When Loni Jane Anthony, a 25-year-old Australian mom-to-be, posted photos of her raw, plant-based diet on Instagram, Internet-chaos ensued. Anthony, who is 26 weeks pregnant, follows the 80:10:10 Diet, consisting of 80 carbs, 10 percent fat and 10 percent protein. A typical morning for her starts out with 10 bananas. The nutrition plan was founded by raw-foodist Dr. Douglas Graham.
Here’s where the controversy kicks in: When Anthony’s photos hit the Insta-universe, people were concerned that Anthony wasn’t getting enough nutrition to sustain herself, let alone her growing baby. But Loni told News.com.au in an interview that she’s subscribed by the diet for the past three years due to health problems that nearly took her life. She said that an average day starts with warm lemon water followed by half of a watermelon, a banana smoothie or whole oranges, five to six mangos for lunch and a large salad for dinner. Loni treats herself to an alcoholic drink once every five months (though not during her pregnancy. “[This diet] wasn’t for weight loss or for a quick fix,” she told the site. “I was internally really sick; I was killing myself slowly. Some days, even on my Tumblr, the amount of questions I get asked is just insane. I’m like ‘why are people so interested in me? I’m just sitting here eating my bananas. I’m not anyone special.’”
Loni uses her Instagram page to document her unique fruitarian meals and on her Tumblr, Aleven:11, she credits the lifestyle change for doing “great things” for her reproductive system and hormones. She’s even the first to say that she’s no a medical expert and has no expert knowledge in the reproductive field. Being pregnant hasn’t changed much by the way of meal planning, either. “My eating habits are still the same as when I wasn’t pregnant. I have eaten more cooked food for dinners during the pregnancy but other than that still on a high raw high card plant based lifestyle.”
Do I think that her lifestyle is intense? Yes, there’s absolutely no doubt about that. Do I think it’s bad for baby? I don’t know. Medical professionals remind moms-to-be not to drastically alter their routines when they’re expecting so if Loni’s been practicing this type of lifestyle for three years, it doesn’t make sense to make a huge change that would, no doubt, shock her system and be potentially harmful baby. I’m not saying that Loni’s way is the right way (or the wrong way) — and I’m definitely not saying that this type of diet is sustainable ('cause this girl likes her chocolates, y’all!), but if Loni’s seeing an OB regularly and baby’s health isn’t in jeopardy by her nutritional choices, then who am I to judge?
Here are a few of the photos from Loni’s Instagram that have garnered the most attention:
Photos Courtesy of Loni Jane Anthony
Do you think this type of diet is dangerous for baby?
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