Paula Abdul doesn't have any intention of slowing down

The veteran star - who has suffered various injuries during the course of her career - told DailyMail.com: "I love being able to communicate through music and dance and as long as I can continue to do it I'm going to do it for as long as I can.

"You know, being on stage is a happy place for me."

Paula battled a chronic back problem earlier in her career - but she's now in a "really good place" with her health.

She shared: "I don't like to say dieting, but I eat in a healthy way which incorporates a lot of elements from an alkaline diet because my body, just from injuries alone, carries a lot of acidity - so I try to keep the balance right so I can keep as much inflammation out of my body."

Paula revealed that her diet includes a "proper balance of protein and fat".

She said: "I make sure that I eat healthy grains, like I love quinoa and I mix some protein in.

"My protein comes from anything from egg whites to tofu to chicken to shrimp, and I mix it up so that I have a proper balance of protein and fat."

Paula still enjoys a treat every now and again.

But the former 'American Idol' star remains very conscious of what she eats and drinks.

She explained: "For my injuries and for keeping my body as optimum as possible, sugar isn't something that I can indulge in a lot."