Shape I’m In: Caroline Morahan
“The drinking culture is not as all pervading as it is in Ireland,” she says. “A lot of my Angeleno friends would never dream of consuming the volume of alcohol that would be typical of so many of my friends back home. Aside from our waistlines, our skin and our physical health, alcohol can have such a negative impact on our mental health. So on big nights out, I try to always have a glass of water on the go while I’m enjoying a tipple.”
On a recent trip back to her native Dublin, she supported an Irish Heart Foundation awareness campaign, #SayWhenSooner, aiming to “highlight the serious health implications of drinking too much too often”.
Aged 37, she is married to banker Daithi O’Caoimh. The couple have lived in LA since 2009.
I make a good effort to keep active but there are times when I fall off the wagon. I prefer taking classes or going for a hike outdoors than sweating alone at the gym. I’m not very good at motivating myself if it’s just me and a treadmill. My commitment to fitness certainly increased when I moved to LA. It is a very health conscious place. But I’ve always been extremely health aware. My mother is a homeopath and acupuncturist, so I haven’t taken an antibiotic or pain killer in years. I believe in listening to the body and treating it as a whole.
Genetically modified foods and negative ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup are rife in the US, so I am really concerned with ingesting toxic foods here. I buy organic and shop at the farmer’s market but even though I’m vigilant, it’s something that really concerns me.
I’ve been taking Udo’s Oil in fresh juice for years. It’s a combination of omega oils that is great for your entire body, inside and out. Recently I’ve started mixing it in to my salads too. As the health benefits are so wide reaching— from heart health to brain function— I love knowing I’m giving myself that extra boost. Plus it’s the best anti-ageing secret there is.
I’m lethal when it comes to icecream.
Jet lag— it is the bane of my life. It’s fine coming from Ireland to LA as you just fall asleep early and wake up early but coming the opposite way, I sometimes find myself staring at the ceiling at 4am, exhausted.
After a few half-baked attempts in the past, I’ve finally gotten into meditating. I try to do it twice a day for 20 minutes. Often that’s a challenge but I do my best. It’s something my mother has been telling me to do for years. Last year I made a concerted effort to take her advise.
As usual, she is right. It is a great secret weapon for de-stressing and keeping my head in a positive state. It feels like you can take your mind out, wash it under a tap and put it back in again. That’s really important for me because I tend to be a worrier.
All my friends who live 5,000 miles away in Ireland. If you’re talking stars — Oprah, Marilyn and Gandhi, which would of course require time travel.. but you did say “dream”.
My dog’s tummy. It smells like freshly cooked Basmati rice.
A flatter stomach and leaner thighs would be nice! But I love good food more than I want to wear belly tops and hot pants.
When my friend Pam, with whom I presented Off the Rails, got married in Dublin recently. I held it together quite well until they started saying their vows. Then an auntie had to intervene with a hanky. I was a mess!
I’m a very emotional person. If I’m moved by something tears aren’t far away.
Superficiality.
Untidiness!
Every night.
My dog Kiki cheers me up every time I lay my eyes on her. She is a four-pawed ball of love.
