The weirdest (and unhealthy) lengths celebs go to in order to get their red carpet looks from questionable cookie diets to uncomfortable colonics
They say it takes a village to get celebrities red carpet ready.
Some superstars have succumbed to a series of increasingly unorthodox and occasionally unhealthy methods in a bid to get their red carpet looks proving it's not always fun and games being a celebrity.
From colonic irrigation to questionable cookie diets, extreme carb-cutting, obsessive calorie counting and rigorous juice cleansing, there's not much your average celebrity hasn't tried in their quest for what they deem to be the perfect body.
But many of the strict dieting techniques come with some little-known side effects, and some A-list stars have opened up about their own shocking stories trying out these unconventional methods.
1. KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN - THE KETO DIET
WHAT IS THE KETO DIET?
The Ketogenic diet defines a low-carb, high-fat way of eating.
Following this eating plan forces the body into a metabolic state, known as ketosis, which starves the body of carbohydrates but not calories.
Carbs are shunned in the keto diet as they cause the body to produce glucose, which is used as energy over fat.
Keto diets therefore lead to weight loss as they make the body burn fat as its primary energy source.
On the diet, followers can eat:
Meat
Leafy greens and most vegetables
Full-fat dairy
Nuts and seeds
Avocadoes and berries
Fats, such as coconut oil
People cannot eat:
Grains, including rice and wheat
Sugar, like honey and maple syrup
Most fruit
White or sweet potatoes
Image-conscious Kourtney Kardashian made two attempts at losing weight on the keto diet, but in 2020 confirmed she had given it up for good.
She now focuses on well-balanced meals and engaging in regular exercise to achieve a healthy, well-toned body.
According to Medical News Today, the keto diet refers to a ketogenic diet, which is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carb diet.
The main goal of the food plan is to get more calories from protein and fat than from carbs.
It works by depleting your body of its store of sugar, so it will start to break down protein and fat for energy, causing ketosis.
Ketosis is a metabolic process that involves fat providing most of the fuel for the body, rather than energy coming from foods eaten.
Speaking to Health magazine in 2020, Kourtney revealed she had quit the keto diet but confirmed her household remains gluten and dairy-free.
She said: 'I noticed that my body changed for the better when I quit the Keto.'
2. ASHTON KUTCHER - THE FRUITARIAN DIET
In 2013 Ashton was hospitalized after trying a fruitarian diet in preparation for his role as Steve Jobs in the biopic Jobs.
The actor said at the time that he was rushed to hospital before shooting his new movie Jobs about the late entrepreneur after embarking on a fruit-only diet for the biopic, favoured by the Apple co-founder who died of pancreatic cancer in 2011.
He told USA Today newspaper at the premiere of the movie at the Sundance Film Festival: 'First of all, the fruitarian diet can lead to like severe issues.
'I went to the hospital like two days before we started shooting the movie. I was doubled over in pain.
'My pancreas levels were like completely out of whack. It was really terrifying... considering everything.'
He studied hundreds of hours of footage of Steve for the role and claimed he discovered they had a lot in common.
A fruitarian diet is a vegan diet primarily focused on consuming raw fruits, with some variations including nuts, seeds, and some vegetables.
It's considered a restrictive eating pattern and may pose nutritional risks if not carefully planned.
5. KATY PERRY - THE M PLAN
American singer Katy Perry was thought to have tried a mushroom based diet in a bid to lose weight as far back as 2012.
Dubbed the 'M-Plan', the diet was devised to help women lose weight from their tums, bums, thighs and upper arms, but still keep their bust intact.
It promised to help women lose weight from the stubborn areas over a 14-day period by replacing just one regular lunchtime snack or dinner with a mushroom inspired dish.
Other celebrities to have been linked with the fad include Emmerdale and Waterloo Road star, Roxanne Pallett and Kelly Osbourne, who both previously claimed to have lost dress sizes from eating raw mushrooms regularly.
Speaking in 2013, Katy admitted she had cut all junk food out of her diet while shaping up for a forthcoming tour.
She told Rolling Stone: 'After this interview I'm going to have a nice healthy breakfast. I'm on a meal plan, which absolutely sucks...'
3. JENNIFER LOPEZ & GWYNETH PALTROW - COLON HYDROTHERAPY
It's a treatment that can be traced back to ancient times and has celebrity fans including Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow.
But the term colonic irrigation - not the mention what the procedure actually involves - is far from glamorous.
In an attempt to make it sound more appealing, the treatment has since been rebranded as 'colonic hydrotherapy'.
The practice, which involves flushing the colon with about 60 litres of water via a tube inserted into the rectum, is said to promote health and well-being by ridding the body of toxins.
The idea is that for around £90 a time, people can have their digestive tract cleansed and purified leaving them feeling fresh and not bloated with a flatter stomach and renewed energy.
Advocating the procedure on her Goop lifestyle website, Gwyneth wrote: 'For the uninitiated, a colonic is essentially a way to hydrate and irrigate your colon – a section of your intestines that's approximately five feet long – by filling it with warm water and then flushing it out repeatedly.'
Other celebrity fans reportedly include supermodel Cindy Crawford, TV personality Paris Hilton and R&B singer Beyoncé.
But despite its popularity, re-branding, and claims at being good for you, there have been no studies that prove a scientific benefit.
4. GWYNETH PALTROW (AGAIN) - THE GOOP CLEAN PROGRAM
The three-week long $475 cleanse was designed by cardiologist and detoxification expert Dr. Alejandro Junger.
The program, tried and tested by Paltrow, 'involves an easy-to-follow formula' of daily shakes, supplements, and whole food recipes, and it calls for participants to eliminate soy, dairy, gluten, plant-based protein, refined sugars, grains, several different fruits, and alcohol.
The program includes two vegan meal-replacement shakes per day, one 'solid, clean' meal for lunch, and a daily regimen of 24 supplements.
According to Gwyneth, the cleanse made her feel 'pure and happy and much lighter', with the Goop founder gushing that the program is 'amazing'.
Posting on her Goop lifestyle blog in 2020, she wrote: 'I've used Clean in the past with great results, losing a few pounds and kickstarting a healthier and more energetic New Year.'
It's not for everyone, and with good reason, but the prospect of eating 14 jars of baby food a day apparently appealed to the likes of Jennifer Aniston
It's not for everyone, and with good reason, but the prospect of eating 14 jars of baby food a day apparently appealed to the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
As the name suggests, the Baby Food Diet involves substituting adult foods for soft, spoon fed jars of baby food.
Each one contains roughly 80 calories, meaning 14 consumed each day will provide users with a daily intake of around 1,000 calories.
The diet be offset with one adult low-calorie meal per day, but the minimal calorie intake calls into question its long-term benefits.
Regardless, sales in dry baby food were given a significant 59% boost, while wet baby food sales went up by 20% following claims that Reese Witherspoon had tried the diet.
Reports of the diet began to circulate in 2010 when Jennifer was said to be using it to get in shape for her rom-com Just Go With It.
Aniston, it was reported, was eating 14 portions of baby food purees a day followed by a grown-up dinner of grilled fish and green vegetables in the evening and had managed to lose 7lbs in a week - not recommended at all.
Pictures of her with co-star Brooklyn Decker showed then then 41-year-old Aniston looking every bit as toned as the Sports Illustrated model, 18 years her junior.
Cheryl Cole, in preparation for her appearance as a judge on the U.S. version of the X Factor, also reportedly turned to the outrageous diet.
6. NICOLE 'SNOOKI' POLIZZI - THE COOKIE DIET
On paper it sounds perfect, but could you really live on a diet of cookies?
Originally trademarked by Australian Dr. Sanford Siegal in 1975, the bizarre diet is based on meal replacement... in the form of a biscuit.
Featuring ingredients including milk, sugar, eggs, wheat and a 'secret amino acid protein mix' that kerbs hunger pangs, the diet has been tried and tested by a number of celebrities - notably Jersey Shore star Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi.
Snooki reportedly tried the diet in 2010, with the reality TV personality consuming just six 90-calorie cookies and one small meal each day.
The diet involves swapping breakfast, lunch and any snacks in between for just six of the brand's special biscuits - available in flavours including butterscotch, cinnamon oatmeal, chocolate brownie, blueberry, banana and maple syrup - or nine of the little 60-calorie ones.
You are permitted to eat a healthy, sensible dinner - just so long as your daily calorific intake does not top 1,200 calories.
The cookies - which, according to Madonna, made her then-husband Ritchie lose his sex drive in 2008 - are made from fibrous grains such as oats, fruit and amino acids, and the diet claims to help you drop 10lb per month.
In 2009, Kim Kardashian publicly denied turning to the diet after an article on CookieDiet.com named her as a celebrity advocate.
'Not true! I would never do this unhealthy diet! I do QuickTrim!' she tweeted at the time.
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