That said, some of her techniques are, ahem, questionable at best – vagina candles, sex chairs (opens in new tab) and yoni eggs, we’re looking at you – and sadly, it looks like 2023 won’t be any different.
Trigger Warning: Discusses themes of eating disorders
Chatting with Dr. Will Cole yesterday for an episode of his podcast, The art of being goodthe 50-year-old was asked to share how she eats and exercises every day.
According to the star, her daily wellness routine includes coffee that won’t spike your blood sugar (usually with the addition of coconut oil or butter), bone broth soup, and a “lots of veggies” paleo dinner, with a side of Pilates and a sauna session.
She also aims for an hour of exercise, which to her feels like a walk or a Tracey Anderson Pilates workout (opens in new tab)dry brushes and enjoy a 30 minute infrared sauna session.
Several social media users have shared their shock about her daily food intake. “Boat broth is not soup,” one Twitter user shared, while another added, “Is starving wellness?”.
Later in the interview, she also discusses her use of IV drips, sharing, “I love an IV – I [was] an early IV adopter. They make me feel so good.”
As a health editor, when I saw the video last night, I immediately wanted to hear a qualified expert’s opinion on the star’s diet. Keep scrolling for what two of my go-to experts had to say about the viral video.
Coffee, bone broth and veggies – why Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness routine is problematic
@dearmedia (opens in new tab)
♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim (opens in new tab)
It’s important to note here first that Paltrow’s viral clip may have been taken a bit out of context — in the full clip, she discusses lunch, which is usually “soup or bone broth,” and then an early dinner around 6:30 p.m. involving fish or poultry, a gluten-free carbohydrate, such as sweet potato noodles or cassava flour, grain-free tacos, and vegetables.
That said, that’s still not an awful lot of food for an adult woman to consume each day, with an hour of exercise thrown in (she openly admits to skipping breakfast for coffee).
So, do our qualified experts think the comments could promote disordered eating or undereating, and if so, how? “I certainly think vulnerable groups of people — such as those prone to developing eating disorders or those struggling with body image issues — could be negatively impacted by Paltrow’s comments,” says Lauren Windas. (opens in new tab)a registered and licensed nutritionist.
How come? “References to a morning fast followed by a low-calorie bone broth for lunch may be a trigger,” she points out. Not to mention, it’s about 1,000 calories less than the recommended daily goal for women in the UK.
Kerrie Jones, psychotherapist and CEO and founder of Orri (opens in new tab)agrees, adding, “Comments such as Paltrow’s endorse a pervasive diet culture that leads many to engage in and suffer from a disordered relationship with food, their bodies, and exercise.”
Think about it – seeing your favorite celebrity looking healthy and actively encouraging you to eat less might make you feel, even subconsciously, that you should be eating less.
After all, we are social beings and are constantly seeking acceptance in one way or another. “Diet culture focuses the lens on ‘bodies’ as a means of achieving these things — but it’s a misguided and harmful approach,” Jones continues.
However, let’s be clear: the NHS states that an average woman should consume 2,000 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight and it appears that Paltrow consumes significantly less than this in the video. “She seems to eat a lot less than you would if you want to lose weight the healthy way — no less than 1,500 calories a day,” adds Windas.
The weight loss limit sits at 1500, as if you eat less you risk a plethora of health problems and probably don’t have enough energy to live. “It can be detrimental to hormonal and metabolic health, especially as Paltrow discusses the exercise she does every day,” the nutritionist explains.
She shares the analogy that your metabolism is like a fire – “you have to put logs on it to fuel it and keep it working properly – in other words, your body needs adequate nutrition to maintain energy and physiological balance. “
@feelgooddietitian (opens in new tab)
♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim (opens in new tab)
Are “What I Eat in a Day” videos problematic?
Short answer – yes, and there’s a reason why as a health editor I would never film one.
What it comes down to: every body is different and needs a different amount of food to survive. Some bodies will thrive better on high-carb meals, while others, such as women with PCOS, may opt for a high-fat diet to manage glucose spikes.
When celebrities or influencers describe what they eat in a day, they’re subconsciously setting a precedent: that if you eat that way, you’ll be like them. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. Even if you eat exactly the same amount as your best friend, you’re genetically different, which means your body will probably look very different.
“So often people naively think that diets that work for one person will work for them, which is not the case and does not take into account the concept of bio-individuality – this is the fact that we are all uniquely human beings with different genetics, metabolic and hormonal profiles, as well as environmental conditions,” emphasizes Windas. “For example, some people may suffer from blood sugar issues or high stress, which could preclude the ability to incorporate fasting into their routine.”
Being constantly bombarded with videos about what other people eat is not helpful in my opinion – rather, for those who have a disturbed relationship with food or who are concerned about what they eat, it can prove to be quite a toxic point of comparison, especially as more often than not the influencer or celebrity has no nutritional qualifications meaning they are not in a position to advise on what you should be eating.
(Image credit: Theo Wargo/Getty)
Jones goes on to point out that the rise of influencer culture just means there’s a greater risk of “glorifying” eating disorders. “So much content positions unqualified content creators as an authority and idealizes what they eat in a day,” she explains. “The videos are often viewed and internalized as ‘this is what you should be eating’ – despite the food they promote being unhealthy or even restrictive.”
Windas makes an interesting point about celebrities and influencers sharing what they eat in a day – that what everyone eats, even big stars, varies from day to day, week to week, so they’re never going to be a true representation of what they actually eat. to consume . (Example: Paltrow shared one of her go-to breakfasts (opens in new tab)a frittata packed with veggies just a few months ago).
“These kinds of videos openly invite criticism, because people think of it as what they eat every day, but what people eat so often changes from day to day,” she explains. “While Gwyneth is indeed telling the truth about her daily diet at this point, chances are this will change on a regular basis — whether it’s a glass of wine and a slice of cake at a birthday party or enjoying new cuisines during the travelling.”
These videos only provide a small snapshot of what they are consuming on that particular day. “I always recommend using a healthy dose of common sense when viewing this type of content as what we eat is constantly changing.”
If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or an eating disorder, it can exacerbate symptoms, she continues, not to mention vulnerable ones.
Remember that there is no universal approach when it comes to health and weight management. “We are all unique and approach food in different ways,” Windas emphasizes.
What do you think: Does Paltrow set an unhealthy precedent or is the video blown out of proportion?