Latest news with #HackYourselfHealthy
Edinburgh Live
2 days ago
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
BBC Countryfile star Julia Bradbury discovers further health issue during scan
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info After successfully overcoming breast cancer, Julia Bradbury took charge of her health with an aim to boost her overall wellbeing – that's when a fresh health concern surfaced. Eager to ensure she could enjoy a long life with her husband Gerard Cunningham and their children, son Zephyrus, 13, and twins Xanthe and Zena, 10, Julia underwent extensive health examinations. "My breast cancer diagnosis made me start exploring all sorts of interesting avenues to do with personalised preventative health and medicine," shares Julia, 54, who received the life-changing diagnosis in 2021. "Since I came out the other side I'm so much more grateful for every day I'm here on planet Earth. I'm very mindful of my health, and it has made me really take it seriously and honour it." Julia didn't just sit back; she pursued a thorough full body MRI scan to assess her health status. While nervous about finding further issues related to her previous breast cancer, the results actually revealed something entirely unexpected. READ MORE - US President Donald Trump to visit Scottish golf courses in coming weeks READ MORE - Lewis Capaldi announces huge arena tour with two Scottish dates "I did a full body MRI scan, including my brain, chest region and abdominal region, looking for anything connected to my breast cancer. I'm grateful to say all's good on that front," Julia recounts. "But there was an unexpected discovery of a fortunately benign brain cyst, bang in the centre of my brain, next door to my pineal gland." Upon finding a cyst, Julia reached out to her mate, telly star Davina McCall, who underwent brain surgery last November to have a colloidal cyst removed. Top neurosurgeon Kevin O'Neill, who treated Davina, is now looking after Julia's case, reports the Mirror. "My neurosurgeon Kevin O'Neill, who is Davina's neurosurgeon, is not concerned," Julia divulged. "I will be rechecking in six months' time to check there are no signs of growth, that it isn't taking up any valuable real estate in my brain." Julia's taking brain health seriously now, focusing on sufficient kip, age-appropriate exercise and eating a balanced diet. Come September, she's dropping her book 'Hack Yourself Healthy', dishing on all the tips she's found for boosting one's health. She's also undergone DNA testing to get the lowdown on disease risks she might face. "I've done a baseline DNA test which shows me my blueprint DNA," revealed Julia, who was stunned to discover she needed to watch her diet. "My DNA is wired towards Type 2 diabetes, which means I have to be careful of carbs. I need to be careful of my sugar load. I've had to give up my 11am doughnut and biscuits. I gave up my bag of Maltesers at night while watching TV. It was really, really tough, I'm not going to say it wasn't." Julia, a well-known outdoor enthusiast, credits spending time in nature with improving her overall health. She's excited to co-host Today At The Great Yorkshire Show on 5 alongside Jules Hudson, showcasing one of the UK's largest agricultural events. "It's one of the biggest agricultural shows in the UK," Julia explains. "It features 8,000 animals, as well as farmers and producers from across the UK who've spent the past year preparing for this. Jules and I will be on hand to capture all the excitement and drama." Since adopting a healthier lifestyle and exploring various ways to improve her wellbeing, Julia has experienced a significant transformation. "I feel so much better," she says. "I think the benefits for me are 100-fold. If I get to spend longer on this earth and longer with my children, it's worth it in spades."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Countryfile star in fresh health scare as she asks Davina McCall for help
When Julia Bradbury underwent a full body MRI she thought she might find issues relating to her breast cancer battle - instead it was her brain gave her a big surprise After beating breast cancer, Julia Bradbury decided to take control of her health and optimise her wellbeing – but soon she was embroiled in a new health scare. Determined to find the best ways to enhance her longevity for the sake of her husband Gerard Cunningham and their children, son Zephyrus, 13, and twins Xanthe and Zena, 10, she has undergone a series of rigorous health tests. 'My breast cancer diagnosis made me start exploring all sorts of interesting avenues to do with personalised preventative health and medicine,' says Julia, 54, who was diagnosed in 2021. 'Since I came out the other side I'm so much more grateful for every day I'm here on planet Earth. I'm very mindful of my health, and it has made me really take it seriously and honour it.' To get a picture of her body's current state, Julia underwent a full body MRI scan. She feared doctors may find more breast cancer-related problems, but what they actually discovered took her by surprise. 'I did a full body MRI scan, including my brain, chest region and abdominal region, looking for anything connected to my breast cancer. I'm grateful to say all's good on that front,' says Julia. 'But there was an unexpected discovery of a fortunately benign brain cyst, bang in the centre of my brain, next door to my pineal gland.' Upon discovering the cyst, Julia contacted her friend, presenter Davina McCall, who had brain surgery in November last year to remove a colloidal cyst, and Davina put Julia in touch with her neurosurgeon. Thankfully she's now in the safest of hands. 'My neurosurgeon Kevin O'Neill, who is Davina's neurosurgeon, is not concerned,' says Julia. 'I will be rechecking in six months' time to check there are no signs of growth, that it isn't taking up any valuable real estate in my brain.' Now Julia knows about the cyst, she's making sure she takes good care of her brain, which includes prioritising sleep, doing the right exercises for her age and eating a balanced diet. In September, her book, Hack Yourself Healthy, will be published, in which she tells readers about all the different ways she's found to optimise her wellbeing. As well as the MRI scan, she's had her DNA tested to find out her predisposition to certain diseases. 'I've done a baseline DNA test which shows me my blueprint DNA,' says Julia, who, as a naturally slim person, was shocked by the results. 'My DNA is wired towards Type 2 diabetes, which means I have to be careful of carbs. I need to be careful of my sugar load. I've had to give up my 11am doughnut and biscuits. I gave up my bag of Maltesers at night while watching TV. It was really, really tough, I'm not going to say it wasn't.' Julia is famed for her love of the great outdoors and believes that immersing herself in nature as often as possible also boosts her health. Which is why she's thrilled to be joining Jules Hudson to host Today At The Great Yorkshire Show on 5. 'It's one of the biggest agricultural shows in the UK,' says Julia. 'You've got 8,000 animals and farmers and producers from across the UK who've been working hard for the last year or so to get themselves ready for this. And Jules and I are going to be there to capture all the joy and drama.' Since overhauling her lifestyle and exploring all the different ways she can be healthier, Julia has found her whole life has changed. 'I feel so much better,' she says. 'I think the benefits for me are 100-fold. If I get to spend longer on this earth and longer with my children, it's worth it in spades.'
The Independent
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Julia Bradbury on how her pre-cancer life ‘was like being chased by a tiger all day'
Julia Bradbury's stress hormones used to be so high that a doctor told her it was like she was being chased by a tiger all day. And then she got cancer. Now, four years since she found a lump in her breast and had a mastectomy, the TV presenter, 54, has turned her life around and has finally got the balance right. 'I didn't have a very balanced life before cancer,' she admits. 'Now, I really do feel grateful for every day – balance is very, very important.' Bradbury, who presented Countryfile and a number of other TV documentaries, many of them about walking, says: 'I've had my cortisol [stress hormone] measured, and historically it's been through the roof. As one doctor described it, I appeared to be being chased by a tiger all day. 'It's something for everybody to be mindful of – we are human beings, not human doings. Even lions and tigers don't hunt all day, they rest a lot, and that's a good metaphor for us – you can't be in hunting mode or being chased all the time. 'You have to find some time to rest and be calm, and find a little bit of security and peace somewhere where you're not being chased.' So now Bradbury, who's written six books about walking, plus the forthcoming health tips book Hack Yourself Healthy which will be published in September, does breath work and meditation every morning at first light, meditates at night, and exercises regularly. 'I try very much to build peaceful, calm moments into my day, because it's very, very important for me, particularly post a cancer diagnosis,' she explains. 'It's very important to maintain, to keep your stress levels at a minimum, but not always easy when you're running around and trying to meet book deadlines and TV deadlines and all the rest of it. 'So I make sure I carve out those times in the day for me to do my nature walk, to do my breath work, to really calm my cortisol levels. And that for me, I believe, is life-saving.' She also journals and, perhaps most importantly, spends as much quality time as possible with her three children – Zephyr, 13, and her twin daughters Xanthe and Zena, 10. 'I really revel in being present with them and doing things with them that are nourishing and enriching – not big things, just being with them and spending time together is really, really important.' And she still values life's smaller wins too, explaining: 'Nurturing those small things is important – that early morning cuppa, if you're lucky enough to have a balcony or open a window or have a garden, and you have that first cup of tea, and it's a peaceful moment for you. 'Those are the big things in my life. Now, I say that the small things are the big things.' Bradbury, who lives with her property developer husband Gerard Cunningham and their children in London, is also extremely mindful about what she puts in her body through the food she eats, and on her body in terms of creams and cosmetics. And she's become an ambassador for the organic skincare brand Green People and its new Free to Breathe campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the link between pore-clogging sun creams and the development of heat rash. This comes after research undertaken by Green People found 59% of Brits have experienced heat rash, with 64% of regular sufferers having avoided using sun cream altogether due to fearing they'd trigger a heat rash. 'Green People and I are very aligned in terms of using sunscreens for protection without a lot of nasty ingredients in there,' says Bradbury, who explains that being more careful about things like suncream is all part of trying to become more healthy since she found out she had cancer. 'It was a real shock, of course it was, to get a cancer diagnosis, but it also made me re-evaluate my health entirely,' she says. 'I thought I was quite healthy and, for example, I don't struggle with my weight and that meant in some instances I was the person that could always eat the sugar. But I didn't fully understand what was going on in the inside – I've had issues like endometriosis and other things, and really, cancer made me do a 360 of my health and start to lead a healthier life across the board, from the way I exercise to the way I eat.' She admits her cancer diagnosis in 2021 was 'completely terrifying,' saying: 'I don't think there'd be anybody who's heard the words 'you've got cancer' who wouldn't immediately be terrified. It's a frightening sentence to be on the receiving end of, but I very quickly became the journalist on myself, and started examining myself as a story, if you like, and examining and researching cancer and treatment.' Four years after she underwent a mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction, had some lymph nodes removed, and had chemotherapy, Bradbury says she's 'really well, and taking good care of myself,' and is looking forward to next year which will be five years after her diagnosis. 'The magic number is five, isn't it? If you survive past five years, then statistically, you're a survivor of cancer.' She says she still has check-ups, and does very robust self-checking, but stresses: 'It really made an enormous impact on my life – but I can't say it was all negative. For me, it's been a bit of a wake-up call.' She says she doesn't eat junk food any more, pointing out that previously she 'ate enough junk food to last a lifetime.' She also avoids ultra-processed foods and sweets, which she admits is 'really hard in the television industry, because people tend to fuel themselves on bags of [sweets].' In addition, she says: 'I didn't take care of my sleep, I was drinking too much, in my opinion, and I was eating too much sugar. 'Excess sugar causes all sorts of problems on a cellular level for us, and also damages the liver. And if your liver isn't functioning properly, you're not excreting the toxins you need to. So I really wasn't giving myself the best chance by hammering my liver with loads of sugar, and alcohol as well. 'What about beauty stuff, and make-up? You look at it and you go 'how many toxins is my body dealing with every day, and am I supporting my liver in the best possible way to help it try and eliminate those toxins?' 'And if you're not, because you're not moving, and you're indulging in too many of the other things that are clogging you up, then from my point of view I think your body's going to get into trouble.'
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."
