Well! In case you missed it, Elle McPherson’s trainer says the secret to the body of your dreams is some Epsom salts.
James Duigan, personal trainer, ‘wellness expert’ and trainer to the stars writes in his book the best way to lose body fat and slim down is not only by cutting out “bad” carbs and processed foods but by burning fat in the bath.
“If a client is getting ready for a photo shoot or a holiday, I tell them to soak in Epsom salt in the days leading up to it – the salts are full of magnesium and encourage the body to shed toxins quickly (and remember; these toxins encourage water retention and cling on to fat),” he writes in his best-selling book, Clean & Lean Diet: Flat Tummy Fast.
He calls it his ‘skinny bath’. Lie down in some water and, well, stay there. Huzzah. Body of your dreams.
It sounds too good to be true. Is it too good to be true? It must be too good to be true.
According to dietitian Zoe Nicholson of Love What You Eat, the idea that bathing in Epsom salts helps “shed toxins” and aides “slimming down” is “more or less nonsense”.
“Our body has a perfectly capable detoxing system with our liver and kidneys. The liver takes up toxic substances and converts them into harmless substances or makes sure they are released from the body. The kidneys extract waste from the blood for elimination from the body. If you’re drinking excess alcohol or eating a nutritionally poor diet, then addressing this is what you need to do to ensure the bodies own detox system is working efficiently,” she says.
Top Comments
This is why dietitians spend 4 years studying what they do at uni, & actually do practicums etc. They also take a general interest in the way people continue to torture their bodies over food & diet etc. Our genetics, lifestyle & environment all influence how we accept & experience our bodies & our own sense of self worth, this I believe determines how we treat it & what we put into it. The concept of what Duigan suggests to his clients, sounds like another "therapist to the stars", self promotion & snake oil salesman all packed in one neatly tied up package. The observation around having shares in Epsom salts, though probably tongue in cheek, is interesting but also something that Duigan may think will work as their most unlikely to want a share of the "royalties," or profitts, its such a generic salt that you can buy off the shelf pretty anywhere as well.
I'd suggest any of Jamies Duigan's clients who are getting ready for a photo shoot or a holiday are pretty darn slim to begin with. He must have shares in Epsom Salts & Little Fibs Pty Ltd.