Look at this woman in the swimsuit photo. She is 72 years old. It’s unbelievable, but it’s a fact! How does she do it?

Do you think it’s a result of plastic surgery, liposuction, or exhausting daily workouts at the fitness center? It’s not. This woman didn’t have fat removal surgery, she doesn’t take diet pills or cocktails, and she doesn’t even go to the gym. She simply gave up sugar 30 years ago when she was diagnosed with prediabetes.

Carolyn Hartz is a baker, businesswoman, and book author from Australia. She is the mother of three children and grandmother of four grandchildren. Yes, you are looking at a real grandmother. This woman was born in July 1947.

Carolyn Hartz has become world famous for two things: these pictures and the fact that she published a book on how to live without sugar. She herself has been sugar-free for 30 years.

Asked by journalists how she save in old age a slim figure and what is the secret of youth, she said:

There are 2 simple rules to follow: “You have to watch what you put in your mouth – that’s rule number one. And rule number two: You need to move your body and your feet every day”.

Carolyn advises eating fruits and vegetables and not forgetting protein, because they help stabilize blood sugar levels:

We all know that our metabolism slows down as we get older. This means that we have to be more careful about what we eat, because it becomes more difficult to control our diet. The main rule is to enjoy every bite of food, so you protect yourself from overeating.

Of course, these are not the only advice that will allow you to look 72 years old as if you were 45. Here are more tips from Carolyn’s book:

The 5 Secrets of Health and Youth by Carolyn Hartz

1. Get enough sleep, but don’t oversleep

Sleeping little is bad, sleeping a lot is also bad. So where is the middle ground?

This parameter is different for all people. Some people need only 5 or 6 hours of sleep a day, while others can only get a good night’s sleep in 10 hours. I try to get at least eight hours of sleep. I’ve been doing this most of my life, and now studies show that it’s important for good health. While sleeping, our bodies heal and rejuvenate.

2. Start meditating

Carolyn says meditation brings her peace of mind and confidence. Plus, it’s a great way to start the day.

I meditate every day, usually in the morning. That means I wake up half an hour early. I started meditating at age 65, so it’s never too late. Start with five minutes a day and get up to 20-30 minutes.

Another practice within the meditation is gratitude. For 5 minutes she mentally thanks her husband, children, grandchildren, colleagues, the Universe, herself (the list can be anything). This is Carolyn’s favorite practice. If the day is stressful, she repeats it in the evening. She says this exercise is amazingly good at calming the mind.

And every day Carolyn makes sure to practice mindfulness. Usually during a walk in the park.

3. Walk every day, load your body with light exercises

Carolyn spends at least 30 minutes a day outside. She always walks in the park with her dogs. A half-hour walk is the minimum daily physical activity.

I played tennis when I was 30 and after a 25 year hiatus I am playing tennis again and love it! I also started yoga 5 years ago and it has helped strengthen my body and added to my calmness.

Even when you’re over 70, you have to keep exercising. Photo source: www.news.com.au.

4. Try to minimize sugar intake

You don’t have to deprive yourself of sweet pleasures entirely. But if you like chocolate, pastries, cakes, ice cream, and various similar desserts, try to consume them as little as possible per day. And if possible, switch your diet to foods with zero sugar content.

Carolyn has not had eat sugar and sugar contained products for 30 years. Of course, life itself forced her to do so (diagnos prediabetes).

I have been living without sugar for 30 years. I believe it is what allows me to stay healthy and keep my body in shape. At first it was hard for me to give up sugar, and with it my favorite treats and desserts. I was so happy when I discovered sweetener and started making desserts with it! That’s when I became sugar free.

But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t like to eat cakes at all. They’re just different:

What I like to do is bake a tray of my favorite sugar cakes-no sugar, cut them into small pieces and freeze them. So I don’t overeat them.

Carolyn with one of her four granddaughters. Source of photo: instagram.com/sweetlifeaus.

5. Don’t give up and don’t be offended

Look at life with your head held high. You have to be optimistic in every situation. To do this, Carolyn advises you to stop comparing yourself to others. Begin to rejoice in the success of friends and acquaintances. Do not be jealous and not offended. And most importantly – never give up.

I’ve always told my three children that life isn’t perfect. Things won’t go the way you want them to, but that’s okay. Fail? Try again. I’m a big believer that one door closes and another door opens. I’ve had some tough times. The secret is that the glass is always half full, not empty. Get up and go again.

What is the truth in this story?

When talking about Carolyn, most of the media is posting a photo of her at the beach from a couple of years ago. Everyone is amazed that a woman approaching the threshold of the seventh decade, looks at most 45 years old. And a shot from the same photo shoot graces the cover of Hartz’s book.

Most people who see reposts of her bikini picture on social media can’t believe their eyes. Many are concerned about the question: How can she keep her skin so youthful and her muscles so toned at age 72? Skeptics believe that Photoshop and plastic surgery were involved.

The reaction on social networks was very violent. Here are just a few examples:

“No sugar and you’ll be just like me. Ha! You can see she has silicone boobs, fake teeth, and a facelift… To be fair, she looks great, but I don’t buy idea that it’s all just because of her diet!”.

“She looks great, not because she doesn’t use sugar, but because she has the time and money to take expensive care of herself and her body”.

“It’s all nonsense. She’s just a rich lady living on the beach in a nice climate. She’s asking you to give up sugar because she owns a sugar substitute company”.

In addition to the glossy photos on Carolyn’s Instagram account, there are photos taken in a normal environment, at home. They unfortunately (or fortunately) show the deception the publishers have resorted to in promoting the book. Age-related atrophy of subcutaneous fat and decreased skin tone is noted throughout the body.

This is especially noticeable in her hands, no matter how good the angle, but her sharp elbows cannot be concealed. By the way, the woman replaced white sugar with xylitol, which is almost as caloric as sucrose, but also causes many side effects.

Particularly noticeable are the changes on her arms and neck. You have to hand it to Hartz, she doesn’t cover it up with foundation, unlike Kim Kardashian’s grandmother, pigment spots are a common sign of poorly aged skin. The video is more difficult to retouch, you have to spend a lot of time for frame-by-frame “blurring” of wrinkles and folds. This also makes wrinkles on the neck and crow’s feet visible.

Any photos taken in normal sunlight show that Carolyn is trying hard to hide her age. This is common to many women, especially those who make a business out of their appearance.

But even with the photoshop and plastic surgery, we can’t but admit that a healthy lifestyle is clearly beneficial for Carolyn. She does yoga (which many stars love) and plays tennis (which helps her to maintain a slim figure and mobility). She has great, truly royal posture, which visually makes Hartz look younger.