I Tried Victoria Beckham's Strict Diet

A year ago, I unpacked Victoria Beckham's extreme diet. Whether it's eating, working out, or drinking, she has always stuck to a strict diet and rigorous workout plan.

Over the years, Beckham has done several interviews where she talks about her diet and fitness plan. According to Hello magazine, Beckham avoids tea and coffee in the morning and instead has two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar on an empty stomach followed by some warm lemon water before she drinks or eats anything.

Studies have shown that apple cider vinegar can help improve blood sugars. Other limited research suggests it may support weight loss by making people feel fuller faster, though any reduction in calorie intake could be explained by vinegar-induced nausea limiting a person's appetite.

That was definitely not a coffee swap I enjoyed. I tried apple cider vinegar but regretted it immediately as I have very sensitive teeth. There's a reason why dentists beg people not to try this trend—it strips your teeth of their protective enamel.

For breakfast, Beckham either has a green monster smoothie consisting of apples, kiwi, lemon, spinach, broccoli, chai seeds, and coconut water, or an avocado on toasted Ezekiel bread—both of which are very nutritious options.

Ezekiel bread is considered one of the more nutrient-dense options on the market.
One slice has roughly four grams of protein, three grams of fiber, 15 grams of carbs, and no added sugar or preservatives.

I liked Ezekiel bread, but I needed more than one slice. I wanted to eat the toast and drink the smoothie to feel fuller, and I wanted to bump up the protein a little, too.

I did not like the taste of her green monster smoothie, I felt that it needed something sweet so I tried to salvage it by adding a banana. I liked the Ezekiel bread better, although the seeds were a little aggressive in texture.

Beckham's diet consists mainly of vegetables, fish, and tons of avocados and nuts. She told The Telegraph that she consumes three to four avocados daily to keep her skin glowing.

Avocados are rich in antioxidants like vitamins C and E, which have been shown to play an important role in preventing skin damage along with mono and saturated fats to improve skin elasticity.

I like avocados, but I would never want to eat four of them in a day, so, I compromised by adding some avocado to my salad and also some cous cous and nuts. I regularly add avocado to meals to increase healthy fats and fiber, but I wouldn't have four a day.

According to David Beckham, his wife loves to eat grilled fish and steamed vegetables for dinner and rarely deviates from that.

I love fish. I think it's a great nutritious source of protein, but I believe there are a lot of potential risks of consuming an excessive amount of the exact same foods every single day.

Not only does eating only fish as a source of protein edge out other nutrient-dense foods with a variety of health benefits, but it also could put one at a higher risk of mercury poisoning.

Some side effects of mercury poisoning could include anxiety, depression, numbness, tremors, memory problems, and potentially even more devastating effects. So, I felt that sticking to this for a long period wasn't feasible. Instead, I alternated between fish and chicken.

According to an interview, Victoria Beckham works out at least twice a day every day for at least two hours. I've read that she does an hour of running followed by an hour of strength training, but I cannot run.

So, instead, I tried to do a quick walk on an incline on the treadmill, along with a full-body workout. This balanced workout left me feeling energized and strong.

If I followed Victoria Beckham's diet to the letter, I would have probably had a meltdown because of how rigid it is.

I think it's important to note that whenever she is interviewed about her diet, Beckham ends up saying she is very disciplined.

The media has always been quick to compliment and praise Beckham for her commitment to health. But conflating being healthy with your identity is the backbone of eating disorders like orthorexia, so I'm not okay with making healthiness a flex.

Of course, we all want to be healthy and engage in health-promoting behaviors, but it can't be the crux of who you are, because I was that girl when I struggled with orthorexia myself, and it made me incredibly sick. We must stop glamorizing that kind of life.

But, incorporating little tweaks into Victoria Beckham's diet worked out well for me. I still love including a lot of her favorite ingredients in my diet, like avocados and fish.

Abbey Sharp, RD, is the CEO of Abbey's Kitchen Inc.

All views expressed are the author's own.

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