AIBU to be impressed by this woman's diet?

[ComingUpTrumps]

Sorry about the Daily Mail link!

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4550978/Carolyn-Hartz-reveals-secrets-amazing-body.html.

This is an article about someone who gave up sugar almost 30 years ago. Her diet/general lifestyle seems pretty good to me. What do you all think?

PS disclaimer I'm definitely not her and this isn't a sneaky stealth boast!

Thanks for the info Jedi. I have to say it sounds vile though

bitoutofpractice
Try the Plamil Coffee! Other ones have an aftertaste of sweetener, but this one doesn't, just the coffee hint. It's just 10 squares, but I never need more than two, to be fair.

70 I didn't look that good at 17!!!

Who cares? She's probably been fecking miserable for the last 30 years. I couldn't give a crap about looking like that at 70, it's just too much hard work. I'd rather just be happy. Can you imagine trying to go out to eat with her, or on holiday? I hate all this sanctimonious crap about sugar. I'll keep my tummy and my love of food thank you very much. Anyway, it's perfectly possible to eat sugar and still look great in old age, look at Mary Berry. Definitely no 'work' done there.

I really really try to avoid artificial sweeteners. In fairness I don't really have a sweet tooth

I agree Frizzy. Some people think she looks younger? So what?

And the amount of fruit she eats is quite a lot (up to 4 portions according to her "average day" list)

That's what I thought Crunchy - and there's loads of sugar in fruit. She must just mean she's given up refined sugar and products that contain it. I've tried this - it's really difficult because various forms of sugar are in almost everything we eat - even meat pies etc. Not as easy as you might think.

Plus - a friend of mine is 72, looks just as good as SugarlessWoman, and lives on cake. Hasn't had any nips or tucks either (but has a very discreet hearing aid).

I wouldn't be surprised if her photos are retouched and I bet she has tons of subtle makeup, too.

As far as I'm aware Helen Mirren hasn't had anything done and she looks great for ANY age.

I'm keeping my tummy because the cats like to lie on it and anyway it's made it obvious that it is here to stay.

I eat loads of fruit too. Yes it contains sugar, but your body has to digest the roughage too, so it doesn't go as quickly to fat as refined sugar.. (Very untechnical explanation!). I just figure that it's better to eat a punnet of fresh grapes on a long journey than a family pack of revels, and it's better to eat a banana when I come in from walking the dogs than the half a packet of biscuits I might have had before.. im just avoiding processed sugars and crap. It's working great for me. I couldn't cope cutting out fruit and carbs, I just wanted to rein in the crap I are and stop ruining my life carrying 4 stone excess around.

I think that's fair enough Honey. But you aren't claiming to have given up sugar in all it's forms. And tbh when I gave up sugar in tea I found it best to go cold turkey on all sweet stuffs (other than fruit, which then tasted ^mahoosively* sweet because I wasn't corrupting my tastebuds). I didn't bother using saccharine or xylitol, because to me that just seemed to keep my sweet tooth alive and kicking (and filled me full of chemicals as well).

Also - you have to eat a lot of apples to get the amount of sugar you'd get from a "fun-size"* mars bar. Looks like Sugarless Woman just adopts the sort of healthy diet we would all benefit from, really - ad we've been told this by nutritionists since the year dot.

And well done with your weight loss.

*misery-size, more like

Xylitol is not an artificial sweetener (it's birch zap and supposed to be good for teeth!). However DH is on the Michael Mosley blood sugar diet and has reversed his type 2 diabetes - and within 9 weeks of diagnosis - so it does work! We try and avoid nearly all sugars now (although still have some fruit - mostly berries). I eat chocolate - but only raw chocolate (hotel chocolat do a great range of 100% and use crutches brio) and use a tiny bit of black strap molasses if I make gingerbread (with almond flour and cinnamon). Also recommend James Won'g recent book!

Sorry Crio Bro! Heat and mix with hotel chocolate 100% buttons to make a lovely chocolate ganache (though I should say DH & kids hate it - so all for me!)

Birch tree sap! They don't zap it!

Isn't Xylitol the stuff in sugar free chewing gum and the like?

Not the expert by any means, but afaik Xylitol is an artificial sweetener, processed from many sources. Can you cook with it (I mean bake cakes etc as a sugar replacement?

bugger I think it's the stuff that makes the chewing gum sticky/gluey.

Imagine that shit sitting in your stomach.

I'll stick to my sugar in moderation thanks.

So, someone with, as far as I can see, no medical credentials does an extended ad for a particular kind of sweetener using a highly-photoshopped picture of her highly-surgeried body in the DM and we're all supposed to gasp in amazement and blindly change our diets to hers? If I need dietary advice I'll ask an actual doctor who specialises in it, not some random paid to do an advert.

bugger some sweeteners come from natural sources, like Stevia, which is from a plant. Sugar is processed as well, we don't have it in its natural form. I can't remember Xylitol's origin but what I do know is that it doesn't work in the same way as aspartame and the like, which are quite bad. It is flushed away and doesn't enter your bloodstream because it cannot be digested. In Germany (or Norway, I can't remember, it was on the news) they give it in chewing gum form to primary school children after meals because it was scientifically proven to be better than brushing teeth (as in "the kids brushing their own teeth"). In diets that avoid both sugar and artificial sweeteners because of digestive issues and sensitivities, the only sweeteners allowed are Stevia, Xylitol and honey. Maple syrup is sometimes allowed, coconut nectar is not always allowed. I've made before cheesecake with xylitol and nobody could tell the difference. Other sweeteners "fizz" when in contact with some foods, I didn't have that issue.

Her skin is the only thing that impresses me. She lives in sunny Australia & has almost no wrinkles? WOW. That must be a lifetime of effort to avoid sun

Lol, facelift and botox more like it!

Thanks jedi for the info. I find Stevia strange, as, to me, it's sweet but not sugar-like. I was wondering whether Xylitol was similar. Weirdly, I prefer eg Diet Coke which has that chemical sweet taste.

Not sure which is best - cutting out sugar or living with it!

I watched the Documentary series The Skinny of Obestity featuring Robert Lustig - he REALLY demonises sugar but I'm ashamed to say I don't understand most of the science!

So, someone with, as far as I can see, no medical credentials does an extended ad for a particular kind of sweetener using a highly-photoshopped picture of her highly-surgeried body in the DM and we're all supposed to gasp in amazement and blindly change our diets to hers? If I need dietary advice I'll ask an actual doctor who specialises in it, not some random paid to do an advert.

Completely agree.

is flushed away and doesn't enter your bloodstream because it cannot be digested

I'm not really a fan of eating things my body can't digest, it's not natural.

Quick Google search of her name reveals that she is Founding Director at SweetLife Australia Pty Ltd. This is an advert people - be warned. Ok her face looks good, but look at her legs! Janet Street Porter is 71 and looks just as good. Fruit has sugar. Sweeteners are so artificial I would never eat them. The only sugar we eat is brown cane sugar or sugar already in food- i.e fructose in fruit.

Ha, she didn't mention that did she!

Surprise - not..

If she really said she eats no sugar then she is thick as the proverbial mince.

She looks great but some people just look great regardless. Why so many pictures of cakes when she is promoting a healthy eating? Oh yeah she's selling something!