Richard Branson, 74, says he spends 20 minutes each day in the gym (Image: Susan Montoya Bryan/AP/REX/Shutterstock)
Despite decades running his businesses, billionaire Richard Branson, the Virgin founder, has done a great job at maintaining his physique in recent years. Now, as he approaches 75, he reveals the eating habits that have kept him looking and feeling young.
Having once been described by teachers 60 years ago as “a bit lazy,” the businessman now spends his time running his empire and focusing on his health through and fitness.
The 74-year-old now takes ice baths, follows a strict fasting diet and has given up caffeine and alcohol, except for the occasional glass of champagne to celebrate his abundant success.
In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, he revealed his go-to breakfast for the last 20 years, as suggested by his nutritionist.
He said: “Since the age of 50 or so I’ve had a nutritionist tell me what’s healthy. So now my breakfast will be things like nuts, Greek yoghurt, chia seeds, avocados, scrambled eggs, sourdough bread, smoked salmon, half an apple.”
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Richard was renowned for hosting extravagant parties but now goes mostly alcohol-free. (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The billionaire added that he has a “big breakfast” because usually by then he’s played a singles match or even completed a long bike ride.
It’s through this careful eating that the CEO reduced his weight to what it was when he was in his twenties.
He explained: “There’s no reason your body can’t be the same as a 30-year-old when you’re well into your seventies, if you respect it. When I reached 50 I saw friends either looking after themselves or letting themselves go, and I’ve lost a lot of those friends over the years. So I took the first route, and I’ve had a lot of fun doing it.”
Some would argue that it’s easy to be so disciplined when you’re a billionaire with first-hand advice from your own nutritionist.
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According to , the billionaire takes statins to cut cholesterol alongside blood tests every six months to track his cholesterol and blood sugar levels and treats his body “a bit like you treat an MoT with a car”.
Another big red flag for the ex-party boy is drinking alcohol. Nowadays, he claims to “stick to fizzy water with a slice of lemon” and that he’s “usually in bed by nine or nine-thirty ”. This is quite the contrast to his days of hosting extravagant parties on his Virgin cruise line.
Richard does allow himself three treats, however. These days, when he’s not eating salmon, grains, vegetables, soup, sushi and his sugar-free puddings, he treats himself to his wife’s shepherd’s pie or fish and chips with peas. And he’ll have the occasional glass of champagne on a very special occasion.