Mike Edwards, actor and cirque performer
You may recognise 38-year-old actor Mike Edwards from Shortland Street. Now he’s about to star on an entirely different set in his latest work, same same but different, a circus-dance cabaret exploring the possibilities of relationships. The piece will be showcased as part of Tempo Dance Festival’s 10th Anniversary this October. Head to www.tempo.co.nz for more details. He’s currently busy working full time with his cirque company The Dust Palace and training 2-5 hours a day depending on upcoming shows and gigs. Would he consider his diet to be typical of others in his profession? “My diet wouldn’t be dissimilar from any other training athlete: I always make sure I eat as much as I can to keep the energy high and give my body the best recovery possible. I believe any choice to alter either one’s eating or training should be able to meet the question ‘Can I sustain this for life?’ If not, the plan is probably too strict and therefore destined to fail”.
6am Crunchy nut cornflakes eaten with my son when he first wakes. I'mpretty tired and not very hungry.
9am Sausages, eggs, tomatoes, bacon, coffee. After being awake for some time my appetite usually kicks in and I need to eat lots. Midday Sushi, coffee, banana. We have a sushi place next to our school. It totally wins out due to ease. I need to set up a loyalty card.
3pm Toast and tuna, coffee, protein supplement
7pm Steak, lots of green veges, potatoes, eggs. Good dinners like this are limited by either my level of brokenness or my disorganisation with shopping.
10pm-2am Yoghurt, chocolate, cheese—midnight foods of choice.
Nadia Lim’s nutrition quick fix
Some might say you eat like a horse, but the reality is you can afford to! Unlike the majority of us, six meals a day is appropriate for you (rather than the standard three meals) because you are burning so much energy with the intense physical training you do. You’ve covered all bases in terms of food groups. My only qualm would be to watch sugar intake as breakfast cereals like Crunchy Nut are onethird sugar, not something you (or your son) want to get used to eating! Preferably boost your protein intake with unprocessed sources such as fish, meat and eggs (instead of the more processed sources like bacon which should be used in small amounts) and don’t forget the vegetarian protein sources too — like nuts, legumes and tofu. I wholeheartedly agree that any (dietary) change youmake should be able to be sustained for life — that’s a sensible and realistic attitude.