Elly Miles copped fierce backlash from fans and medical professionals earlier this week when she posted an infographic to her Instagram which claimed broccoli, onions, legumes, tomatoes and capsicums are “toxic”.
WATCH The Bachelorette star Elly Miles hits the gym
The Bachelorette star broke her silence when she told WHO on Tuesday she never intended to “shove” her new eating plan “down anyone’s throats” and insists she still loves leafy greens.
Elly is sticking to a carnivore-based diet as part of her gym’s eight week “Power Through Me” challenge after deciding she wanted to gain some extra muscle.
“I’m getting heaps of questions in my DMs about Carnivore! I’ll edit my 2 week IGTV tonight and try to get it up!” she wrote in an Instagram Story, which quickly attracted criticism.
“Dietitian here. This is absolute garbage. This message is toxic, the foods aren’t,” one commenter wrote.
“Dietary advice should come from professionals. End of story,” a dietician wrote on Facebook.
in an exclusive interview with WHO, the 26-year-old claimed it’s “absolutely devastating” that her post was misconstrued by her 206,000 followers.
“I love veggies I have nothing against veggies. It’s absolutely devastating. My intention was to give people an example of the type of plants I’m able to implement into my diet during the challenge,” she said.
“It sucks it’s been taken this way and I’m sad I’ve upset people by it as well.”
Elly, who starred alongside her sister Becky Miles on The Bachelorette last year, said she heard many people saw benefits from the eating plan which prompted her to give it a try herself.
“When I announced to my audience and adopting this diet style I was met with a lot of curiosity by people who were considering it and were interested in seeing how I felt as I navigated my way through it, so I decided to document it,” she said.
Elly, who describes herself as an advocate for a well-rounded and healthy lifestyle, apologised to anyone who was offended by her post.
“By no means do I claim to be an expert and it might have come across that way. Through this experience I’ve taken on board people’s reactions,” she said.
“I really do love food and I just wanted to document this new experiment with my diet while I do the challenge. And people were interested to see how I go and it’s unfortunately been misinterpreted.”
While some people who undertake the challenge completely cut out vegetables from their diet, Elly opted to keep in some greens and fruits.
“It’s just the guidelines and the basis of what the diet entails. I’m doing more of a blend and some people do only meat. I also need to enjoy my life and food,” she said.
Elly said when the challenge is completed in eight weeks she will revert to her omnivorous diet – which consists of protein and vegetables.
“I’m feeling strong, I’m feeling clear and I’m sleeping really well. I am actually feeling really great.”
However, the registered nurse denied she was ever trying to convert her followers to her specialised eating plan.
“You’re the captain of your own ship and your own. Do your thing, be yourself. I just wanted to share it because people seemed interested,” she said.
Elly advises anyone wishing to drastically change up their diet or exercise routine to always do their research.
“I’m not someone that really advocates for diets. If anyone’s thinking of making a radical change to their diet and lifestyle they definitely need to consult medical professionals and not do it just because they’ve seen someone else do it,” she said.
This comes after Elly’s own fans appeared to turn against her after she posted the divisive health advice.
“Influencers shouldn’t promote any kind of diet unless they are a qualified dietician & offering individual consultations. It’s so dangerous for their young followers,” one wrote.
“Imagine becoming an influencer and of all the current problematic and political issues you decide to use your platform to demonise vegetables,” wrote another.
Elly’s post even prompted the Butterfly Foundation, a charity aimed at supporting Australians with eating disorders, to spread awareness about the potential damages of taking health advice from non-professionals.
“Social media can be vortex of information, health advice and tips that are often posed as credible, scientific claims. But not everything you see online is true or based on scientific fact,” the foundation wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
“Here’s your regular reminder to be critical of what you see on social media, particularly when it comes to health, dieting or nutritional information posted by influencers.”
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