“I’m an American size 10, which I think in the UK is 14 – that has remained constant.”
Tina says she manages her weight by not eating after 6pm, drinking lots of water and, of course, dancing. If she needs to really get into shape for a tour, she has been known to resort to a bit of dieting. Back in 2000, for the Twenty Four Seven tour, Tina tried the cabbage soup diet, but didn’t enjoy it. For this tour she’s opted for a more moderate regime.
“I don’t abuse myself with sweets, sugars, cakes and fat. I eat healthily. The pleasure of life is dinner.”
Luckily for Tina, her natural preference is for good healthy food. Rather than the fatty fried-food of her childhood in the southern United States, Tina enjoys lighter options. She prefers to eat a combination of Thai and Italian food most of the time – although she limits high-carb pasta to “twice a week only.”
“I eat a breakfast of banana, kiwi and melon, and brown German bread.”
Some of Tina’s other eating tips include:
- Cut sugar where you can. This means avoiding biscuits, cakes and sweets, and not adding sugar to drinks or cereal. You don’t have to cut out treats completely but stick to only a few after dinner.
- Plump for protein power: Eat more fish, chicken, nuts and pulses. Research shows that proteins such as these will keep you feeling fuller for longer than carbs.
- Eat more good fats: The essential Omega-3 fats in oily fish such as mackerel and salmon protect your heart and boost the condition of your skin and hair. Aim for two servings a week.
- Fiber is your friend. Replace white, high GI carbs (bread, rice, pasta) with low GI whole or brown versions where possible.
- Reduce your alcohol intake but you can allow yourself a small glass of red wine with dinner.
Tina’s commitment to exercise also helps keep her body in shape. With a home in Switzerland, she has become a devotee of saunas and steam rooms and “walking 10 miles up and down stairs at home.”
“The main reason I’ve stayed looking good is that I’ve spent 40 years doing the most intensive stage workouts ever,” she admits.
“Simply The Best” Attitude
It is Tina’s mental attitude that perhaps plays the biggest part in her healthy lifestyle.
“Women should be proud of who they are at any stage in their lives. If you look good and can still do it, then do it. My attitude is not one of a 69-year-old woman.”
Tina Turner: How To Be “Simply The Best” was originally published on blackdoctor.org
