Experts warn against Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘wellness routine’

Gwyneth Paltrow has detailed the alarming “detox” she’s on, leading experts to urge Australians not to follow the star’s advice.

Experts are warning people not to follow Gwyneth Paltrow’s diet advice after she revealed everything she eats in a day – and it’s not a lot.

The Hollywood actress detailed her current “wellness routine” on the latest episode of The Art of Being Well with Dr Will Cole, sharing everything from her food intake to her exercise regimen.

But while Gwyneth and the podcast host, a functional medicine practitioner, talk positively about the 50-year-old’s strict lifestyle – which drastically restricts her eating – experts are warning people not to follow celebrity advice.

Australian dietitian Kim Lindsay, who specialises in disordered eating, said she was “worried” about the effect Gwyneth’s comments will have on others, adding it was alarming that diets were now being labelled “wellness routines”.

Gwyneth Paltrow has shared her current ‘wellness routine’ on a podcast. Picture: TikTok/Dear Media

“Gwyneth is promoting dieting and packaging it as ‘wellness’,” Lindsay told news.com.au.

“She talks about restrictive dieting practices like intermittent fasting and the paleo diet. This is concerning because we know that dieting is unsustainable for the vast majority of people and can lead to negative health consequences like eating disorders, weight cycling (when your weight fluctuates) and heart disease.”

Lindsay, an accredited practising dietitian who takes a non-diet approach to health and nutrition based in Canberra, added the star’s listed food in-take was also problematic.

“She is eating too little food to fuel her day. Bone broth has very little nutrition in it and should not be seen as a complete, balanced meal,” Lindsay said.

“Coffee is often used to suppress appetite thereby ignoring her natural hunger cues. There is also no evidence that the paleo diet is healthy.

“We do not need to detox, our body detoxes itself everyday through our liver and kidneys.” She added: “This is another example of diet culture misinformation making people think they need to go on restrictive diets in the name of health.”

But Australian dietitian Kim Lindsay has urged people not to follow the star’s advice. Picture: Instagram/kimlindsay_nutrition

Another point Lindsay was keen to stress was the danger of promoting diet culture, stating there’s “so much diet culture in this ‘wellness routine’”.

“Diet culture equates our weight with health and idolises the pursuit of thinness. Gwyneth’s diet is promoting restrictive eating patterns (intermittent fasting, paleo, bone broth),” she said.

“Spreading the message that these behaviours are beneficial to our health is not true and dangerous as it can lead to disordered eating.

“Our body thrives off a regular intake of food. Having a balanced diet that includes all types of food is beneficial for our health and important for a healthy relationship with food.”

In a video shared to TikTok, Lindsay shared this message publicly, stating: “I worry about how many people will follow this. Please remember to eat regularly over the day and enjoy all foods as part of a balanced diet.”

US-based dietitian, Lauren Cadillac, shared similar concerns, stating “this isn’t wellness, this is disordered”.

“THIS IS NOT ENOUGH FOOD especially for someone that is 5’9” (175cm),” Lauren explained in a video shared on TikTok.

“Please stop following and listening to celebrities for your health and wellness advice.”

Lindsay labelled the advice ‘dangerous’. Picture: TikTok/kim—nutrition

US-based dietitian Lauren Cadillac shared similar concerns. Picture: TikTok/FeelGoodDietitian

In the 41-second clip, a snippet from an hour-long podcast, Gwyneth explains she eats “dinner early in the evening” before intermittent fasting until well into the next day.

“I usually eat something about 12. In the morning I’ll have things that won’t spike my blood sugar, so I have coffee.

“I really like soup for lunch, I have bone broth for lunch a lot of the days.”

Gwyneth, who owns wellness brand Goop, went on to state she does “one hour of movement every day” before having a 30 minute infra-red sauna followed by dinner – a paleo meal with “lots of vegetables”.

“It’s really important for me to support my detox,” the clip concludes.

The Hollywood actress said she has bone broth for lunch most days after a long fasting period. Picture: Instagram/GwynethPaltrow

The comments section of the video, shared by Dear Media which produces a multitude of podcasts in the US, quickly blew up.

Many were frustrated such “bad advice” could be shared so easily, asking how Dr Cole could be promoting the star’s detox.

“What is she detoxing Dr. Cole? This is a serious question. I realise wellness looks different for everyone...this doesn’t sound like optimal wellness,” one raged.

“This sounds like the opposite of wellness,” another lamented.

As one scoffed: “I survive on air, indifference and superiority.”

The host of the podcast, functional medicine practitioner Dr Will Cole, doesn’t flag any concerns with Gwyneth’s ‘detox’ in the clip. Picture:

Viewers were outraged by the advice. Picture:

Caffeine can cause a spike in blood sugar levels as it triggers a hormonal response in our bodies according to multiple studies.

Many pointed this out in the comments, adding the effect can be worsened by a lack of food.

“Coffee on an empty stomach spikes cortisol,” one said.

“Coffee literally spikes your blood sugar and cortisol without food,” another agreed.

Some said they were pleased to see the reaction to Gwyneth’s diet was overwhelmingly negative, showing education around nutrition has changed.

“The comments here really show how much the narrative has changed and how much people are aware that this is NOT IT. Veggies and bone broth? No,” one posted.

“I couldn’t cope on this diet, it sounds dangerous,” another said.

Gwyneth is no stranger to spruiking weird and extreme diets, prompting many to label the latest instalment “insufferable”.

“What is she detoxing from if she doesn’t eat?” one frustrated user asked.

“This is so out of touch,” another declared.

Kim Lindsay urged people to “avoid getting nutrition information from unqualified people online”.

“Always look for an Accredited Practicing Dietitian or university educated nutritionist,” she said.

“We have completed at least 3 years of nutrition science education and are the nutrition experts.”

She also suggested people “learn how to spot diet culture online”.

“Ask yourself if they are promoting restrictive eating behaviours, demonising foods, or using weight loss as a proxy for health,” she said.

“If they are - ignore their nutrition advice and seek out an accredited practising dietitian.”