Food is fuel and it keeps us going just like a car needs petrol. When you're running a car it's important to think about what fuel you're putting in because if you put in the rough stuff, what's going to happen? The car's going to slow down and perform badly because you've neglected it.

I know that some people feel that cooking is time consuming, but cooking is an activity that you can do for yourself and you'll be in good condition to do all the other things that you want to do in your life for a very long time.

When I was working on the Olympic cookbook it was amazing to discover how different athletes need different types of diets. Everybody thinks that an athlete has to eat lots of carbohydrates, however some athletes don't need that. Some sports such as sprinting are explosive so you need a diet that will give you the energy for that moment.

If you get vegetables in season, the difference is remarkable compared to vegetables that might have been imported. You can't beat fresh ingredients and seasonal fresh ingredients. There's nothing quite like the taste of a beautiful summer strawberry.

Cooking is a life skill. We need to eat every day so why not find out about what you're putting into your body?

Let's care and nurture our bodies. You are looking after something from a very early stage. Like a plant, you're giving it food and water and when it grows, look at the amount of buds it gives you. Every year it flourishes and comes back time and time again. Look after yourselves and don't be embarrassed about it.

One of the key things is to encourage people to have a go in the kitchen and not to be embarrassed by it. Try and spend a couple of nights a week cooking something up. It doesn't have to be complicated, it can be something really simple.