Eat, drink, be merry is new dieting philosophy

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(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-31 07:50

There is a new lifestyle ethos taking the most fashionable by storm. It is less of a diet, more of a magic cure-all. According to a range of A-list celebrities, this universal remedy promises to "break the bonds of diet despotism" while still enabling them to shed excess weight. In addition, this magic bullet is said to cure hangovers, kick-start lagging libidos and relieve premenstrual tension.

The regimen has been adopted by Sarah Jessica Parker, who is apparently particularly keen on nutritionist Esther Blum's advice to start the day with a vegetable omelet with strawberries. Sharon Stone has allegedly ditched her egg-white diet in favor of Blum's advice to fill up on egg yolks and butter.

"We live in a low-fat, fat-free culture, and women in particular have done their bodies a disservice, because we have disrupted our hormones to a quite phenomenal degree," said Blum, author of Secrets of Gorgeous: Hundreds of Ways to Live Well While Living It Up.

"Fat-free diets have had the most awful impact on our sex lives too," added Blum, who has run her nutrition clinic for 15 years and is a member of the American Dietetic Association and the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists. "Women have removed fat from their diets, then been surprised when their libido is affected."

Her advice has transformed Blum's profile from an anonymous medical boffin to the Martha Stewart of the New York health and fitness scene. Since the publication of her book, she has rarely been off daytime television and the front of America's most glamorous women's magazines.

"We should be eating full-fat food," she said. "Fat-free foods can contribute to weight gain because they register in the body as a carbohydrate. They also have less vitamin D. Egg yolks contain more protein than the white, as well as lecithin and choline, which help the liver break down and metabolise cholesterol. Saturated fats support bones, protect the liver, enhance the immune system, and absorb omega-3s. In moderation, they don't cause heart disease but slow down the absorption of foods in your stomach, making you feel fuller for longer."

Blum suggests starting the day with a vegetable omelet and strawberries, detoxing regularly with beetroot and carrots, and eating wild Alaskan salmon three times a week: "This is your facelift in your fridge; your internal plastic surgeon. Wild salmon gives contours to your face and body by stimulating muscles."

Blum is also realistic about convincing women to adopt a teetotal lifestyle. Instead she counsels mitigating the impact on the waistline by skipping mixers. "Don't slam down shots, but sipping whisky or vodka on the rocks means avoiding a whole lot of sugar," she said.

Blum's book has been given uncharacteristically enthusiastic reviews by members of the American Dietetic Association. "This is a lusty, sensual diet book for real people," said Jonny Bowden, a nutrition specialist and author. "This book is so innovative that its advice is almost counter-intuitive, but these aren't gimmicks; they're real solutions. "

Blum said she was moved to write her book by the pressure put on women by the diet industry. "It seems like wooing a man with our God-given womanly charm just isn't good enough. Advertisers do all they can to convince us that we've got to look, taste and smell great and, to top it all, we have to perform perfectly in every situation. It's enough to give a girl a complex," she said. "The very essence of being gorgeous isn't about being perfect: it's about being and feeling our most fabulous. And the secret of doing that is accepting your own imperfections."

The Guardian