14 DAY TRIAL // Despite the constant criticism she’s getting for all her efforts to make a name for herself as a lifestyle guru, Gwyneth Paltrow won’t be discouraged. A few days ago, she posted her plan for a 3-day detox meant to help us rid ourselves of the holiday weight – and nutritionists are already up in arms, warning us of the dangers of such a plan.
The reality is, unless you’re a very, very disciplined person, we’re all carrying a bit of extra weight, if not from all the holiday food, from all the holiday inactivity. Gwyneth too feels that her body could use a bit of a jumpstart, which a 3-day detox should offer.
She boasts that this is no starvation diet and that the plan is as healthy as they come but, in reality, it’s precisely just that: a starvation-type diet that is expensive to boot.
Paltrow, in a post on her GOOP blog proposes to start the day with a glass of water at room temperature (with lemon, if you’re feeling particularly fancy). Tea follows in about an hour, and then some more tea, a minuscule snack, an even smaller lunch, more tea.
The only actual food you’ll be eating doesn’t come in until 4 in the afternoon and that, according to Dr. Fred Pescatore, MPH, CCN, is a huge mistake because, in the winter, we should consume more calories in the morning.
“Basically, there is no food until about 4 in the afternoon, which for a ‘winter’ detox should be the opposite!” he tells Radar Online.
“The only foods on tap are foods meant to make you eliminate [waste] one way or the other. It is essentially a three-day fast with a bit of protein thrown in,” he continues.
There’s no denying that weight loss will accompany this “detox” but don’t expect it to last. The plan is neither sustainable nor recommendable, and it might actually translate into more weight gain in the long run.
“There is no doubt that this will make you lose weight, as this is a starvation-type-diet with lots of liquid to make you feel full, but nothing to nourish the body or soul. […] It’s basically no food or nutrition. As for plain detox diets, the food is best eaten [early], especially in the winter when we are hungrier in the morning. Try working, being a mother, or just trying to exercise on this detox. You would never make it through the day!,” he says.