Gwyneth Paltrow’s absurd new detox diet

Gwyneth Paltrow recently released her New Year's three-day detox diet, and already critics are slamming her for promoting a diet too-low in calories and devoid of nutrition.

"You know we love a good detox here at goop, and this January is no exception," says Paltrow on her blog. "We created detox recipes that won't leave you feeling cold and hungry during the winter months, with guidance from Dr. Alejandro Junger, a specialist on the subject."

The 41-year-old mother of two suggests that you eliminate all dairy, gluten, shellfish, processed foods, nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant), condiments, sugar, alcohol, caffeine and soda.

Phew! That's a long list.

"There is no doubt that this diet will make you lose weight, as this is a starvation-type-diet with lots of liquid to make you feel full, but nothing to nourish the body or soul," Dr. Fred Pescatore tells Radar Online. "It's basically no food or nutrition."

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The first day of the detox requires you to only eat a shake, soup, one quarter of a quinoa-stuffed squash and lentil pate -- hardly enough to meet the recommended daily 1,200 calorie minimum on a diet.

While Paltrow doesn't actually provide a medical explanation for why a detox is necessary, pundits suggest the only way to get rid of harmful toxins that accumulate in our bodies is to avoid all foods that could add more toxins for a brief period of time (often 3-10 days). Detox worshipers say that you will feel more mentally alert, shed a few pounds, and eliminate unhealthy sugar and wheat cravings by the time the detox is done.

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It's a bold claim and one that has been debunked by some medical doctors who say that our kidneys do a perfectly acceptable job detoxing our bodies on their own. They argue that it's a waste of time to temporarily remove certain foods from our diet because essentially it does nothing to promote greater health and suggest that any weight loss during a detox is due to a loss of water or muscle.

It's no surprise then that critics are voicing concerns that Paltrow's latest detox diet is lacking in so many ways.

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"Basically, there is no food until about 4 in the afternoon, which for a 'winter' detox should be the opposite!" says Pescatore. "The only foods on tap are foods meant to make you eliminate [waste] one way or the other. It is essentially a three-day fast with a bit of protein thrown in."

And writer Elizabeth Licata from The Gloss jokes that she would rather eat socks.

"To keep warm during the cleanse, Gwyneth recommends saunas and organic wool socks," she writes. "To keep from getting hungry, you might want to eat the socks. After reading this menu, they're starting to sound filling and delicious."