Carolyn Hartz is used to people thinking she is in her 50s thanks to her toned physique and glowing complexion.
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The mum-of-three and nan-of-four credits her looks to regular exercise, daily moisturising and a sugar-free diet, as well as daily meditation to regulate her nervous system.
“My zest for life is better than ever,” she told 7Life. “My life is so full.”
Carolyn has been moisturising religiously for almost 60 years to keep her skin hydrated and glowy.
She will never leave the house without SPF and will never go to bed without removing her make-up.
“I moisturise every night, especially around the eyes and neck,” she said. “It has been my routine since I was 17 years old.
“I exfoliate my face skin weekly and try to use a hydrating mask fortnightly.”
Rather than buying shop bought snacks to satisfy her sweet tooth, Carolyn makes her own sugar-free versions – and hails this as the secret to her ageless beauty.
Among these treats are double chocolate cookies, cheesecake, almond sponge cake and oat cookies.
The entrepreneur from Perth founded SweetLife Australia in 2002, a brand focused on providing sugar free sweeteners and dessert, cake, and cookie mixes.
The key sugar replacements in her products are Xylitol and Monk Fruit Sweetener.
As soon as she wakes up, Carolyn will sit cross legged on the floor for 20 minutes to meditate.
“I practise gratitude for five minutes every morning as part of my meditation,” she added. “It is the most wonderful uplifting practice.
“If I have a stressful day, I will stop and just do another five minutes of practice.
“It is amazing how well it calms your mind and makes you remember the good things in your life.”
For breakfast, she’ll fuel up with a banana, a spoonful of yoghurt and a cup of English breakfast tea.
“I then have either two eggs or scrambled eggs with tomato or avocado or tinned wild salmon on a piece of gluten free toast,” she said.
“If I don’t feel like a big breakfast, I have natural yoghurt with fresh fruit and ricotta or a mixture of seeds and nuts.”
Her dinners are equally as balanced with a variety of vegetables paired with fish or chicken, or occasionally a helping of red meat.
Carolyn was diagnosed with pre-diabetes 2 aged 40 after experiencing regular dizzy spells, extreme fatigue and mood swings.
Pre-diabetes 2 is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal.
“I had always been a big sweet eater but did not realise at the time I was probably a ‘sugar addict’,” Carolyn says.
“I was not overweight and ate relatively regular healthy meals but they were carbohydrate loaded.
“The diagnosis was a huge relief as I was not well, and not knowing was frightening as I had three young children.”
Following a doctor’s advice, she gave up sugar and sparked her journey of ageing backwards.
Carolyn also exercises daily and gets eight hours of sleep a night to keep her body young.
For women struggling to stay fit and healthy, she recommends taking “your own journey and being happy with even the smallest results”.
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