Gwyneth Paltrow wants to set the record straight on her controversial “wellness routine.” Paltrow’s appearance on Dear Media’s The Art of Wellness went viral on TikTok earlier this week.
While hooked up to an IV, the 50-year-old actor described her diet as a combination of intermittent fasting and paleo, emphasizing coffee in the morning, bone broth for lunch, and “lots of vegetables” for dinner.
“It’s really important for me to support my detox,” she said, leading some viewers to wonder, “detox from what?”
Many were also concerned that impressionable viewers might try to adopt this restrictive diet. “What’s being described in this video is disordered eating,” one Twitter user wrote. “It’s dangerous. It’s deadly. More so than fatness will ever be. It’s okay for us to expect more from those holding social power. No one is exempt.”
On March 17, Paltrow responded to the criticism during a Q+A on her Instagram Story. “I think it’s important for everybody to know that I was doing a podcast with my doctor,” she began, according to People. “So, this is a person I’ve been working with for over two years now to deal with some chronic stuff.”
“I have long COVID, and the way it manifests for me is very high levels of inflammation over time,” the actor continued. So I’ve been working with Dr. Cole to focus on non-inflammatory foods. So, lots of cooked vegetables, different types of protein, and healthy carbs reduce inflammation. It’s been working great.”
Paltrow said that her appearance on the podcast was intended to be “a transparent look at a conversation between my doctor and me,” not “advice for anyone else.”
“It’s really just what has worked for me, and it’s been mighty and very positive,” she added. This is not to say that I eat this way every day. I eat far more than bone broth and vegetables, by the way. I eat full meals and have days when I eat whatever I want.
You know, like eating french fries and stuff. My starting point has always been to try to eat healthy foods to help calm the system.”
Look, a 30-second video clip doesn’t give you a complete picture of someone’s health and diet. While it’s important to remember that while scrolling through TikTok, celebrities and content creators, including Gwyneth Paltrow, should think twice before packaging their specific medical plans as “wellness routines.”