Growing up, I remember seeing pictures in magazines of a glamorous fashion model who resembled actress Sharon Tate. As years (and years and years) went on, I saw pictures of the same model and she never seemed to age. Her name is Oleda Baker, and at age 76, still turns heads today.

Baker hasn't gained an ounce since her modeling heyday. She hasn't had a facelift either, but her face remains fresh and wrinkle-free. Her skin glows, her eyes sparkle and her cheekbones can cut diamonds. All her photos are 100 percent natural – no Photoshop or retouching.

Not only is Baker gorgeous and youthful on the outside, her annual tests, such as cholesterol and blood pressure, match those of somebody at least 25 years younger than her.

The vivacious entrepreneur has done so much in her lifetime. In addition to being a high fashion model, columnist, artist and CEO of a company that develops anti-aging products, Baker has written more than 10 books on health and beauty. In her latest book, "Breaking the Age Barrier," she shares her health and beauty secrets.

Baker says genetics play a role when it comes to her astonishing good looks and perfect health record, but that lifestyle and environment play an even larger one. In "Breaking the Age Barrier" she said that both of her parents were overweight at one time in their lives. Baker also had a brother named Harry, who passed away recently. Harry weighed 360 pounds according to Oleda. "He ate himself to death," she said, sounding regretful. "He destroyed himself through eating. He had no control."

Watching her father become health conscious and start giving seminars on "why you shouldn't eat fast foods" is what piqued Baker's interest in well-being at the ripe old age of 14. With vitamins, minerals, facial exercises and a few other tricks, Baker has kept her health and looks in optimal condition.

Even though Baker started taking charge of her health at a very young age, she says it's never too late for anyone to turn their life around.

"There's hope for anyone," she said.

What fascinated me most when I read Oleda's book was that she eats everything. She enjoys bread, desserts and even pizza. Her advice is simply, "Just eat less."

Baker eats a balanced diet of vegetables and salad. She also eats meat and potatoes, but not too much. "If you have rich bread, you don't need butter," she said. "If you have great bread, you can get used to it [plain without butter.] You cannot go through life without eating the foods you love. I eat pizza. I eat sweets. I take my vitamins and minerals."

Each day she enjoys a nutritious smoothie made from antioxidant rich foods such as yogurt, blueberries, strawberries and bananas.

Baker said she doesn't worry about funky artificial ingredients in foods such as yellow #5, or even chemicals in make-up. Her ways could even inspire me to rethink how I'm spending my hard earned cash on expensive natural beauty products, and simplify with merchandise that does the trick, but isn't as pricy because of the natural ingredients. Which led me to my final question to Oleda …

What are the top three things a woman can do for her health and beauty if she is on a budget and restricted for time?

She said:

1. "Eat less. Buy less. That takes nothing. It saves you money. It makes you healthy."

2. "Have good friends. It's really necessary in this world to have fun, to have friends, to be able to talk to someone, to have friends you can trust."

3. "Get some exercise of some form." However, Baker disses jogging, running and jumping. She said," Some older people have bone problems, joint problems. It can be caused by too much pounding on a hard surface and hurting the joints. You don't feel it at the moment. You pay your price as the years go by."

I think Oleda's biggest beauty secret of all is that she is a warm, good-hearted person. Her upbeat nature is inspiring. We chatted as if we've known each other all our lives. I hung up the phone feeling giddy and fuzzy, as if I just talked to an old high school friend. Beauty may only be skin deep, but Oleda's radiance goes straight to her soul!

For more information on Oleda Baker, go to: www.oleda.com

For more information, contact Mary Anne Christiano at: MaryAnneChristiano@Gmail.com

If you live in Cedar Grove or Verona and are in the health industry, please contact Mary Anne with your story ideas and upcoming events.