'Doctor Cha' Uhm Jung Hwa (56) shares secret to her 30s biological age: 'I eat...'

Veteran actress Uhm Jung Hwa reveals the secrets behind her low biological age. 

Uhm Jung Hwa, famous for her role in Doctor Cha, sat for an interview to talk about her recently concluded K-drama My Troublesome Star. 

My Troublesome Star follows Im Se Ra (Jang Da A), South Korea's top star, who suddenly disappears and wakes up again as an ordinary middle-aged woman, Bong Cheong Ja (Uhm Jung Hwa), losing 25 years. 

For this project, Uhm Jung Hwa took extra care to portray the 25-year gap between the characters Im Se Ra and Bong Cheong Ja. She expressed Bong Cheong Ja, a character who had lived avoiding people's gazes, through a permed hairstyle, blushed cheeks, and blemishes.

When asked whether she gained weight for the character, Um Jung Hwa said, "I couldn't do that. But during filming, I ate without any worries. Around a month before and after the transformation, I did go on a diet. Even if I ate, it didn't show, and since my stomach was so happy, I did gain a bit. When Se Ra was dieting in the drama, I also dieted. I was basically exercising and following a diet. By eating a little less on top of that, I lost about 1–2 kg." She added, "There was a time when I got down to 44 kg, but even then, I couldn't achieve a model-like figure. My body is just different."

As Uhm Jung Hwa aged, her hobbies increased gradually. "I really didn't have any hobbies, but I started [taking them up] after turning forty. That's also when I began surfing. I started exercising around the age of 31–32. I thought, 'I need to start exercising now, otherwise I won't be able to go on stage,' and that's when I started exercising," adding, "As I started doing one thing at a time, I started spending time enjoying myself when I'm not working. I think having that kind of time is necessary to live joyfully."

The actress also revealed the secrets to managing her health. She said, "I'm very grateful that my biological age is in the 30s. I had a blood test, and they said, 'What's this?'" She added, "I usually consume less sugar. I can't completely avoid sugar and flour, but I eat less than usual."

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