THIS IS WHAT 56 LOOKS LIKE
AuthoR and businesswoman Alexandra Filia lives in London with her partner Jeppe, 32. She has two children, Katerina, 18, and Nina, 16.
MIDLIFE CAREER CHANGE
IN 2015, my husband of 23 years left me. I’d just lost my sister to a brain aneurysm and both parents. I hit rock bottom. Yet it changed my outlook on life. I used to run a business and won NatWest Business Person of the Year in 2007. But I was so stressed. I’ve realised how fleeting life is: you can’t always be striving for something, you need to enjoy the people around you. Now I write self-help books for women, which I love.
ONE MEAL A DAY
MOST days, I eat only one meal. I stopped eating lunch at work, as I saw that it made my competitors drowsy. I have dinner at 7pm, and eat anything I want — usually tofu, chicken or salmon with vegetables; pasta or pizza; plus a big salad and wine. I drink lots of herbal teas, too, and snack on sunflower seeds.
DATE YOUNGER MEN
ONE month after my divorce, I went to a singles event (meetup.com) and met Jeppe, a lovely Danish man, who was in London for work. We hit it off, despite a 24-year age gap. I never thought I’d date a younger man, but he’s more adventurous than most men my age, who can’t keep up with me. I still love a challenge and take risks — I’m climbing Everest next year!
PRIORITISE YOUR NECK
I DON’T want to stop ageing, just put the clock back a bit, to get another ten to 15 years of looking as good as I feel. So I’ve tried several treatments, including a breast augmentation and tummy tuck. But the one surgical option I’d recommend is a neck lift, as I think this really gives the game away. Mine cost £1,800. I also have Botox twice a year (£200), and fillers (£300) once a year.
EIGHT-MINUTE WORKOUT
IT IS so important to invest in yourself, but some of the things that make the most difference are free. Every morning at 6:30am, I do a YouTube video exercise, called Eight-Minute Abs: it uses crunches and press-ups to tone your arms and core. It’s a super start to the day.
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