Life is too short to live on coffee & bone broth
You may have seen Gwyneth Paltrows recent interview where she shares her “wellness” hacks. True to form we are not here to take another woman down, what works for Gwyneth, works for Gwyneth but what we are here to do is empower, educate and support women to live their best lives and that’s why we want to talk about THAT interview.
If you haven’t seen it, Gwyneth is asked to share her wellness routine and she responds that she breaks her fast in the morning with coffee, at 12 she “eats” a bowl of bone broth and then fasts again until evening when she eats lots of veggies. I want to reiterate AGAIN that this is not a call out on Gwyneth and her choices but I do believe that someone with a global brand and 8.3 million followers on Instagram has a responsibility to be mindful of what they say and this is pretty reckless. Gwyneth mention things like not eating ceratina foods in order to not spike her blood sugar or bloat, these are wellness buzz phrases and it’s very likely that other humans who feel lost and under pressure to look thin in order to be happy will hear her words, look at her body type and potentially try starving themselves with this madness in the name of “wellness” As far as I know GP is not qualified to be giving out this type of advice and whilst you could say she is only answering about her own experience, she knows that she has a massive following and puts no caveats into her words.
I could talk about this for hours but I’m going to try and keep it short and concise as to why this type of diet won’t work for most of us.
1 We need protein!
After the age of 30 we start losing muscle mass and collagen at a rate of 3-8% per decade, this increases again after the age of 60. Protein is the building block of muscle mass and also a super important recovery tool. If we aren’t eating enough protein then we cannot recover, we cannot combat the loss of muscle and we end up at more risk of falls and injuries as well as losing the vital strength we need to live full and happy lives. Fasting until 12 pm and then having a bowl of bone broth followed by a bunch of veggies is nowhere near enough protein for a woman. As a guide, we need 0.72 grams of protein per KG of body weight per day and this goes up if you are more active. Here are some foods to help you get more protein into your diet
Eggs
Lean meats
Beans/legumes
Fish
Dairy Products
Nuts
I’d always advocate for getting protein from whole food sources however it can be a struggle if you are super active, two of the ways that help me are to use a collagen supplement (18g of protein per 20g) I like this one. And a high quality protein powder, I like the performance blend from Form Nutrition. Please always consult your dr or nutritionist before undertaking new supplements.
2 Bone Broth and Coffee aren’t meals
Bone broth has many many benefits, it’s collagen rich, it’s full of vitamins and minerals and it helps support our immunity and potentially hormone regulation - it’s great and I use it myself, however- it is not a complete meal. As women we NEED carbohydrates, they give us energy to live full and happy lives and they support our hormone regulation and function. Carbs are not bad foods, they do not make us fat (and whilst we are on that being fat is not a bad thing) and for most people living on a diet of coffee and bone broth would leave you feel lethargic, irritable and unable to do the things you want and deserve to do with your life.
3 Food is not the enemy!
I know this is hard to believe, I know we are taught our whole lives not to eat, to be thin, to be small, and never overindulge, and then- only then will we find ultimate happiness. I know the toxic messaging from this industry is to make cauliflower into pizza and substitute burger buns with lettuce, I know we are taught that “Food is fuel” and whilst you are free to make all of those choices if that is what YOU want to do… food is also so much more than fuel- it’s joy, it’s connection, it’s love, it’s memories, it’s happiness and a life spent in constant restriction of the things you love just cannot equal happiness- no matter how thin it makes you. Trust me, I’ve been 7st with 10% body fat and I still believed I wasn’t good enough. Thinness is not the route to happiness and food is not your enemy so please, please eat the things you want to, move your body because you love it and want to bring joy into your life, and remember that you get one shot at this rollercoaster ride and it is far too short to live on coffee and bone broth alone.
I hope this resonates and is helpful for you, if you are feeling triggered or struggling with thoughts of extreme dieting you might find the following resources useful: