Halle Berry’s Beauty Secret: Tons of Healthy Fat and Zero Sugar

Halle Berry's Beauty Secret? Tons of Healthy Fats and No Sugar
Image via Halle Berry/Instagram

When it comes to looking flawless and ageless, few do it better than Halle Berry. So inquiring minds need to know: what’s her secret? The star, who turned 50 (!!!) this year, recently revealed a few of her surprisingly simple beauty tricks that have been key to maintaining that youthful glow.

She Does Bodyweight Training

To keep her enviable physique in shape, the “Kidnapped” actress swears by using her own bodyweight for resistance training, which is known for being a super effective workout by combining cardio with strength training while also improving flexibility and core strength. “I do a workout that revolves around my bodyweight most of the time,” she told Mamarazzi. “I don’t do a lot of muscles…I just do bodyweight stuff. I do yoga sometimes. Pilates.”

Berry, who exercises for at least 30 minutes everyday, also knows the benefits of rotating her workouts. “I switch it up because your body gets used to the same exercises, so you have to kind of trick it every six or three months.” Additionally, switching up your workouts beats boredom and helps prevent overuse injuries.

She Eats Keto

“I swear by the ketogenic diet,” BerryHalle Berry Says Trick To Looking Flawless At 50 Is “No Sugar, No Carbs”

” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”> said. “It’s simple. It’s no sugar, no carbs. And what you force your body to do is instead of burning sugar for fuel, you start burning healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil, eggs. You start eating healthy fats. Butter can be a part of your diet. You just eat protein, nuts, legumes. You start teaching your body. Your body begins to burn fat instead of sugar and when you start burning fat, all the fat starts to melt away.”

You had us at “fat melting away”, but is it really as simple as Berry claims? Though it seems like keto is the latest celeb diet trend (Kourtney Kardashian also swears by it) the low-carb, no-sugar, high-fat eating plan has been around for decades, originally being used to treat patients with epilepsy and diabetes. While it’s definitely restrictive (basically forget it if you have an unforgivable sweet tooth), it allows you to eat tons of protein, including red meat, and good fats, like avocado, coconut, and, yes, even bacon and butter.

The diet does help with weight loss because it prompts the body to go into ketosis, a metabolic process in which the body burns stored fat instead of glucose for its daily energy. Normally, the body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose for energy. But while in ketosis, the body derives ketone bodies from fat, a.k.a. the handful of nuts you just snacked on.

She’s Totally Cut Out Sugar

Part of the reason why Berry is such a fan of eating keto is because she’s diabetic. Referring to it as “poison” for her body and skin, she’s eliminated processed sugars and bread from her diet, and has even cut back on fruit because of its high sugar content. Sugar not only increases your risk of high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and high triglycerides, but also causes inflammation throughout the body, which leads to sagging skin and wrinkles. If you still need a taste of the sweet stuff, take a cue from Berry who uses Xylitol as a sugar substitute.

The Takeaway

Focusing on foods that are low in fat, sugar, and processed carbohydrates can do a body good. But just because Berry makes it look easy at her age, doesn’t mean it always is. “It’s a lot harder than it used to be,” she told L.A. Times. “As I get older, I am more conscious of what I eat.” As with any diet change, it’s always best to consult with a doctor before making the switch.

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Brianne Hogan is a Canadian writer, currently based in Prince Edward Island. A self-proclaimed "wellness freak," she has a... More about Brianne Hogan

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