Friday 17 July 2009

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?

.

28 comments:

  1. Hey, Gwyneth and me. We're singing from the same song sheet.

    It's not rocket science, though, is it? I mean, there's no-one out there saying "increase your consumption of krispy kremes, eat more processed food, cut back on broccoli, don't take any exercise or have any me-time, stock up on the chemical-laden household products..."

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  2. Oh well I think I will take my chance with the toxins and enjoy my food!

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  3. Mmmmmmmm... I'm reading your post as I am eating a packet of Ruffles with some M&M's on reserve... this Gwyneth relax and enjoy life phase is wonderful! Ooooh! Wicked! X

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  4. Gwyneth is a complete bore! I subscribed to GOOP for about 5 minutes a while back 'cos my d.in-law is a big fan, and I couldn't believe how self-centred, banal and bloody 'up herself' she is. A bit like most celebrities when you think about it.
    Just ignore her and she'll go away.
    maybe.
    :-)

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  5. Yeah, right, because it's really easy to cut out "dairy, bread, pasta, sugar, white rice and red meat". It's probably easier if you have a cook.
    I want some skin brushing. That sounds like fun.

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  6. I'm with you- as long as I dont have to give up the vino, I can put up with just about anything...

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  7. If she's so refreshed, why does she looks so dopey all the time? I may be a little chunky but at least I look like I have a pulse.

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  8. Boy she must have some boring life. Now talking of Pinot Grigio and I know you may not remember, but Hubster loved the red wine you served him and wondered what it was please?

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  9. Almost all of those tips have been recommended by Dr. Oz as well plus other nutritionists and health experts who promote clean eating. The only thing I would disagree with would be frequent detoxing. I've read and heard several times that detoxing doesn't work. I would love to be a "clean" eater but it is much easier said than done. I have cut out white pasta, rice, white bread and almost all red meat. Sugar is the beast.

    Personally, I would not want to have my every move and every pound monitored so I sort of feel sorry for her, although it comes with the territory I guess. Some things on Goop I find interesting like the restaurant recommendations, others not so much.

    Keep in mind, this is someone who named her child Apple.

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  10. If I have a child I am going to name him or her "Dunkin' Donut" ;)

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  11. Mucus Forming? gross.

    I always thought "Bucket" was a fine name for a boy

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  12. And her husband seems so normal. I wonder what they talk about.

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  13. I must admit that I have always loved Gwynnie and her films, however I must agree that lately she is looking dopey... but then again she is mixed up in the whole Madonna Kaballah crowd now...
    maybe her and her husband don't talk... I think she is the kind of "nice decoration" that you can put in the corner of the living room and admire - a bit like a very chique pedestal lamp but skinnier.... hahaha X

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  14. Thank god someone's finally said it! GOOP annoys me every week but for some reason I can't unsubscribe.

    I also loved Elizabeth Renzetti's line:
    apparently www.learn-from-me-ungrateful-peasant.com was taken.

    I'm sticking to the Pinot Grigio too.

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  15. Gwyneth Paltrow....yawn...sorry, I nearly lost the will to live just thinking about her. I don't rate her as an actress, and I'm bored stiff of her bleating on about her 'normal' life when she is a bloody millionaire filmstar with a patronising habit of telling us mortals how we should live.

    Phew, feel better now.

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  16. Well thanks for writing out the basics. Now I shall copy and paste this and do it at home. Why pay all that money when you can do it at home for free? Or I could just eat plenty of fruit, salads and drink lots of water and go for a daily walk. That might just do it...

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  17. Can anyone just tell me why it's called GOOP? Especially when she's talking about detoxing and all that stuff.

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  18. I read that as well and it had me rolling my eyes and exclaiming I don't believe it, but each to their own!

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  19. For some reason Gwynnie seems to seperate the men from the .... er.... women. Not a tad jealous (not you, ExpatMum, one or two commenters here?). Anyway, my take is that anyone who accepts advice or political guidance from a film star but not, say, from the checkout girl at the supermarket is in serious want of a brain.

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  20. I am going to carry on enjoying my mucus forming pasta and bread, whilst having the odd burger. You only live once (I think?!)- why not enjoy it! Do you think Gwynnie has far too much time on her hands to be thinking about herself and what's going on with her body? How everything is making her feel? Because I'm lucky if I can remember what I had for breakfast by 4pm, that's if I've managed to stuff a piece of toast down my throat before leaving for the school run.
    And Edward, I'm not jealous. I am a size 8-10 and I don't have to starve to be like that. I just got lucky genes....mixed with a bit of common sense - everything in moderation my man! x

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  21. The thing to remember is that these people (ie. famous) usually got their because of incredible drive and ego-centrism. They really are the centre of their own universe, which most "normal" people don't have the luxury of being.
    And Edward, I genuinely think that women aren't at all jealous of Gwn. Others perhaps (and of course no one comes to mind at the moment), but she comes across as vacuous and not much fun. She has a great bod and is beautiful but that's it.

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  22. Of course - it should have been "there" not "their".

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  23. Expat mum: I think GOOP is her initials: "Gwynnie Oscar Oscar Paltrow"
    Ahh poor Gwynnie! She thinks everyone really takes her advice seriously! hehe X

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  24. Hi, I came across your blog, I'm the co-author of the book Clean with Dr. Junger which gives you an at-home version of the cleansing kit they describe in this article, made with foods you buy yourself.

    I wanted to let you know that the cleanse does not require medical supervision. Though often those seeing Dr Junger clinically do the cleanse as part of the basic work on improving their health, in which case, obviously it happens with his direct guidance.

    As the book describes, this nutritional cleanse (in which you eat food and drink shakes every day) is a basic common sense protocol for giving your body a brief break from regular consumption, and letting it fire up its own capacities for balancing and healing--so that you can enjoy your life and all the delicious things available for us to share even more!

    I did the cleanse while writing the book--was a total newbie to it--and found longstanding body problems found their way back to balance. I can't tell you how good and empowering that felt. Especially after years of shopping around natural remedies, herbs, foods, and all sorts of products and practices to help with these issues (and I am in general a super healthy person, just with a few ongoing intestinal boring issues).

    Anyway, thought I'd let you know that. Check out the book and let us know if it seems to make sense to you.

    I too am a Brit / American who has been living in the US for years but currently back in the UK enjoying the grey skies of the British summer (and the best Indian food ever, here in Tooting Broadway--nothing about occasional cleansing gets in the way of loving amazing food!).

    With my best, Amely

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  25. Hi Amely, Thanks for clearing that up. I know I read the phrase about having to be under the doctor's supervision (and of course can't find it now) but I think it was in the original newspaper article, which was obviously wrong.

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  26. Oh s*d it, I could do all that and never look as glowing as Gwynnie so will just carry on mucus-forming (nice)!

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  27. How the other half live - still think she's feeling a little guilty about her good fortune and has to make out it's really tough. My advice is revel in good fortune however small, share it through your own joy with others and you'll feel ggod, they'll feel good and to be honest everyone will be too happy to worry about what you look like!
    Still, like you, pretty relieved that Pinot Grigio is still on the menu....:)

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  28. I'm with you - surely being happy and enjoying yourself has to be the best thing? Nice to see that the wine's not forbidden though. M :-)

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