I’ve established that I’m not a Gwyneth hater; I know some
of you are and you’ll have more ammunition as this post continues. I like G’s
recipes, I like Goop and I didn’t think I had that much more to say about Ms. Paltrow
but I was wrong.Yesterday, The Today Show asked Carolyn for her professional opinion on an article Gwyneth wrote for the Telegraph.
In this article Gwyneth admits to 1 cigarette a week.
I often have a glass of red wine in
the evening and smoke a cigarette on a Saturday. I love those moments because
they are just the right amount of naughty. That balance keeps you vibrant. You
have to live your life, after all.
Whether it chocolate or French fries or margaritas or pizza
treats happen for all of us.. Ideally, for my clients, these treats are planned and contained. Gwyneth isn’t advocating chain smoking or binge drinking but she
did just put out a book that included a detox regime? Can you advocate making
everything from scratch, juicing and ditching gluten while having an occasional
cigarette? Can the same person who pushes detox also endorse “tox”? You lost me
at cigarettes and vibrancy.
What bothers me most is that Gwyneth wasn’t embarrassed about her
smoking but made a case for it. I used to be silly or more than silly about the
sun and some clients were surprised to hear that. Others were pleased that I admitted it, have since changed my habits, and suggested ways to stay safe from sun and
the cancer it can give us. Now what if I had said "I think baking in the sun once a week is fine go for it." Gwyneth pulled the old “I don’t like to deny myself
anything” and “it’s the right about of naughty”. Is this someone who lost her
father to cancer? One sweet a week is one thing, a drink here or there (can
actually be healthy) but smoking as part of a balanced life? Nope, call me a
party pooper but it’s not naughty it’s nasty.
I don’t believe in promoting the unhealthy while encouraging
others to be healthy. I didn’t like it with Michelle Obama and I don’t here
with Gwyneth either. And relax, it’s not about being perfect it’s about being
consistent. We don't have to go out of our way to publicly do or endorse unhealthy things to appear "normal", not too rigid or sadly maybe cool.
I will have you know some admired the smoky Gwyneth, I read
an article that found the smoking “endearing”.
And see I found using food to make herself and her family healthy far more endearing. It makes me wonder
if Gwyneth’s regime, for her, is really about health or just about as she said having
“a 20 year old stripper’s butt”.
Do you think smoking a
little each week is the same things as drinking or eating treat food or, is it
worse? Would you buy Gwyneth’s clean eating books if, in the intro let’s say,
she mentioned her naughty cigarette? Are there some things we should deny
ourselves of?
Join me in Sun Valley
Septemer 19th-22nd for the Harvest Festival
I’ll be speaking on a great panel on food trends but it’ll
be a weekend full of food, tastings and talks in a beautiful location.
The official blurb:
The weekend offers attendees an opportunity to learn
culinary secrets from the country’s top chefs, taste agricultural wonders from
Idaho and the Northwest and learn from nationally-recognized food and
health experts. Adventurous foodies will have the opportunity to enjoy hiking,
biking, and all that the beautiful fall weather offers.
I’m really looking
forward to it, tweet us if you’re planning to be there, it’s known as “foodie
heaven”
And trust me, smoking will not be a trend this year or any
year.
