p>\n

\u201cDesignate a time in the week where you\u2019re very relaxed, for me, that\u2019s Saturday morning. It could be a different day for somebody else, but find that little cosy spot \u2013 time-wise \u2013 and start making bread.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say start with my soda bread because it\u2019s the easiest one to do. It\u2019s just a shape, stir, shape and bake bread \u2013 you can\u2019t go wrong with it. There\u2019s no rising, there\u2019s no proofing, there\u2019s no extra skills that you\u2019ve got to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna\u2019s mum taught her how to make soda bread, and she says there\u2019s something nurturing in the act of making something like bread from very basic ingredients of not much more than flour, milk and bicarbonate of soda.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s akin to going out to pick kindling for the fire. It\u2019s that nature-gatherer feeling. It\u2019s so basic, it\u2019s what our mothers would have done, our grandmothers, or great-grandmothers. So there\u2019s like a natural instinct in us somewhere to bake bread.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Colourful,<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Colourful, nourishing and mood-lifting dishes like this beetroot soup are at the heart of her \u2018happy cooking\u2019 philosophy (David Loftus)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe smell of the bread baking turns a house into a home in a matter of an hour \u2013 all of a sudden it\u2019s comforting and it\u2019s warm. I would love the whole nation to be baking bread. But I think for anybody who\u2019s feeling down or mentally struggling or feeling sick, baking bread should be the thing you do when you\u2019re at your worst point, because it can only make you feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Make a new recipe every week<\/p>\n

\u201cPick one recipe a week that you\u2019re going to do \u2013 don\u2019t try and all of a sudden, cook every single night, because you\u2019ll just hate it,\u201d McKenna says, suggesting a day that\u2019s not stressful. \u201cMaybe that\u2019s a Monday or it could be a Thursday when you\u2019re feeling good because it\u2019s nearly the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cPick a simple recipe, whether it be a delicious soup<\/a>, my red lentil curry \u2013 which is really easy to make \u2013 or roasting a chicken. You\u2019re teaching yourself a new skill, and then you\u2019ll slowly start building up your store cupboard.\u201d<\/p>\n

On weekends, she\u2019ll \u201clet go\u201d a bit \u2013 still by home cooking but, \u201cI\u2019ll have whatever I want, a delicious blackberry galette or I\u2019ll make a tarte tatin, or beef bourguignon, or a delicious ragu, or chocolate beef chilli and rice, and a glass of wine. Whatever I eat, whatever I\u2019m cooking, it\u2019s all really good, it\u2019s not processed, but it feels like indulgence at the weekend. Then Monday comes around and I\u2019m kind of ready, almost craving, to get back to my pulses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon, it may become second nature to mostly cook from scratch. \u201d I cook every night at home and I love it. I cook every lunch, usually at home as well, says McKenna.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve not given myself enough love if I don\u2019t cook.\u201d<\/p>\n

Braised white beans with winter greens<\/p>\n

\"McKenna\u2019s<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

McKenna\u2019s go-to midweek dinner \u2013 simple beans, greens and plenty of garlic \u2013 proves comfort food can be good for you (David Loftus)<\/p>\n

\u201cI love all kinds of beans and try to eat them at least twice a week. They are full of protein and I find I sleep really well after eating this,\u201d says McKenna.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have pecorino cheese, which is more pungent in flavour, it really is fabulous grated over this dish, but Parmesan \u2013 which you may already have in \u2013 works well too.<\/p>\n

\u201cServe in warmed bowls, with lightly toasted sourdough to mop up the garlicky broth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Serves: 4<\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/p>\n

1 tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve<\/p>\n

1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped<\/p>\n

1 onion, finely chopped<\/p>\n

2 tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves<\/p>\n

5 garlic cloves, crushed<\/p>\n

\u00bc tsp chilli flakes<\/p>\n

200-250g kale, cavolo nero or chard, coarse stems of kale or cavolo nero removed, chard stems and all leaves chopped<\/p>\n

2 \u00d7 400g cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed<\/p>\n

500ml vegetable or chicken stock<\/p>\n

Juice of 1 lemon<\/p>\n

3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve<\/p>\n

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper<\/p>\n

Toasted sourdough bread, to serve<\/p>\n

Method:<\/p>\n

1. Place a flameproof casserole over a medium heat with the olive oil. Add the fennel, onion and rosemary and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Next stir in the garlic and chilli flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.<\/p>\n

2. Begin adding handfuls of the greens, cooking and stirring until the leaves wilt.<\/p>\n

3. Add the beans and stock, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, mashing some of the beans with a wooden spoon, until the liquid has reduced and thickened, 6-8 minutes.<\/p>\n

4. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and the 3 tablespoons of Parmesan. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.<\/p>\n

5. Divide between warmed shallow bowls and top with more Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with toasted sourdough bread.<\/p>\n

Seeded cheddar sunflower bread<\/p>\n

\"Her<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Her twist on traditional Irish soda bread turns a basic bake into a moment of joy (and fills the house with its scent) (David Loftus)<\/p>\n

\u201cBeautiful, isn\u2019t it? This recipe is based on the wonderful traditional Irish soda bread that the whole world should know how to make,\u201d says McKenna.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve added Cheddar for flavour, but leave that out for the classic recipe. This loaf is cut into wedges, so every person can tear off their own, and they make it look like a sunflower! You can use any seeds I suggest here, even just a single variety. This freezes well, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Makes: 1 loaf, serves 8<\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/p>\n

200g plain flour, plus more to dust<\/p>\n

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda<\/p>\n

1 tsp fine sea salt<\/p>\n

350g wholemeal flour<\/p>\n

125g Cheddar cheese, grated<\/p>\n

350ml whole milk, plus more to glaze<\/p>\n

250ml natural yoghurt, plus more to glaze<\/p>\n

For the topping, any of:<\/p>\n

Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, caraway seeds, sunflower seeds, cumin seeds, chia seeds or mustard seeds<\/p>\n

Method:<\/p>\n

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan (425F), gas mark 7.<\/p>\n

2. Sift the white flour, bicarb and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the wholemeal flour and Cheddar. With clean hands, mix to combine, then make a well in the centre of the bowl.<\/p>\n

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and yoghurt, then slowly pour this into the well of dry ingredients, using a fork to mix it into the flour. Make sure there are no dry patches and that the dough is completely wet.<\/p>\n

4. Pat your hands with flour and shape the dough into a round, then place on a floured baking tray. Flour a large knife and cut a cross into the top, followed by a diagonal cross, cutting about two-thirds of the way through. You should have 8 wedges, like cake slices.<\/p>\n

5. Mix together a small amount more of milk and yoghurt, in a rough 3:2 ratio, in the yoghurt bowl. Brush the loaf with the milk and yoghurt mixture to give a lovely golden colour to the bread once baked, then sprinkle on the seeds. It should start to look like a flower.<\/p>\n

6. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 150C fan (340F), gas mark 3\u00bd and bake for a further 15 minutes. To test whether the loaf is cooked, tap the base with your knuckles: it should sound hollow. Leave to cool on a wire rack. It will last, wrapped in a damp tea towel, for 1 week.<\/p>\n

Beetroot-chocolate cupcakes with coconut icing<\/p>\n

\"Even<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Even her indulgences come with feel-good flair \u2013 these beetroot-chocolate cupcakes are rich, light and naturally uplifting (David Loftus)<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve never tried a beetroot-chocolate cake, then you are in for such a treat!\u201d says McKenna. The beetroot brings a delicious moist texture and the cakes are majestically rich and deep in flavour, while remaining very light in texture. Topped with the exotic coconut icing, these are complete heaven!\u201d<\/p>\n

Makes: 12<\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/p>\n

300g cooked beetroot, peeled and cut into chunks (or cook your own beetroot)<\/p>\n

230g pitted dates, chopped<\/p>\n

115g unsalted butter, melted<\/p>\n

1 tbsp tamari<\/p>\n

2 tsp vanilla extract<\/p>\n

85g cacao powder<\/p>\n

4 eggs<\/a><\/p>\n

For the icing:<\/p>\n

165g full-fat cream cheese<\/p>\n

50g coconut cream<\/p>\n

2 tbsp maple syrup<\/p>\n

Method:<\/p>\n

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan (375F), gas mark 5.<\/p>\n

2. Blend the beetroot in a food processor with the dates, melted butter, tamari and vanilla extract until smooth.<\/p>\n

3. Add the cacao, then the eggs (adding them at the end helps stop the cacao travelling up the sides of the machine). Blend until smooth and creamy.<\/p>\n

4. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper muffin cases and transfer the mixture into the cupcake cases. These don\u2019t rise and puff up, so fill them almost to the top.<\/p>\n

5. Bake for 17-19 minutes. The cakes are ready when still slightly soft in the middle and will firm up as they cool. Cool on a wire rack, then transfer to the refrigerator.<\/p>\n

6. To make the icing, whisk all the ingredients together and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to thicken up.<\/p>\n

7. Now spoon the icing on the cupcakes and eat. Pure bliss!<\/p>\n

\u2018Clodagh\u2019s Happy Cooking\u2019 by Clodagh McKenna (Kyle Books, \u00a325).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":275281,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[97,269],"class_list":{"0":"post-275280","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=275280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275280\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/275281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=275280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=275280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=275280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}