Gwyneth Paltrow defends controversial diet amidst online criticism

• Gwyneth Paltrow addressed online users Friday who criticized her diet on her Instagram stories. 
• Paltrow, 50, said she has long COVID and works with her doctor to eat foods that aren’t inflammatory.
• Some dietitians have cautioned against following Paltrow’s diet.

Gwenyth Paltrow is defending her diet after facing criticism online. 

On Friday, Paltrow addressed the backlash she’s faced since discussing her wellness routine on Dear Media’s “The Art of Being Well” podcast four days earlier. Paltrow, 50, told host Dr. Will Cole that she typically starts the day with coffee, eats bone broth for lunch, and vegetables for dinner. A video clip of the discussion went viral, prompting criticism from TikTok and Twitter users.

When one of Paltrow’s Instagram followers asked about the controversy during a fan Q&A, she responded with two videos on her Instagram stories.

“I think it’s important for everybody to know that I was doing a podcast with my doctor,” Paltrow said in her Instagram story. “So, this is a person I’ve been working with for over two years now to deal with some chronic stuff.” 

Paltrow continued that she has long COVID and one of her symptoms includes “very high levels of inflammation over time.” 

Gwyneth Paltrow addresses backlash about her diet on March 17, 2023.

Gwyneth Paltrow/Instagram Stories

“I’ve been working with Dr. Cole to really focus on foods that aren’t inflammatory,” Paltrow said. “So, lots of cooked vegetables, all kinds of protein, healthy carbs to really lower inflammation. It’s been working really well.” 

Paltrow added that her diet was based on her medical results and “extensive testing that I’ve done over time.” 

She concluded that the podcast episode was meant to be a “transparent look at a conversation” between her and her doctor. 

“It’s not meant to be advice for anybody else. It’s really just what has worked for me, and it’s been very powerful and very positive. This is not to say I eat this way all day, every day. And by the way, I eat far more than bone broth and vegetables,” Paltrow said. “I eat full meals, and I also have a lot of days of eating whatever I want. You know, eating french fries and whatever. My baseline has been to try to be healthy and eat foods that will really calm the system down.” 

In the original podcast, Paltrow told Dr. Cole that she intermittently fasts. 

“I eat dinner early in the evening. I do a nice intermittent fast. I usually eat something about 12. In the morning, I’ll have something that won’t spike my blood sugar, so I have coffee. But I really like soup for lunch. I have bone broth for lunch a lot of the days,” Paltrow said.

She added that she does “one hour of movement” each day for exercise before stepping into a sauna. Paltrow said she tries to follow the Paleo diet for dinner, so she tends to eat vegetables.

Following the podcast episode and backlash, registered dietitian and TikTok Lauren Cadillac told Insider’s Kieran Press-Reynolds that “there was so much wrong” with Paltrow’s diet. She told Insider that based on the exercise regimen Paltrow described during the podcast, the amount of food she consumes is not enough for a healthy diet.

Paltrow has received criticism over her health habits in the past, including suggesting that women should steam their vaginas. At the time, some gynecologists pushed back at the claim, saying the act could cause burns and disturb the balance between good and bad bacteria.