THE LONG READ: Kildare organic fitness expert taking social media by storm

Niamh O'Donoghue talks to a man who has banished the TV, radio and other distractions to live a clean lifestyle

Get on that good stuff,” preaches Colman Power and he doesn't mean drugs, tablets or any artificial stimulants.

In fact he means the opposite — chemical free organic foods.

With thousands of followers, the adopted Kildare man has mastered social media to get his message across.

“I used to get in trouble in school for attention seeking, now I’m making a living out of it,” he laughs.

Power (32) is an organic grower as well as a personal trainer, who believes that food is the first thing that should be looked at if people want to improve fitness and health.

He runs grow your own courses at Lullymore’s Featherfield farm near Rathangan and also has his own organic fitness business.

The Waterford native also became a best selling Amazon author last June with the release of his first book, The Power of Organic Fitness.

“It took me two and a half years to write and it was tough because I’m dyslexic. I used to write a paragraph and then put a euro in the jar every day, but it was worth it,” he says.

It’s probably fair to say he enjoys a simple lifestyle. He has no television or radio, and it’s ironic that he doesn’t spend hours scrolling online, despite providing content on various platforms numerous times a day, and a podcast on a Thursday.

If he’s on the move in the car, audio books are his escape. In bed by 10pm every night, “apart from his birthday,” he jokes, he loves to watch the sun rise and set.

He’s also a big believer in the benefits of natural sunlight.

If plants respond to enthusiasm and cheerfulness, then it’s no wonder Colman was picking the last of his tomatoes at Christmas time, such was the longevity and vitality of his crop.

So what sparked his interest in this field?

“When I was younger I was a dual player for Ballyduff Lower in Waterford and I did a horticulture course at Waterford IT. Then I went on to study land management,” he explains.

“I was getting better at nutrition and found I was excelling when I ate well.”

Then like many other twenty something Irish lads, Australia beckoned.

“I had to cook for myself, I wasn’t at home with my parents anymore and I learned to cook by watching YouTube.”

He discovered country markets, and through his endeavours, he embarked on an organic programme.

Roots up

He now has a Master’s degree in Organic horticulture, a degree in education, a certificate in nutrition and is all about heath from the roots up — literally. He set up a market garden in Cork when he returned home from Oz.

“When it comes to health through your diet, you first must take a good long look at what you do (or don’t do) for your gut health,” he stresses.

”The absorption of all the vitamins and minerals that you eat essentially requires a healthy gut. I’m sure you’ve heard the words probiotics (organic kombucha, sauerkraut, or any other fermented foods) and prebiotics (bananas , apples and more).

“They are what increase your microorganisms inside the gut that then break down your foods and allow for better absorption of the organic foods I recommend.”

On his hot list are things like organic kidney beans, which provide plant based protein and fiber.

“This is something that meat cannot provide. Fiber is so important to keep your blood sugars in balance by keeping you fuller longer, making it less likely for you to overeat,” he adds.

His recipe for a healthy lifestyle includes, organic, locally sourced single ingredient foods.

He stresses that “non-organic produce and land can be left with countless chemicals that have a negative impact on you, the consumer and the water table/land in which the livestock we eat comes from.”

He is of the view that shopping local keeps small farms and jobs in the area and it prevents fruit, veg and produce being sent from a different country to end up on your plate.

Organic local produce will always contain more vitamins and minerals, due to the fact that a lot is lost during the transport time.

He is also an advocate of the daily workout, a fact he shares on social media.

“Two basic things that will improve you right now. Add weights and a high intensity finisher.”

He explains that adding a high intensity workout, like jumping jacks, high knees or touch squats after your weightlifting helps tap into your day stores and really tone the body.”

Mindset

Maintaining a positive mindset is key to his success.

“While this is often easier said than done, you really do have control over your mindset. It may be hard and lots of work, but you’ll be so much happier once you strive for 1% better than yesterday. ”

Colman is a big believer is starting out small without making major changes in one go.

He loves to ground himself in the beautiful Kildare countryside.

“Meditation, grounding and stretching really helps blood flow to the brain, muscles and can genuinely give you organic energy, especially with added sun exposure which I recommend early in the morning.”

Also a pragmatist, Colman is keen to point out that if people have a bad day or things don’t go to plan in a diet or exercise manner, draw a line under it and begin again tomorrow.

The next Grow Your Own course takes place at Featherfield Farm, Lullymore, Rathangan on February 18.

You can reach out to Colman on

- Instagram; Colman Power Organic Fitness

https://www.instagram.com/colman_power_organic_fitness/?hl=en

- Tik Tok; Colman Power Organic Fitness

https://www.tiktok.com/@colmanpower?lang=en

- Website; Colman Power Organic Fitness Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/show/4xdAsDMSEDnfffSsqN7RRM

- Facebook; Colman Power

https://www.facebook.com/ColmanPowerFitness/

- You can also check him out on YouTube