Organic Food for life

Why do you buy organic food?
I don't buy all my food organic " I used to be very strict when I was running and would only have organic. Now it's very much what's available and I buy chicken and fruit and vegetables organically as much as possible, just for the healthy side of it. When I was running it was about trying to get in as many pure and natural ingredients as possible. I wasn't so much into vitamins and stuff like that, so it was case of getting as many nutrients as I could from the food I was eating. To me, that was the best way of doing it.
Did it make a difference when you were running?

When you're running you use up so much energy and so many calories and you're forever having to replace it, so it was a case of eating enough of the good things. The bottom line though is that when you're standing on the line before a race you feel good because you've put all the right food inside of you, so it's the psychological feeling you get from it as well. I was ahead of my time because I'm not sure anyone else was as strict as I was!
Do you notice a difference in the taste of organic food?
It's a lot fresher, a lot tastier. I have a new baby as well so I always give him organic because it's a case of giving them the best start in life. He's six months old, so he has loads of organic carrots, pears and apples.
Does he enjoy it? Perhaps with a six-month-old you can't really tell...
Well, he scoffs it down! The other two are not big vegetable- eaters so I have to disguise them in soups and spaghetti bolognese, but they love big plates of fruit when I chop it all up and make it look nice!
Have you got any favourite organic foods?
Strawberries and kiwis always taste better, and things like broccoli and mangetout.
What work have you done to promote organic food?
The BBC Big Challenge, which is about getting people in the workplace healthier and looking after themselves, exercising more and making it a way of life. It's a case of trying to get rid of all the vending machines selling chocolate bars and getting healthier options in the canteen. Just trying to be as active as you can and not using work as an excuse.
Do you think in time that everyone will be eating organic and exercising?
I think we have to start thinking like that. It's scary now seeing the figures on how inactive and obese children are and you can see how we are going to end up with a whole culture of people with lazy genes.
Is organic food easier to get hold of now?
It's a lot better than when I was running 12 or 13 years ago when it was really hard to get hold of. I had to go to health food shops whereas now you can just go down to your local supermarket, although obviously you have to pay a bit more.
Does the price difference bother you?
No, because you're talking about your health and the way you are as people, which I think is much more important than anything else. It's much more important to know what you're eating and where it has come from.