Jessica Viana Tried the Friends Diet from the 90s (This is PROBLEMATIC AF!)

Hey everyone I’m Abbey Sharp welcome to Abbey’s Kitchen. In todays video, we will be talking about the incredibly problematic Friends Diet.

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1) The information in this video is for education and entertainment purposes only, so you should always speak to a health care provider about your unique health needs.

2) Please use this video (as with all of my review videos) as educational, not as unique recommendations.

3) Please be kind in the comments.

4) Trigger warning to those with disordered eating tendencies.

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Xoxo Abbey

[HannahTheHorrible]

what's bananas is that the characters on the show always ate "normally", and ate pizza and muffins in the coffee shop etc. all the time. Which makes us feel ever worse because it's like they're staying that skinny AND eating a bunch, when really they were practically starving themselves. stupid Hollywood.

[Sterling]

Am I the only 40 yr old suddenly freaked out realizing we all were trying to look like unhealthy drug addicts in the 90s?

[emmaharris]

I’m sitting here nodding along to everything you’re saying Abby. I’m so glad you made this video! Also, another thing that really annoyed me was the body double standard in Friends. The guy friends ate freely on the show without judgment in the script (aka Joey) and they were not expected to loose weight or look an ideal way like the women were. The show is fun and nostalgic but has too many problematic themes :/

[bridiemacdonald]

That salad looks amazing! buuut adding a bit of salmon on top for lunch or grilled whatever plus light salad dressing is def. what it needs. I was size 8 great shape and 5' 9" and thought I was fat because I wasn't a size zero, yes the 90s were gross.

[__Jessica___]

After seeing her video I actually made the Jen Salad because it sounded delicious and hit the HCC. I made it with quinoa because I couldn’t find bulgur and I cooked it in bone broth, added some olive oil and balsamic reduction.

[wavingcat]

Abbey have you read Portia de Rossi’s book, Unbearable Lightness? Part of it deals with her time on Ally McBeal, another popular 90s show, and what the actresses did to maintain the low weight that was required. It’s very interesting but also very troubling.

[Polly-dlbu]

I'd like to point out that for some neurodiverse people, planning meals and eating a variety of foods can be overwhelming. Having the same meals every day can be a way for them to have a routine, so I generally give people the benefit of the doubt just in case; otherwise yeah, we all need a bit of variety in our diets.
I know right now I need me some veggie spring rolls every week or I'll scream 😂

[SarahSmile]

It was the Zone diet!!!! How soon they forget…

I can’t imagine doing this for one day, let alone year in and year out

[unperfectperfectionist]

I'm guessing none of the men on Friends were similarly asked about the details of their diet?

[emmabeckett]

I’m glad you covered this and spoke about how harmful this stuff is!! For an interesting take on the celebrity side of this- Debra Messing did an interview on the podcast iWeigh with Jamila Jamil (it came out August 7, 2020) where she talks about the insane pressure she was under to look so thin when she was on Will & Grace and how that impacted her.

[hotwasabi]

That salad actually looks kind of good to me lol I might add some dressing and try it. Definitely won’t be eating it every day for the rest of my life though 🤣

[crashlikewaves]

I feel so bad for their boyfriends or significant others... like, can you imagine being gaslit for worrying about your girlfriend and being concerned if they're exhibiting such restrictive eating behaviors?

[micropopo]

Those weight measurements are alarming! I'm 5'4 and when I weighed 110 lbs (I'm normally around 125-130), I felt super tired all the time and looked incredibly skinny. Obviously I know that bodies differ but definitely not a healthy weight for most people of their heights

[LostInWotsoever]

I have the same basis breakfast every morning, aka overnight oats, because of laziness and because I know I would end up buying pastries on the go if I didn't eat and left the house hungry, but even then I am trying to switch it up regularly, sometimes with apple, sometimes with cocoa, almond butter and peanut butter interchangeably, and chainging fruits acc. to the season, because otherwise I would be straight bored with the same tasting breakfast 365 times a year!! I love the "jen salad" and it's a staple in summer but as you said: switch it up girl - couscous, quinoa, wheat berries, and diff. veggies / dressings!!!

[anon-mxjx]

When I grew up I always thought these people were at a „healthy“ weight and that this is how a normal attractive female body looks like. I never had a full blown ED but I definitely struggle with disordered eating which ultimately resulted in me going from a normal BMI to becoming overweight due to binging and jojo dieting. I normally don’t gain weight when I eat a balanced diet and listening to my satiety but I came out 5 kilos heavier after every diet I tried. This video helped me putting things into perspective as I perceived myself as being overweight when in reality people I compared myself to were underweight and even suffered health consequences from it like infertility.

[starwarsthemesong]

Hi Abbey, I'm trying to kick my binge-eating and incorporate intuitive eating. What I took away from this video is that from this starting point I have a bit of an uphill battle as my binge-eating definitely comes out as an intense sugar craving after any meal. I wan to listen to my body, but it's really difficult to ignore that craving. How can I manage it without going to processed sugar?

[heatherlaurenRN]

I had no idea that under eating has a relationship with IBS. I would be interested in learning more about that

[PrincessKLS]

Maybe it’s because I live in a rural area in the south but I remember the 90s having a “fat free” craze and the early 2000s being about low-carbs.

[SMRCEC]

If you’re having fruit or vegetables or herb infused water for the taste n vitamins plus hydration awesome but I agree it really is over blown as for gut health,

[Luna-igjk]

I would love to hear your opinion on loose skin and diet. Iv heard that fasting can help reduce loose skin. Iv lost 100lbs and struggle with the skin but a friend of mine that's a doctor told me surgery is the only thing that will truly fix it