# Raquel Welch's fitness secrets



## Arnold (Nov 30, 2001)

*Raquel Welch's fitness secrets *
by SARAH BARCLAY, Daily Mail 

Raquel Welch has moved on from being Playboy's sexiest pin-up to becoming a cover girl for Saga, the magazine for the over-50s. Yet she's still as glamorous now as she ever was in a fur bikini. Here, the 61-year-old star explains how she keeps her looks, and our team of experts give their verdict.


My body
Raquel says: I am 5ft 6in and, at my peak, my vital statistics were 37-22-35. I didn't even think about my weight - but now I work hard at keeping healthy. Fortunately, my husband Richie is as much of a fitness buff as I am.
I get up at 6am and do yoga, stretches and breathing. Then, six days a week, I go to the gym. I'm there at 7am and I do an hour of cardiovascular work and then 30 to 45 minutes of weight training.
Matt Roberts, leading international personal trainer, says: I combine yoga with gym work myself. Yoga gives you core stability and strength, and has great benefits, but weight training and aerobic exercise test the heart and lungs. It's important to combine all these elements.
When you get to Raquel's age osteoporosis is a risk, so you need to produce enough stress on the bones to lay down calcium.
In general, everyone should get out of breath and sweaty three or four times a week. Half an hour of aerobic training and 20 to 30 minutes of yoga three or four times a week is an excellent regime.


My looks
Raquel says: I inherited good skin from my mother, and I stay away from soap which dries it out. Now I'm 61, I have some wrinkles around my eyes but I earned every one of them.
Ariane Poole, celebrity make-up artist and beauty presenter on GMTV, says: I bumped into Raquel at the make-up counter of a department store recently. She looked fantastic - she's very slight, like a beautifully-shaped doll. She has lovely skin, and her make-up is simple. She has the modern Hollywood girl look - a deceptive impression of minimal effort. The key is to keep a light hand. Women over 40 can be tempted to cover up too much - and it can look unnatural. Some of the new foundations are undetectable, and those combined with a skin-illuminating cream will add vibrancy.


My diet
Raquel says: My housekeeper, Jean, has been with me for 15 years. She's a fabulous cook and her food's all completely non-fat. With her help, I practise food combining. I eat proteins with vegetables, and starches with vegetables, but no starches with proteins. 
I eat grains in the morning with fruit and no sugar. I have four ounces of protein at each of the other two meals - grilled or broiled with lemon and herbs and no salt. I also take vitamins A, C, D and E along with selenium and a calcium tablet every day.
Roderick Lane, naturopath and nutritionist at The Eden Centre, London, says: This is a typical food combining diet. Separating proteins and carbohydrates - especially as you get older - is a good idea. It reduces the digestive load and helps prevent water retention, fatigue and bloating. Raquel is keeping up her anti-oxidant levels with vitamins, and this regime keeps her skin looking good. But I'd also recommend a B-vitamin complex to help metabolise sugar. 

Eating chicken or a salmon steak is a good way of getting slow-burn energy, and Raquel's right to cut down on salt. If you must have salt, use an alternative 'swop salt' such as potassium sulphate.
Seeds are a great source of minerals and protein. They are packed with nutrients. The best way to eat them is to let them sprout - when they're live, they're full of amino acids and enzymes.


My mind
Raquel says: My family was very conservative and I had a traditional upbringing. I was not brought up to be a sex symbol, nor is it in my nature to be one. The fact that I became one is probably the loveliest, most glamorous and fortunate misunderstanding.
I'm a hard worker, very driven, and have never expected anything to come easily. My yoga, a great rejuvenator, helped me to live down my image - this sex symbol thing. It helps me connect with myself.
David Lewis, psychologist and stress specialist, says: People who have a stable background often have greater emotional stability, as they are likely to have a good self-image. But a stable childhood isn't essential. If, like Raquel, you protect your physical health, get enough sleep and work at looking good, you'll feel better mentally. Most successful people are disciplined, and an ability to stay focused is essential. This leads to long-term success, which is a much harder thing to pull off.


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