Gwyneth Paltrow, the actress who turned wellness guru, discusses being “obsessed” with her diet in a recent Goop podcast, revealing that she is now eating pasta once more after years on the restrictive paleo diet.
After years on a strict paleo diet, Gwyneth Paltrow says she’s once again incorporating carbs and fat-heavy foods into her diet again. The CEO and founder of the wellness and lifestyle company, Goop, has long been known for her restrictive diet, even making headlines in 2023 when she shared her daily diet of bone broth and coffee. But now pasta, cheese and sourdough bread are back on the menu.
Speaking on the most recent episode of the Goop podcast, For The Love of Food, Paltrow spoke about her diet, and how this has recently evolved. Paltrow explained that her and husband, Brad Falchuk, began their paleo diet “a few years ago”, but that she’s grown “a little sick of it”.
The actress acknowledged that “I am] returning to eating some sourdough bread and some cheese.” A little pasta, I said that. after being so long-held about it.
While she considers herself paleo, Paltrow has been a strong advocate of the macrobiotic mindset, saying: “I went into hardcore macrobiotics for a certain time, that was an interesting chapter where I got obsessed with eating very, very healthily,” she said.
While the Paleo diet emphasizes plant-based protein sources and is rooted in a more holistic and balanced approach to wellness, macrobiotic diets emphasize plant-based sources with a more holistic and balanced perspective. Whole foods are both a part of both diets, as are unprocessed foods.
READ MORE: Gwyneth Paltrow responds to backlash over ‘bone broth’ diet and blames ‘chronic’ illness
She believes that her obsession with ‘clean’ eating had a lot to do with the poor health of her late father. She said: “I was really trying to heal my dad by proxy and he just didn’t really want anything to do with it.” Her father, Bruce Paltrow, died in 2002 after a years-long battle with throat cancer.
What began as a way to deal with her father’s health turned into a new interest for Paltrow. She explained that “I really strengthened my connection with food and the macrobiotics philosophy as a whole.” Her new approach to food made fish, vegetables, and rice the focus of her new approach, cutting out sugar and dairy.
Now that she has a new perspective on food, Paltrow admits to being a little too enthusiastic. She said during the podcast, “I think that time period might have been a little didactic about it.”
Paltrow said she still cares about how food can contribute to and promote a healthy lifestyle despite loosening the restrictions on her diet. We had such incredible power that, if we treated ourselves well, hydrated, and consumed whole foods, we might feel so much better. She shared that she was “kind of intoxicated by that idea,” and she still feels that way today.
For the uninitiated, the paleo diet is based on the notion that eating like our ancient ancestors – during the Palaeolithic era – will reduce the risk of certain diseases and lead to overall healthier bodies. According to the Mayo Clinic, the modern paleo diet typically consists of fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish, nuts and seeds – foods that early humans could get from hunting and gathering.
Under the diet, everything from wholegrains to dairy products to processed foods are a no-go. Unsurprisingly, the diet became a weight loss fad that gained popularity in the early 2010s. The British Heart Foundation addressed the diet during its height in 2015, advising that: “Cutting out dairy products and starchy foods, particularly wholegrains, means losing key sources of fibre, calcium and energy.” They warn that the diet “could affect your health in the long term.”
But Paleo is just one of many in the long-list of diet fads, though it is bares a similarity to the Atkins diet. The Atkins diet also recommends reducing carbohydrates and encourages high-fat and high-protein intake as a method to lose weight.
Goop offers suggestions on how to “hack the genes that impact weight loss and metabolism,” despite the fact that it doesn’t directly promote restrictive diets to encourage weight loss. Additionally, Goop offers a variety of “detoxes” and meal plans that temporarily impose restrictions on dairy, gluten, sugar, and processed oils. However, Paltrow’s most recent revelation may, at least for the time being, signal that the paleo fad is over.
The NHS has continually promoted well-rounded diets, saying that: “eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health”. This includes starchy foods, which the NHS says should make up just over a third of everything you eat as well as dairy products which are a strong source of protein.
The NHS also says the public should avoid diets that recommend fasting or cutting out entire food groups. Their guidance says: “These types of diets do not work, can make you feel ill, and are not sustainable because they do not teach you long-term healthy eating habits.”
According to a 2023 study on the unintended consequences of dieting, restricting one’s diets without medical advice or supervision can lead to major long-term health issues, including elevated cholesterol levels and an increased risk of heart disease.
Source: Mirror
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