Aretha Franklin gives up junk food

London: `Queen of Soul` Aretha Franklin has vowed to give up her beloved junk food in a bid to keep her new slimmed-down figure following surgery in 2010. The `Respect` hitmaker worried her fans when she scrapped a series of shows last year to recover from sickness but refused to disclose the nature of the ailment rumoured as pancreatic cancer, a daily reported. Franklin, who missed out on an all-female tribute to herself at the recent Grammys later appeared in a video link sporting a much slimmer look. The 68-year-old singer has been working hard to reduce the bulge following her health scare and has finally given up her temptation for fatty pork products. "I want to not only maintain the weight I am at now, but better it, by one dress size. They`re off my diet. They just really don`t fit with (health food store) Whole Foods. I had it for enough years that I don`t miss it. You can`t continue to eat things that are not good for you." But the legend said that she will miss her calorie-laden snacks during her concerts. "When you come off (a high-energy concert), a carrot or some celery just isn`t going to work. I`ve gotta do a fresh fruit thing... and come up with some tasty and satisfying recipes that are going to work for me after concerts," she added. PTI