Wacky celebrity diets giving women an ‘irrational’ fear of staple foods
WOMEN are developing an “irrational” fear of staple foods because of wacky celebrity diets that involve having paleo toast for breakfast over the humble bowl of cereal.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
WOMEN are developing an “irrational” fear of staple foods because of wacky celebrity and fitness blogger diets which involve having paleo toast for breakfast or “nourishing” bowls for lunch over the humble bowl of cereal and ham sandwich.
Model and author Ortenzia Borre starts her day with a “glass of filtered alkaline water” while health coach Angela Simson outlines her go-to lunch as an “asparagus omelet with some kimchi” — a Korean dish made from salted and fermented vegetables.
The Daily Telegraph also saw numerous examples where an “after-dinner treat” was two measly squares of dark chocolate, while wellness blogger Sarah Stevenson avoids sweets entirely in favour of a “homemade deluxe fruit and nut mix”.
Concerned nutritional experts say the complex diets and their esoteric ingredients are causing people to develop “irrational view of food” and even discouraging them from trying to be healthy.
Aussie model Bridget Malcolm said her lunch was a bowl that could contain anything from “arugula/kale/spinach” and “Kalamata olives” to a “handful cherry tomatoes, kimchi, avocado, balsamic vinegar + hummus + lemon dressing”.
MORE
Vegan: Celebrities who changed their diet
The harsh truth about ‘healthy’ detox diets
Angela Mollard: The ketogenic diet
Social media influencer Steph Claire Smith said she was a “sucker for a buckwheat porridge” but also enjoyed a “big green smoothie”, according to PopSugar.
Then there are food plans that are simply shameless marketing exercises.
Biggest Loser trainer Tiffiny Hall, also the founder of TIFFXO.com, said her “day on a plate” involved eating “TIFFXO Chai-spiced Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries” and “TIFFXO Moroccan Lamb and Chickpea Soup”, according to Women’s Health.
Australian nutritionist Jessica Sepel twice a week treats herself to a sweet after dinner from her JSHealth blog and drinks filtered water 20 minutes before each meal, according to news.com.au.
Her health rituals also include putting her legs up against the wall for 10 minutes before bed to “calm her parasympathetic nervous system”.
Accredited practising dietitian and Dietitians Association of Australia spokeswoman Tania Ferraretto said complicated celebrity diets often discouraged people from trying to be healthy.
“It’s been taken to the extreme where people think you need to do all these bizarre things to be healthy when you don’t at all … evidence shows really simple things such as eating brekkie every day has huge health benefits,” she said.
Nutritionist Fiona Tuck said she was constantly asked by clients whether she stuck to “hot water and lemon” in the morning. “I don’t … I have a coffee,” she said.
“I’m all about keeping the diet sustainable and when you cut out food groups and do extreme forms of dieting, it then becomes a diet and doesn’t become sustainable, which ultimately results in binge eating and weight gain.
“I do see quite often an irrational view of food. I’ve seen people saying you shouldn’t eat fruit because it has too much sugar or having very set beliefs about food.”
Butterfly Foundation adviser Kim Borrowdale said people should seek out nutritional advice for themselves rather than looking to celebrities or social media. “We all need to nourish our bodies in a way that suits us as an individual and we’d always recommend seeking professional advice,” she said.
After telling the Sydney Morning Herald she had a glass of filtered alkaline water and “another 400ml on the way to work”, Ms Borre insisted she only followed “healthy, nutritious, wholesome food”.
“When I feel like a bowl of cereal or sandwich I will always have it if my body is craving it,” she said.