Australia’s Queen of the Surf Courtney Hancock – an in-form crowd favourite for the first round of the Nutri-Grain IronWoman Finals Series this weekend – says getting fit needn’t be such a struggle.
The 28-year-old star of the last season of I’m A Celebrity….Get Me Out Of Here! is adamant that the biggest secret to becoming the healthiest you can be, is to simply find a physical activity you love doing.
“We’re very lucky here on the Gold Coast; there really is no excuse, but get together with workmates or friends and try and get into a routine,” advises Courtney, during a training break outside her celebrated Northcliffe Surf Life Saving Club.
“And if the first thing you try becomes something you dread, move on and do something else.
“I promise you that after one or two weeks of that you won’t feel like drinking or eating chocolate – your body will start to tell you what it needs.”
Courtney also promises that if you can grind through a routine in your chosen activity for just four to six weeks, you’ll notice dramatic changes.
“It won’t just make you get the body you want, but it’ll give you more energy too.”
The three-time Nutri-Grain winner and double Coolangatta Gold champ admits she’s also made some changes to her diet in recent years.
Courtney used to eat mostly carbs, but with help from her dietitian she’s adapted to a much “cleaner” regime now.
“My body will tell me what I want; you just have to stop and listen,” says Courtney, who admits to a particular fondness for Acai Bowls this summer.
“Everything is picked from a tree, or grown in the ground – it’s all about energy and variety.”
So what about her favourite power-packed smoothie, to get us kick-started on that road to fitness?
No problem, says Courtney. And feel free to modify her secret ingredients below to suit your personal tastes.
- 1 banana
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3-400ml Almond Milk or Coconut Water (or a mixture of both)
- Handful of frozen strawberries
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 5 almonds
- 1 tbsp rice protein powder
- Ice
Oh, and as for her ‘guilty-pleasure’, Courtney says nothing beats her tried-and-true Friday night burrito recipe below:
Method
Lay a gluten-free burrito wrap on the plate
Sprinkle cheese on top
Microwave for 45 seconds until cheese is melted
Add:
Avocado
Grated carrot
Lettuce
Beetroot
Cooked mince or chicken
Onion
Chobani yoghurt (or sour cream)
Sprinkle chia seeds on top
Roll…and know you’ve worked hard for every last amazing mouthful!
- James Graham travelled to the Gold Coast courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.
This post was last modified on 23/02/2017 3:24 pm