The Diet Secrets

Gwyneth has been known to do detox diets every once in a while, the most controversial  of which was probably last year’s Master Cleanse diet which she practiced in the spring.  For 2009, she started the year with a less demanding but similarly detoxifying diet, created especially for her by her dietician Alejandro Junger.

Paltrow’s current cleansing diet is much less severe and includes taking in real food.  Her meal program consists of plenty of fruits and vegetables (throughout the day) but also include tastier choices like smoothies, chicken teriyaki and steamed salmon (on later days, though).

The cleansing program consists of a 7-day menu and need only be done for that duration.  As a detox method, many doctors agree that this is healthier than most others offered on the diet scene.  The diet focuses on whole organic foods which creates massive benefits to the liver, including broccoli, cabbage, radish, arugula, bok choy and other peppery vegetables.

Additionally, it encourages mild exercises to help facilitate the detoxification, including gentle yoga and light treadmill work.  Sweating is essential to the system (since sweat eliminates plenty of toxins) which can be achieved via the prescribed exercises or by spending time in a sauna.

It looks like Gwyneth has finally found a more sustainable whole body cleansing diet that should prove less controversial than her previous travails.

A growing trend among many dieters are systems that not only help you lose weight, but cleanse your body of toxins in the process.  The Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Diet claims to be one such program.

Like many cleansing diets, the benefits of this program is highly contested.  Fans of the diet claim that the acidity of the vinegar combined with the pectin in the fruit does an immense job in promoting weight loss. Others, however, downplay apple cider vinegar’s part in the process and point out the sensible eating plan that accompanies a properly-done ACV diet.  A 2005 study of a small, controlled group, however, found that
individuals who ate food along with white vinegar tended to feel fuller compared to those who eat the same food sans the acidic compound.

There is no official ACV diet but people using it to lose weight are generally required to take between two to three teaspoonfuls of apple cider vinegar before every meal.  This is supposed to curb later cravings and make meals even in smaller portions more satisfying.

Some health experts have designed ACV-based diets, combining the consumption of the vinegar along with a controlled meal plan.  One variation, for instance, suggests a 7-day meal plan paired with regular ingestion of the vinegar to be cycled two weeks at a time.  Due to lack of documented evidence, however - whether through test subjects or scientific viability - most nutritionists relegate Apple Cider Vinegar Diet to an unwitting fad.  If you’re considering it, realize that there are more scientifically sound programs available elsewhere.