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Beyonce is the latest in a long list of celebrities turning to YouTube to share a candid look at her lifestyle - but since this is Beyonce the production values are naturally higher than your average celebrity vlog.

In a new YouTube video, Beyonce shares a sped-up insight into her exercise and fitness journey on the road to Coachella - something she previously touched on in her Netflix documentary Homecoming.

In the video titled Beyonce - 22 Days Nutrition, her intensive preparation for Coachella is revealed, including trainer and author Marco Borges’ nutrition plan of the same name. Beyonce did the 22 Days Nutrition plan twice over - opting to adopt a plant-based diet for 44 days under Borges’ guidance.

Recently however, the diet has been criticised by nutritional experts. British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine has since claimed to the BBC the plant-based diet “could be dangerous” and may cause “nutritional deficiencies”. Heidi Murphy, a registered dietitian, explained to Global News that while plant-based diets can be “very healthy when done properly”, she did however have reservations about this particular diet. Given that the 22 Day Diet cuts out proteins and carbohydrates - including vegetarian ones like lentils - Murphy said that she worried “one wouldn’t meet their nutritional needs”.

Murphy also criticised intensive crash diets such as Borges’, explaining, “When an individual returns to their old eating habits, they regain the weight (and often more), resulting [in] the ‘yo-yo’ dieting effect. This not only puts an individual at higher risk of some chronic diseases, it can take a toll mentally and physically."

Borges has since said in response to the BBC that Beyonce was “mindful of the importance of proper nutrition and exercise” and “achieved her goals successfully”.

However as dietitian Abby Langer put it to Global News, “Beyonce has resources that most of us don’t have - like a chef, trainers, assistants.”

Over the duration of Beyonce’s video, the singer is filmed stepping onto a scale (which she called "every woman's nightmare") and saying throughout the diet regimen that she was “hungry”.

As the video progresses, she is then seen fitting into a former One Woman costume and declaring, “I’m coming back. She’s coming back.”

The short two minute video has since made the rounds online, with 1.7 million views on YouTube after being posted just two weeks ago.

How did Beyonce get ready for Coachella?

Beyonce begins her video by revealing exactly how much she weighed on day one of her 44-day treatment plan.

The singer started by stepping onto weighing scales, which revealed she weighed 175 pounds ahead of Coachella. She says in the video, “Long way to go. Let’s get it.”

Prior to Coachella, Beyonce spent time recovering after giving birth to her children Sir and Rumi Carter. After having an emergency caesarean, Beyonce suffered from toxemia which caused her body to swell, according to her essays in American Vogue. In her documentary Homecoming, which detailed her preparation for her history-making appearance at the festival, she revealed her personal struggle to prepare her body for the demands of the high intensity performance.

Speaking in her YouTube video, Beyonce explained that she was “a woman who felt like my body was not mine” after giving birth. She continued, “Me getting the weight off was so much easier than getting back in shape and my body feeling comfortable.”

Beyonce revealed that her diet included “no bread, no carbs, no sugar, no dairy, no meat, no fish, no alcohol”. Beyond the numerous shots of plant-based meals that Beyonce presumably ate over the course of her diet, the singer was also seen working out intensively. Aside from her dance rehearsals, Beyonce was filmed using battle ropes, resistance bands, medicine balls and more.

Who is Marco Borges?

Marco Borges is called “Beyonce’s friend, trainer, exercise physiologist and New York Times best-selling author” by the singer in the description of her video. Throughout the clip, he is seen coaching not just Beyonce but also members of her team about his method called 22 Days Nutrition.

Borges’ 22 Days Nutrition revolves around a 22 day meal plan of purely plant-based food. Beyonce and Jay-Z both gave the nutrition plan a go initially in December 2013, according to The Kitchn, after which Beyonce became a convert - partnering with Borges initially on a food delivery service and now the 22 Days Nutrition Meal Planner.

Jay-Z blogged about it and explained the reason why the eating plan is 22 days long, saying, “Psychologists have said it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. On the 22nd day, you’ve found the way.”

Throughout the video, Borges is seen telling people, “We know the power of vegetables, we know the power of plants, we know the power of foods that are unprocessed and are as close to nature as possible.”

He continued, “Plant based is really about eliminating all the overly processed foods that don’t do us very good anyway. When you’re eating plant based, you will definitely have more energy, you will definitely sleep better, you’re definitely going to have improved complexion. Your mood is going to change completely.”

“It’s just making a move towards healthier choices,” he added.

Borges is also the author of numerous books, which include The 22 Day Revolution Cookbook: The Ultimate Resource for Unleashing the Life-Changing Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet with a foreword by Ryan Seacrest, The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World introduced by Beyonce and Jay-Z as well as Power Moves: The Four Motions to Transform Your Life with another foreword by Jay-Z.

Is the 22 Day Nutrition Plan safe?

Dietitians and nutritional boards have warned that the 22 Day Diet had the potential to be “dangerous”, and warned that it could lead to “nutritional deficiencies” according to the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine.

According to the BBC, the diet provides just 1,400 calories a day (less than the NHS recommended amount for men and women) and nutritionist Daniel O’Shaughnessy said, “This is quite low for anyone, users will feel tired and exhausted particularly when adding in the exercise. It could be dangerous for the average person to follow without a team of nutritionists and trainers like Beyoncé has.”

O’Shaughnessy claimed that the singer was “selling a dream”, however Borges said to the BBC in response, “Beyoncé used a combination of a whole food plant-based diet and daily exercise as part of her discipline and hard work in order to reach her personal goals in preparation for her Coachella performance.”

Saying that she “achieved her goals successfully”, he continued, “She continues to be mindful of the importance of proper nutrition and exercise as part of a healthy and happy lifestyle. We applaud her and are humbled by her courage to share her journey with others.”

Is the 22 Day Nutrition Plan vegan?

Yes, the 22 Day Nutrition Plan is vegan - however Broges prefers the term “plant-based”. While Beyonce and Jay-Z have dabbled in veganism in the past and even offered a fan tickets to the Carters’ concerts for life if they pledged to adopt a plant-based diet.

Borges told the New York Times that beyond avoiding animal food products, Borges’ diet importantly avoids “highly processed foods”. He also explained that Beyonce and Jay-Z weren’t actually truly vegan, as they just adopted a plant-based approach to many of their meals. He revealed Beyonce has a “plant-based” daily breakfast and avoids meat on Mondays, while Jay-Z eats “2 plant-based meals a day”.

What is the 22 Days Nutrition Meal Planner?

The 22 Days Nutrition Meal Planner is another collaboration by Borges and Beyonce. Following in the footsteps of their 22 Days vegan delivery service in 2015, the pair has developed a planner which maps out a plant-based eating schedule for interested parties. Beyonce’s video explained that the planner provides “access to tools and foods that empower everyone to become their healthiest self”.

On the planner’s official website, users can take a quick survey and be matched with an ideal eating plan which takes into account your needs, cooking skill, what appliances you have at home and how hardcore you want to be. You can also opt to just do the exact same plan that Beyonce did.

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