Elizabeth Hurley, the British actress and model, continues to defy age with her stunning looks and enviable figure. At 59, she remains a beauty icon, and many are curious about her secrets to staying in such excellent shape. Hurley has been open about her wellness routine, emphasizing a balanced approach to diet, exercise, and skincare. This article delves into the details of Elizabeth Hurley’s diet and fitness routine, providing insights into how she maintains her youthful glow and vitality.
The Foundation: A Holistic Approach
Elizabeth Hurley's ageless appearance isn't the result of a single trick, but rather a combination of consistent healthy habits. She’s honest about the effort she puts in, from her rigorous moisturizing routine to her mindful eating habits.
Skincare Secrets: Hydration and Protection
Hurley emphasizes the importance of skincare, particularly moisturizing. She shared with Women & Home, "The one thing I swear by is moisturizer, and lots of it. I’ll moisturize my face about six times a day and my neck about 10 times a day. Lightly dab it over your face, and it instantly makes you glow." She adjusts her moisturizer depending on her skin's dryness and environmental factors like central heating.
One product she consistently praises is the Advanced Night Repair serum by Estée Lauder, a brand she has worked with for over two decades. "I think I’ve been lucky because I’ve been with the company for 24 years so I’ve had really good products at my fingertips, and I use a lot of them," she told Yahoo Lifestyle. "My most favourite product of all has always been Advanced Night Repair ($110 at Estée Lauder) which is a serum that I was given my first bottle of when I first joined the company in 1994."
In addition to moisturizing, Hurley is diligent about sun protection. "I only go in the sun before 9am and after 6pm-otherwise, it's under a large umbrella."
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She is also a fan of Epsom salts. “I love baths, not showers, and am a big fan of Epsom salts ($13 from Woolworths). You can buy big tubs quite cheaply and the salts eliminate toxins and make your skin soft."
Diet: Simple, Natural, and Unprocessed
Elizabeth Hurley's diet focuses on fresh, natural foods, steering clear of processed ingredients. “I haven’t eaten processed food for 100 years,” Hurley told The Sunday Times, perhaps slightly exaggerating re: the length of time. “I don’t eat sweets. I drink little alcohol. I don’t smoke but I deeply regret that I once did." She emphasizes eating locally grown foods when at home.
“I like simple, natural, easy food. I don’t really like food with a lot of chemicals or additives,” she added in a chat with The Cut. “When I’m at home in the country, I always try and eat food that’s grown locally."
She also shared, "My tastes are pretty simple-I don’t drink weird green juices or anything like that." She avoids fad diets, preferring a balanced and sustainable approach.
Home-Baked Bread
Hurley makes her own bread using a bread maker. “I make my own bread. I found an old bread maker that belonged to the previous owners of my house - it’s straight out of the 1980s. I have a lot of bread - I love it. For years, I would buy wholemeal bread in the supermarket, not realising how much terrible stuff is in it." She enjoys a slice with butter, Marmite, or honey, finding it satisfying and preventing overeating. “If you make a loaf of bread yourself and have a nice slice with butter and Marmite or honey, you’re not hungry. And it’s only one slice."
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Vegetables and Fruits
Vegetables and fruits are a significant part of Hurley’s diet. “I think one of the most transformative things that I’ve done is making 50 per cent of what I eat vegetable matter,” she told The Sunday Times. She aims to include fruits and vegetables in every meal, such as adding an apple to her breakfast toast.
Her mantra is: don’t eat too much, too fast, too often or too late. Or put another way, eat smaller meals, chew properly, ban snacking and eat dinner earlier. This works for me. I don’t drink weird green juices or shakes and only take supplements if a blood test tells me I’m lacking something. I try to have vegetables or fruit equal to half of every plate I eat. For example, if I have a sandwich, I also eat an apple.
Mindful Eating
Hurley practices mindful eating, avoiding snacks and eating dinner earlier in the evening to aid digestion. “I don’t snack,” she says. “I eat plenty for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And I eat dinner earlier and earlier. But I haven’t snacked for about ten years. It suits my digestion better." She also follows the principle of "no raw after four," believing that digestion is strongest in the morning.
Fitness: Staying Active Without the Gym
Elizabeth Hurley doesn't adhere to a traditional gym workout routine. Instead, she focuses on staying active throughout the day through various activities. "I don’t work out, per se, but I am very active," she explained to Women’s Health.
NEAT Exercise
Hurley swears by Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) exercise to stay in shape. NEAT refers to the movement you do within each day that isn’t formal exercise, like walking or climbing the stairs. ‘This can account for a significant portion of your total energy expenditure - the number of calories you burn in a day,’ explains GP and trainer Dr Folusha Oluwajana.
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She shared on Instagram that she doesn’t ‘go to the gym or do any set exercise’, but she is ‘extremely active’. Examples of NEAT activities include walking the dog, walking upstairs, carrying groceries, gardening, using a standing desk, and even fidgeting.
Gardening and Housework
Gardening is a significant part of Hurley's fitness routine. “When I’m in the country I do lots of walking and gardening. I’m always moving furniture, too. I’m pretty active. I don’t really sit down until 6pm - I think it’s quite good for you." She enjoys activities like cutting down hedges, using a chainsaw to cut down trees, and logging.
“I do a lot of exercise, but it’s really the gardening; cutting down a hedge, using my chainsaw to cut down a tree, logging, all of that stuff. Not only do I feel, well, actually exhausted, but also I feel that I’ve got the leaves up, which is also a nice thing. I’d rather do housework than go to the gym,’ she shared. She also admitted she likes to take her dog for 30 minute walks each day.
Yoga and Pilates
Hurley has also incorporated yoga and Pilates into her routine. “I’ve done a lot of yoga and Pilates. They could be ballet, yoga or old-fashioned stretching moves." These activities help with flexibility and muscle toning. A half-hour walk is something she incorporates into her day-to-day life, but she does like to weave in some core work with some Pilates and yoga for toning muscle. "I think it's important to stay sort of firm," she told E! News previously.
Mental Health and Well-being
Elizabeth Hurley emphasizes the importance of mental health, especially in recent years. The pandemic helped Elizabeth realize she needed to work on her mental health. She limits her screen time and focuses on fully enjoying her time off.
"It made me realize that I'd been in fight or flight mode for 30-odd years," she tells Women's Health. "I'm not very relaxed, as a person, in any case, but I have to say I became more so during lockdown."
She limits her screen time, too. Liz says she also felt like her sleep schedule was suffering, mostly because of how much screen time she was logging. Now, "I don't take my phone into my bedroom anymore, and I don't take my electronics upstairs," she says. "At the beginning of the pandemic, I was on my iPad at bedtime, watching the news and actually really scaring myself," she continues. "So having done that for the first few months of the pandemic, I then left everything downstairs, went upstairs, and went back to a hard book, instead of reading them on my iPad. And I have to say, my sleep quite improved in leaps and bounds."
Key Takeaways
Elizabeth Hurley's diet and fitness routine is characterized by simplicity, consistency, and a focus on natural, wholesome living. Her key principles include:
- Avoiding processed foods: She prioritizes fresh, natural ingredients.
- Staying active through NEAT exercise: Gardening, housework, and walking are her preferred methods.
- Practicing mindful eating: She avoids snacking and eats dinner early.
- Prioritizing skincare: Moisturizing and sun protection are essential.
- Balancing mental health: Limiting screen time and making time for relaxation.