how healthy is it really?
Looking for a healthier lifestyle? You may have come across the Louise Parker Method. This method is called the Kate Middleton diet, because the Duchess of Cambridge used it to return to her old weight after the birth of her children. This seems to have worked well, is this method recommended?
Louise Parker Method
The Louise Parker method was invented, you guessed it, by one of Louise Parker. She consciously calls her lifestyle not a diet, but a method. “I’m on a mission to stop dieting because it’s hard and often doesn’t work.” Parker argues instead for a different way of eating and exercising. “Accept that you need to change, but do it in a way that really works for you, with food you love and exercise you enjoy.” It suddenly seems so manageable, right? These are the lifestyle rules to follow according to the Louise Parker Method:
- Move every day. Try to take at least 10,000 steps and do an exercise (fitness) at home for 15 minutes. If this is not possible for a day, try to move as much as possible.
- Eat three meals and two snacks a day, and pay attention to the different food groups. With main meals, always choose a portion of proteins (eggs, meat, tofu, yogurt, nuts, beans…), low-GI carbohydrates (vegetables, oats, whole-grain bread…) and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, fish, avocado, olive oil… ).
- Start the “lemon” day. Mix juice with 150ml of cold water and 150ml of boiling water and drink this first thing in the morning. Keep drinking water throughout the day and limit your tea and coffee intake to three cups a day.
- Consume as little alcohol as possible, sugar, refined carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, etc.) and processed products (preferably not).
- Sleep seven hours a night and sleep when you can (look, we can do something with that!). Also, give your brain 20 minutes of rest during the day by mindlessly thinking about showering, gardening, biking, sitting on the bus, meditating, or relaxing.
- Turn off your smartphone at 9:00 PM. “Everything can wait until tomorrow,” Parker said.
- Adopt a success mindset. huh? This means that you try to think as positively as possible. Visualize the goal you want to work for.
- Follow the plan 100% for the first six weeks. “The more you follow it, the faster it usually becomes. But if things aren’t going well, don’t think you’ve failed or need to stop altogether. Just pick the plan back in.”
- After the first six weeks, you follow the plan 80% of the time. Give yourself a piece of cake or a glass of red wine every now and then. After all, you are not on a diet, you are ‘only’ leading a healthy, flexible and balanced lifestyle.
If it works for Kate…
Photo: BrunoPress
Admittedly, it doesn’t sound easy (six weeks no and walking for hours!), but we’ve seen more annoying diets come. Moreover, Kate Middleton is not the only one seeing results using the Louise Parker method. Celebrities, CEOs, and athletes have also sworn this way.
how healthy is it really?
“It’s a very balanced approach, and it’s not just hype,” says nutritionist Tanya Borowski in the New York Times. “The Nutritional Principles focus on choosing the right forms of micro and macro nutrients, not counting calories.” Being encouraged and able to safely eat a piece of bread (whole wheat) makes it easier for many people to stick to these guidelines. “There’s also a lot of focus on exercise and getting enough sleep – both of which are essential for optimal metabolism.”
What is the downside?
According to Borovsky, there is a downside to the diet, which is not to skip that glass of wine. “The method cannot be well adapted to an individual’s life stage and personal circumstances.” For example, women who experience menopausal or postmenopausal symptoms become more insulin resistant due to changing estrogen levels. A tailored plan will then be needed.”
