We know what we need to do in order to lead a healthy life. We have heard the simple equation time and time again. A healthy diet + exercise = living a fit and healthy life. So why aren’t we all living our lives this way? 

So, what is it going to take to cut that sugar out of your diet, start eating right and start moving your legs? A 70-year woman from Perth, Australia turned her life around by cutting sugar out of her diet and she looks better than most women half her age. Do you want to look like her at 70? Do you want to look like her at 60? Do you want to look like her at 50? Yea me too! 

She wasn’t always this healthy. It took a pre-diabetes diagnosis for almost 70-year old Carolyn Hartz to get her act together. She was a huge fan of chocolates and sweets and when she got her diagnosis, she vowed to cut out any sweet stuff so she could get her blood sugar back on track. 

After she got back on track, she slowly introduced sweet treats back into her diet. But never went back to sugar and she uses the sugar alternative, Xylitol as a substitute. She has kept a sugar-free diet for 28 years and boy does it show!

Keeping a sugar-free diet, she decided to launch her own company called SweetLife. The company sells Xylitol, and she even published a cookbook called Sugar Free Baking. Can you believe that this woman is a grandmother of four?

So besides cutting out sugar, what else do we need to know? The mother-of-three also credits her youthful looks to consistent exercise. She plays tennis and loves to go for walks with her husband.

“You have to watch what you put in your mouth -that’s number one - and two, you have to move your legs,” she told News.com.au.

She also added that a regular sleep cycle of 8 hours a day and meditation is also crucial to staying healthy. 

“I meditate every day usually in the morning it means I have to get up half an hour earlier but the benefits during my working day is enormous. I am so much calmer and intuitive since I have been meditating. I only started meditating at 65 so it is never too late.”

And while diet and exercise is what she preaches, she admits she has had a little work done here and there. She insists, however, that is not what has kept her fit and youthful. But I can’t imagine that it didn’t hurt the process. 

Losing weight can be extremely difficult, and the older you get, the harder it gets to lose it. Hartz insists that it is possible to lose weight at any age. 

“A lot of women post 50 think that it’s not possible to maintain a reasonable shape and weight when they reach 50 or beyond. I even speak to women who are in their 40s and who have had children and think they cannot regain their post baby body.”

She believes that taking control of your eating habits, can turn it all around. 

“We know our metabolism slows down as we get older it just means we have to take control and make healthier choices and work a little harder. I believe it is very important to be aware of the type of food you eat and the quantity of food you eat."

She also believes in eating with a purpose. You shouldn’t just shovel food into your mouth. She believes that you should skip the fast food, and really enjoy your meal. 

“Mindless eating can lead to unnecessary weight gain. I say to my customers ‘taste and enjoy every mouthful,' it will help you slow down and you will be less likely to overeat.”

So if you want to look like her at 70, pay attention to what you are putting into your body. Look at the labels next time you pick up something to eat. Check and see how much sugar it has in it before you buy because you would be surprised at how much sugar is snuck into most of the foods that we eat. 

For those considering cutting sugar from their diet, it is no walk in the park. 

In order to cut down your sugar intake effectively, do it slowly. If you cut it out cold turkey, you may crash and burn and give up quickly. 

A good place to start may be with your beverages. If you drink juice or soda, cut that out of your diet right away. Sometimes that small change can make a huge influence on weight loss. 

There are many other ways to help you cut sugar from your diet. You can limit your alcohol intake, stick to dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, and switch to Xylitol instead of sugar. If that’s her secret, it is worth a shot! May we all be lucky enough to look half as good as Hartz when we get to be her age.