From films like Boomerang, X-Men, Swordfish, Monster's Ball and more, Halle Berry‘s timeless beauty has helped made her one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood.
Fifty-seven year old Berry is basically the spokeswoman for healthy aging, but she acknowledges the challenges of getting older.
"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." (Like making sure her diet is packed with fresh veggies, chicken, fresh fish, and more low-fat goodies!) Her diabetes diagnosis changed everything.
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Berry was diagnosed with diabetes when she was 19 years old. It was after several years of "scary situations" and not understanding the condition that Berry learned that she had to make some serious lifestyle changes for the good of her health.
And scary is right. Due to the fluctuations in blood sugar, as well as how this interferes with hormone levels, diabetes could potentially mask underlying conditions like uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, PCOS, endometriosis or more. Which makes those conditions harder to treat if they are caught in later stages.
So the actress cut processed sugars and bread from her diet and now sticks to a clean and healthy diet, which includes eating plenty of veggies and drinking lots of water.
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"My diet is geared towards managing my diabetes, so I try to eat four small meals a day.
I like to feel strong and healthy," Berry told the Huffington Post.
Her diabetes-friendly meal plan focuses on foods that are low in fat, sugar, and processed carbohydrates. Her favorite meals are simple-yet-tasty healthy staples, like grilled tuna and garlic mashed potatoes, she told the Daily Mail.
"I started to eat loads of
wonderful fresh vegetables, chicken, fresh fish, and pasta. I cut out red meat and cut back on fruit because it can contain quite a lot of sugar," Berry said.
Halle now avoids sugar (and so do her kids).
Berry knows the problems sugar can cause for her system and her skin, even referring to it as "poison." She uses sugar substitute Xylitol for herself and her two kids (daughter Nahla, and son Maceo), and her children primarily stick to a healthy meal plan, too, just like Mom!
"It's rough though because [Nahla] is at a friend's birthday party every other month and there are all these wonderful birthday cakes, so I don't deprive her from that," Berry said. "I strongly believe in talking about nutrition at an early age and setting a good example."
Now, Halle not only takes time for her body, she also is taking time for herself when it comes to relationships.
“I think this is proving to be a really valuable time. I never really took time like this to be with myself,” Halle continued, adding that she feels so much more confident now that she knows she can handle being alone.
“That’s been a big lesson for me. I’m learning that I’m fearless, because I had so many fears as I went through my third divorce, I was afraid to do that. But I was more afraid living unhappy, so I faced that fear.”
Through the years, Halle has battled aging and won. She credits her silky smooth skin devoid of skin problems to one of her favorite beauty tools.
The John Wick 3 actress broke down her "skincare go-to" in a IGTV video, adding in the caption, "A little look into my cleansing routine with one of my all-time favorite skincare tools from @flawlessbeauty."
In the video, Halle talks about how much she’s in love with the Flawless Cleanse Hydro-Vibrating Facial Cleanser which she says has "soft, soft" silicone bristles and a motor that vibrates to get your skin super clean. "It actually helps the dirt and oil become dislodged...at the same time, it protects your skin," she says, before pointing out that it’s also "stinking cute."
Halle has also conquered the struggle of balancing her busy work life with motherhood. In real life, the Hollywood beauty gave birth to her daughter Nahla in 2008 and her son Maceo, in 2013, and in the intimate chat, she revealed she wished she hadn’t had waited to get knocked up.
“Around the time of my third InStyle cover, I became a mom at 40. Knowing that someone would always be counting on me made me a better person. I’m more focused and in line with my values and my goals.
I stopped letting negativity get me down. Plus, I loved being pregnant. Had I started earlier, I probably would have had five children.
Or if I hadn’t been busy trying to make movies, I would have been the perfect surrogate." Halle was also famously married to Eric Benét from 2001 to 2005 and David Justice from 1992 to 1997.
On screen, Berry played a mother desperate to save her son from an abductor in the film Kidnap.
“It’s a constant struggle of a little more time there, a little more time here, and feeling a little bit guilty all the time.
I just keep telling all my mom friends who work that it’s OK to give ourselves a little slack sometime,” she said. "And not let the guilt sit on us so heavily and know that we are doing the best we can.”
Now, at age 54, Halle is not only doing her best, she living her best--life that is.
