Gwyneth Paltrow has been known to spark debate on the internet over her definition of wellness. Her latest revelation — this time, about her diet — is causing similar buzz.
In a recent episode of “The Art of Being Well” podcast, hosted by Will Cole, who holds a doctorate of natural medicine, the Goop founder spoke about her daily wellness routine, including the food she typically eats.
Now with over 3 million views on TikTok, a clip of the interview posted to the podcast network's account, @dearmedia, has sparked both backlash from users and celebrities alike and support for Paltrow.
Here's what to know.
So, uh, what does Gwyneth Paltrow eat in a day and why are people upset?
Paltrow broke down her wellness routine hour by hour in the podcast.
"I do a nice intermittent fast," she began. "I usually eat something about 12. And in the morning, I’ll have some things that won’t spike my blood sugar. So, I have coffee.”
After drinking her coffee, she said often eats soup for lunch. Specifically, she eats "bone broth," made from boiling down — you guessed it — bones said to have health benefits.
Paltrow said she tries to incorporate an hour of movement into her schedule, whether through a walk, Pilates or her "Tracy Anderson," referring to a fitness guru's work.
"And then I get in the sauna," she says. "I dry brush and I get in the sauna. So I do my infrared sauna for 30 minutes."
Once she's completed this routine, she eats dinner early in the evening.
"For dinner I try to eat, according to paleo," she says. "So lots of vegetables. It's really important for me to support my detox."
What was the response to Paltrow's eating routine?
Backlash began in the comments of the TikTok video, where users added up an estimated calorie count of Paltrow's daily intake and had questions.
"Why are we promoting starving as a 'wellness routine?" one user wrote.
Others called Paltrow "the mother of all almond moms," a term used to describe a parent whose mindset around wellness is linked to diet culture. Almond moms, according to the internet's definition, encourage eating a handful of almonds to tide over hunger, rather than satisfy needs through a substantial meal.
Commenters pointed out the negative response to Paltrow's video also demonstrate a changing relationship to diet culture: "We are so over the almond mom culture being normal. I love it."
Criticism expanded beyond the comments, soon, with celebrity commentators weighing in.
Tess Holliday, a plus-size model who has openly discussed her battle with anorexia, shared her thoughts on Paltrow's wellness routine in a video posted to her TikTok account.
"Bone broth is not a suitable meal," she says in the video. "And then to end your day with just eating vegetables."
Holliday says that Paltrow, who runs a wellness brand, has a "platform" of influence. Sharing her habits in this way could negatively affect a younger and impressionable generation.
"I'm not here to judge what put people in their bodies, especially as someone with a restrictive eating disorder ... but this s--t isn't normal and it's affecting a whole other generation of young folks who think eating like 'GP' is appropriate or OK," she says.
Paltrow's comments have also received support from some celebrities, including from former "Real Housewives of New York City" star Bethenny Frankel.
In a video posted to her Instagram account, Frankel notes her words aren't directed at 18-year-olds; her audience is middle-aged moms.
"Why does anyone care if Gwyneth Paltrow says that she drinks bone broth for breakfast and intermittent fasts?" she asks in the video.
Whether you are a bone broth sipper or a spitter outer, this much can't be denied: Bone broth commentary was everywhere this week, thanks to Paltrow.
Evidence of the spread is found in “Game of Thrones” star Maisie Williams’ recent Instagram post. In the caption, the actor wrote that she was on “Week one of the Gwyneth Paltrow diet,” causing some fans to worry she was propagating Paltrow’s diet, and others to think she was being ironic.
In the comment section, Williams interacted with fans who correctly thought she was in on the joke, sending them kissing emojis.
Is bone broth the new jade egg?
This isn't the first time that Paltrow has made headlines for her health claims.
In 2018, Goop, Paltrow's wellness brand, paid $145,000 in civil penalties over their false claims about one of their products.
The company claimed that inserting egg-shaped objects — a $66 one made of jade, and a $55 one made of quartz – into the vagina for an hour at a time would lead to numerous health benefits, including balancing hormones and regulating menstrual cycle.
“This settlement does not indicate any liability on Goop’s part,” Heather Wilson, a Goop spokeswoman, said after news of the settlement broke. “The company has not received any complaints regarding these product claims.”
In 2021, Paltrow shared an everyday skincare and wellness routine to Vogue's YouTube channel, where she demonstrated how she applied sunscreen. The trick? Very little, and only on her nose, cheeks and upper lip and chin. She said, “I am not a head-to-toe slatherer of sunscreen.” Dermatology experts spoke out, calling the routine dangerous.
What was Paltrow's response to the bone broth backlash?
On March 17, following four days of bone broth discourse, Paltrow posted a video to her Instagram stories with the intention of clearing up her routine.
She began by reassuring her Instagram followers that she eats far more than just bone broth and vegetables.
Paltrow said she designed the diet with her doctor to mitigate high levels of inflammation brought on by long COVID. (Early research has in animals linked long COVID to inflammation in some parts of the body, according to the National Institutes of Health.)
In addition to what she lists on the podcast, Paltrow said she also eats cooked vegetables, all types of protein and healthy carbohydrates.
"This was a transparent look at a conversation between me and my doctor. It's not meant to be advice for anybody else," she says. "It's really just what has worked for me, and it's been very powerful and very positive. This is not to say that I eat this way all day every day."
Paltrow says she has a number of days where she eats whatever she pleases — including french fries.
"My baseline really has been to try to be healthy and to eat foods that will really calm the system down," she says.
