Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?

Yes, mostly. I keep to a fairly low-carb diet and I work out about four times a week, so pretty healthy.

How often do you exercise?

I’d usually do a 5km run on the treadmill and a 30-45 minute weights session. Sometimes I substitute the run for a swim. Last week, I did the 10km Run for Mark in the Dark. My time was 38 minutes, which is not athletic but respectable. When I first got elected, I was 114kg and had a 40-inch waist, so I’m down to 96kg and a 36-inch waist. I began seeing myself on TV and TV is not very flattering.

Exercise gives me time to think; it’s basically the only time I don’t have my BlackBerry with me.

Do you get your five a day?

I eat a fair bit of fruit. I try to avoid bread and potatoes and instead of dessert I’d have fruit. I give up alcohol every Lent, and then try to give up again in November but it never works.

Do you worry?

Yes, of course I do. The thing I find hardest is time management. Sometimes there’s just too much to do and I have to just close my eyes and say to myself, you can’t do everything, and if people expect you to, it’s not fair. Just do everything you can.

What do you do to relax?

I find a swim or a run very relaxing because you switch off and you're not thinking about things. Beyond that it's concerts, theatre and watching TV – Downton Abbey, Family Guy, American Dad.

What’s your unhealthiest habit?

It would be the hours you have to put in. A politician works a 14-hour day six days a week, so I probably don’t get a lot of sleep – staying up until 2 or 3am and then dragging yourself out of bed at half seven.

For advice on preparing for winter, visit winterready.ie

In conversation with JOANNE HUNT