Gwyneth love - Is it really worth it?

So I'm flicking through my guilty pleaseure - People Magazine. (Hey, my annual subscriptioin is my birthday present from the in-laws.) Anyway, there's a small quarter page piece asking whether Gwyneth Paltrow is a "detoxoaholic". Apparently (and we know it must be true) she spends most of her life on one detox diet or another.

Last year she co-designed a liquid meal-based plan with the help of Dr. Alejandro Junger, and now I read she's finishing up another program called "Clean". She says on her web site GOOP that she feels "pure and happy and much lighter". Hmmm.

I thought the final comment quoted in People just about said it all. Paltrow says she "dropped the extra pounds ('cause we all knew she was looking HUGE there for a while) I had gained during a majorly fun and delicious relax-and-enjoy-life phase". (My italics.)

Hello? It's all very well having a nice, cleansed body but at the end of the day, you can't take it with you. I realise that she spends most of her time in front of some camera or other, and that it does add pounds to your appearance. It must also be slightly worrying to be in a business that places such heavy emphasis on your looks, but fer cryin' out loud, with all her money (ie. ability to hire help around the house and with the kids) you'd think relaxing and enjoying life would be her modus operandi rather than some abberation that has to be almost immediately corrected.

In case you're thinking of detoxing, but can't afford the medical supervision that is required from Dr. Junger when under the "Clean" program, here are a few tips from Gwyneth's web site that you can do at home:


1) REMOVE toxins:

• Avoid processed foods.
• Buy organic when possible.
• Buy eco-friendly cleaning products.
• Remove one or more of the foods that cause food allergies, sensitivities and are mucus-forming, such as dairy, bread, pasta, sugar, white rice and red meat.
• Remove the bad bacteria in your gut with plant and herbal antibacterials and use garlic, lemon, olive oil, oregano oil, thyme and cayenne pepper – all powerful natural antimicrobials.

2) RESTORE what is lacking:

• Consume nutrient-rich foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes).
• Use supplements to boost availability of your specific depletions (the B vitamins are commonly depleted).
• Soak up some sun. Fifteen minutes of sun exposure a day will allow you to sustain better levels of vitamin D for bone strength and protection from cancer and depression.

3) REJUVENATE your life:

• Get yearly tests for vitamin D, free T3, iodine reserves, heavy metal toxicity, CRP, thyroglobulin antibodies, magnesium and zinc – all of which are frequently absent from physical exams today.
• Make time for “detox-enhancing” habits such as sauna, massage, hot and cold baths, and skin brushing. All of these improve circulation and increase perspiration, which help fuel your body’s natural cleansing system.
• Most importantly, rest your mind. Meditate, even if for only five minutes a day.

PHEW! So I don't have to throw out the Pinot Grigio then?

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