Health experts frown on Gwyneth Paltrow’s alarming “wellness routine.” Photo/Netflix
Experts are warning people not to follow Gwyneth Paltrow’s diet advice after she revealed all she eats in a day — and it’s not much.
The Hollywood actress detailed her current “wellness routine” in the latest episode of The Art of Being Well with Dr. Will Cole, sharing everything from your food intake to your exercise regimen.
But while Paltrow and the podcast host, a functional medicine practitioner, speak positively of the 50-year-old’s strict lifestyle, which drastically restricts her eating, experts are warning people against taking celebrity advice. .
Australian dietitian Kim Lindsay, who specializes in eating disorders, said she was “concerned” about the effect Paltrow’s comments will have on others, adding that it was alarming that diets were now being labeled “wellness routines”.
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“Gwyneth is promoting the diets and presenting them as ‘wellness,'” Lindsay said. news.com.
“He talks about restrictive diet practices like intermittent fasting and the paleo diet. This is worrying because we know that dieting is unsustainable for the vast majority of people and can have negative health consequences such as eating disorders, weight cycling (when weight fluctuates) and heart disease.”
Lindsay, a Canberra-based registered practicing dietitian who takes a non-dietary approach to health and nutrition, added that the food intake listed by the star was also problematic.
“She is eating very little food to fuel her day. Bone broth has very little nutrition and should not be viewed as a complete and balanced meal,” Lindsay said.
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“Coffee is often used to suppress your appetite, thereby ignoring your natural hunger cues. There is also no evidence that the paleo diet is healthy.
“We don’t need to detox, our body detoxes itself every day through our liver and kidneys.” He added: “This is yet another example of diet culture misinformation leading people to think they need to go on restrictive diets in the name of health.”
Another point Lindsay wanted to emphasize was the danger of promoting diet culture, stating that there is “a lot of diet culture in this ‘wellness routine.'”
“Diet culture equates our weight with health and idolizes the pursuit of thinness. Gwyneth’s diet is promoting restrictive eating patterns (intermittent fasting, paleo, bone broth),” she said.
“Spreading the message that these behaviors are beneficial to our health is untrue and dangerous, as it can lead to eating disorders.
“Our body is nourished by a regular intake of food. Eating a balanced diet that includes all kinds of foods is beneficial for our health and important for a healthy relationship with food.”
In a video shared on TikTok, Lindsay shared this message publicly, saying, “I’m worried about how many people will follow this. Remember to eat regularly throughout the day and enjoy all foods as part of a balanced diet.”
American dietitian Lauren Cadillac shared similar concerns, stating that “this is not wellness, this is disorder.”
“THIS IS NOT ENOUGH FOOD, especially for someone who is 5’9″ (175cm),” Lauren explained in a video shared on TikTok.
“Please unfollow and listen to celebrities for their health and wellness advice.”
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In the 41-second clip, a snippet from an hour-long podcast, Gwyneth explains that she “has an early night dinner” before intermittent fasting well into the next day.
“I usually eat something around 12. In the morning, I eat things that don’t spike my blood sugar, I have coffee.
“I really like soup for lunch, I eat bone broth for lunch many days.”
Gwyneth, owner of wellness brand Goop, went on to claim that she gets “an hour of movement every day” before having a 30-minute infrared sauna followed by dinner, a paleo meal with “lots of vegetables.”
“It’s very important to me to support my detox,” the clip concludes.
The comment section of the video, shared by Dear media which produces a multitude of podcasts in the US, quickly exploded.
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Many were frustrated that such “bad advice” could be so easily shared and asked how Cole could be promoting the star’s detox.
“What is Dr. Cole detoxifying? This is a serious question. I realize wellness looks different for everyone…this doesn’t sound like optimal wellness,” one fumed.
“This sounds like the opposite of wellness,” lamented another.
As one mocked: “I survive on air, indifference and superiority.”
Caffeine can cause a spike in blood sugar levels as it triggers a hormonal response in our body according to multiple studies.
Many pointed this out in the comments, adding that the effect can be made worse by a lack of food.
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“Coffee on an empty stomach increases cortisol,” said one.
“Coffee literally spikes blood sugar and cortisol without food,” another agreed.
Some said they were pleased to see that the reaction to Gwyneth’s diet was overwhelmingly negative, showing that nutrition education has changed.
“The comments here really show how much the narrative has changed and how many people are aware that IT’S NOT IT. Vegetables and bone broth? No,” one posted.
“I couldn’t cope with this diet, it sounds dangerous,” said another.
Gwyneth is no stranger to bizarre and extreme diets, which led many to label the latest installment “unbearable.”
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“What are you detoxing from if you don’t eat?” asked a frustrated user.
“This is so out of line,” declared another.
Kim Lindsay urged people to “avoid getting nutritional information from unqualified people online.”
“Always look for a registered practicing dietitian or college-educated nutritionist,” she said.
“We have completed at least three years of nutrition science education and are nutrition experts.”
He also suggested that people “learn to spot diet culture online.”
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“Ask yourself if they are promoting restrictive eating behaviors, demonizing food, or using weight loss as an indicator of health,” he said.
“If they are, ignore their nutrition advice and find a registered practicing dietitian.”