Pop icon Usher has been praised for being in tip-top shape following his iconic Super Bowl performance.
The 45-year-old singer is now preparing for an upcoming world tour, in which he will perform 80 concerts in six countries.
He does!’ Hitmaker revealed in an interview last week that to get in shape, he fasts for 24 hours straight every week, drinking only water.
He also rejects coffee in favor of celery juice and a mixture of water with lemon, ginger and cayenne pepper, and claims that a morning yoga session “activates” his organs.
Experts told DailyMail.com that while some of Usher’s peculiar habits might have small benefits, most are largely “unnecessary” and potentially “harmful”, leading to dangerous malnutrition due to a lack of nutrients. vital as carbohydrates and fiber.
They also warned that practices such as sitting outdoors in the heat to raise the body’s “natural heat levels” could promote dangerous levels of sun exposure, increasing the risk of skin cancer.
Dietitians told DailyMail.com that many of Usher’s strange diet and fitness habits are “unnecessary” and have no concrete benefits.
Some research has pointed to the benefits of intermittent fasting, but experts warned that doing it for 24 hours while exercising could lead to fatigue and electrolyte imbalance.
Intermittent fasting involves switching between a normal diet and restricting food intake for four to 12 hours throughout the week.
However, some more extreme approaches involve not eating anything for an entire day at a time. Usher told the Wall Street Journal That Wednesday is the chosen fasting day.
“I usually try to start around 11 p.m. the day before and then spend all day Wednesday drinking water,” he said.
Dr Carolyn Williams, a dietitian and author of Meals that Heal, told DailyMail.com that while the average person doing a 24-hour fast is “not that alarming”, Usher’s intense exercise routine could increase the risk. of adverse effects.
“What worries me is whether he was doing extensive training for the Super Bowl,” he said. “If you’re going to fast for 24 hours, you should reduce physical activity.”
‘Fasting all day on water alone and still trying to maintain this exercise program and all that is not what is generally recommended. When you exercise like he does, you need more to fuel your body.’
Dr. Williams noted that fatigue and headaches are common side effects that can begin as early as the afternoon.
Additionally, intense exercise involves sweating. Sweating causes a loss of electrolytes, which are minerals that help control hydration, muscle contraction and bone health, among other functions. “Usher could have an electrolyte imbalance,” Dr. Williams said.
Having too few electrolytes can cause muscle cramps, diarrhea, constipation, irregular heart rate, nausea, vomiting, and numbness.
Research on intermittent fasting has long been conflicting.
While some research suggests that intermittent fasting could help you lose weight, other studies have found that skipping mealtimes could lead to an increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and premature death.
A recently presented study of more than 20,000 adults found that those who followed a time-restricted eating plan were 91 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease.
Additionally, a 2023 study in mice found that skipping breakfast caused disease-fighting white blood cells to decrease by 90 percent, increasing the risk of infections.
Dr Williams told DailyMail.com that Usher’s habit of sitting in the sun to increase his body’s “natural heat levels” has no known nutritional or fitness benefits.
Usher has stated that he drinks celery juice regularly. Dr. Williams noted that while the drink is hydrating, no research has been done on its benefits.
Usher also revealed that he skips his morning cup of coffee in favor of celery juice. The drink has been touted as having only 33 calories and being packed with nutrients such as potassium, folic acid and vitamins A, C and K.
However, Dr. Williams cautioned that the green concoction may not have any concrete health benefits.
“I don’t think there have been any major scientific studies done on celery juice,” he said. ‘If you want to drink celery juice, that’s fine. “It will be very hydrating, but I don’t think it will necessarily be superior to other vegetables.”
“There’s been a golden health halo around celery juice, and there’s really no scientific evidence to suggest that it’s going to improve your health or prevent cancer or anything like that.”
Dr. Williams also noted that because celery juice is strained, the process removes fiber, which the vast majority of Americans don’t get enough.
Fiber is essential for maintaining digestion and regulating bowel movements, and emerging research suggests that a lack of fiber could be fueling the explosion of cancer cases in young people.
“Fiber is a key nutrient in celery,” Dr. Williams said. “Eating celery will give you fiber, hydration, vitamins and minerals.”
“It is generally always better and more nutrient-dense to eat a fruit or vegetable rather than juicing it.”
As for Usher’s other morning drink (hot water with lemon, ginger and cayenne pepper), Dr. Williams noted that it could be “nutritionally useless.”
“If it helps someone awaken their body and they feel it’s beneficial to them, I don’t think there’s any harm,” he said. “But there’s nothing significant that’s going to alter your health or anything like that.”
Aside from specific foods, Usher also noted that he doesn’t eat breakfast until he does “something physical” each morning.
“Going for a walk, stretching or doing yoga, sitting in the sun and raising my body’s natural heat levels,” she said.
It’s unclear exactly how much time the singer spends in the sun and heat, but Dr. Williams suggested there may be no concrete benefits to doing so.
“I don’t know what you mean by that,” he said. ‘Your body temperature is highly regulated by things in your body. You want to maintain your normal temperature.
“I can’t think of any reason from a digestion or health standpoint to do this.”
This “internal thermostat” is regulated by hormones produced by the brain’s hypothalamus, which tend to keep the body between 97 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit. While sitting in a hot environment can raise your body’s core temperature, sitting for too long can cause adverse effects.
“Longer periods could definitely lead to heat exhaustion, and factors such as temperature, humidity, and time of day can exacerbate this risk,” Dr. Williams said.
He also noted that “any amount of exposure of unprotected skin to direct sun can be harmful and potentially lead to skin cancer.”
While he uses yoga to wake up in the morning, Usher also stated that the exercise helps “activate my organs and get my mind moving in the right direction.”
“I really don’t know what he means by that,” Dr. Williams said. “Yoga will definitely get the blood flowing and increase circulation, but I’m not aware that it will necessarily activate the digestive organs or other organs in the body.”
However, according to Johns Hopkins, yoga has been shown to improve strength and balance, relieve back pain, and promote relaxation.