London - She recently boasted that she’s slimmed down to a size 10 ahead of her wedding to her billionaire fiance.
But Michelle Mone has been accused of peddling "nutritional nonsense" after posting her 29-rule slimming plan online.
The Ultimo founder, 48, shared her diet plan with her 87 000 Instagram followers. Rules include ditching cow’s milk, eggs, meat and fruit juice.
The diet allows for a maximum of three portions of fish and seafood a week – and the same for pasta and rice. "Basically it’s a limited pescitarian diet with lots of legumes and vegetables", Baroness Mone wrote online.
"Meat substitutes can be used to bulk up meals. The key is to avoid sugar, starches and simple carbs at all costs. Sounds mad... however, it can be done and made very interesting as per the recipes that I will share with you."
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lady (Michelle) Mone(@michellemone) on Nov 24, 2019 at 9:41am PST
The plan also includes restrictions on cooking – with no frying, no cream or butter and no clingfilm or tin foil.
Helen Bond, of the British Dietetic Association, warned the lingerie tycoon’s approach "is based on nutritional nonsense rather than evidence-based nutrition science".
She added: "There are so many nutritional inaccuracies. It worries me that people will jump on board with this set of rules and cut out foods without any medical need. It encourages an unhealthy relationship with food."
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lady (Michelle) Mone(@michellemone) on Nov 24, 2019 at 10:11am PST
Michelle Mone's 29-rule slimming plan:
1. Low-fat milk – cows’ milk is bad for you.
2. Natural yoghurt – small quantities only.
3. Eggs – completely avoid.
4. Reduced fat cheese – avoid completely.
5. Juices – avoid fruit juices as they are full of sugar; if used, need to be freshly squeezed and taken in moderation.
6. Fresh fruit – full of sugar so take in moderation.
7. Fresh vegetables – eat as much as you like.
8. Wholegrain bread – eat in moderation. Avoid any bread that isn’t wholegrain.
9. Fish and seafood – three potions per week max… Avoid fish with high mercury content (tuna, mackerel, halibut, swordfish).
10. Lean meats – avoid meat as animal protein is bad for you. Use protein substitutes e.g. chick peas, quorn, tempeh, seitans, jack fruit, egg plant.
11. Olive oil – very healthy, three tablespoons per day.
12. Rapeseed oil – bad for you, carcinogenic!
13. Baked beans – bad for you.
14. Natural nuts (almonds, brazil nuts etc) are good for you.
15. Tinned pulses – are fine but I would avoid tinned ones and go for bagged ones.
16. Tinned tomatoes – fine. Fresh ones are better.
17. Sweetcorn – avoid tinned and go for fresh.
18. Tomato puree – fine.
19. Herbs – fine.
20. Dried fruit – in moderation.
21. Pasta and rice – maximum of three servings per week with no one serving greater than 40grams (wholegrain pasta and brown rice or wild rice).
22. Porridge oats – fine, providing they are natural and do not have sugar additives added.
23. Legumes – are fine, apart from cranberries (full of sugar).
24. Fry nothing.
25. Batter nothing.
26. Only cook food in olive oil – nothing else.
27. No cream or butter in cooking.
28. Stocks – use vegetable stocks; not meat.
29. Avoid cooking in clingfilm and tin foil.