What Is the Detox diet

When you hear the word detox the first thing that comes to mind is treatment for alcohol or drug dependence; however, the term is also used to refer to diets involving change in consumption habits in an attempt to detoxify the body by removal of toxins or other contaminants, such as pollution, cigarette smoke, pesticides, food additives, alcohol and caffeine.

Although detox theories have not been proven scientifically, the advocates of this diet believe that toxins do not always leave our bodies properly during the elimination of waste. Instead, they believe that toxins hang around in our digestive, lymph, and gastrointestinal systems as well as in our skin and hair. These diets claim to improve health, energy, resistance to disease, mental state, digestion, as well as aiding in weight loss.

Although detox diets vary widely, one of the more aggressive approaches requires that you fast before you can even go on the diet. You have to go three days without eating any food and can only drink purified water. For these three days you are cautioned to keep activity to a minimum and not venture into any extreme climates.

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What Is The Appeal Of This Diet

It is believed by many experts, that the fat-soluble chemicals we ingest on a daily basis through water, food, and the environment can become deposited in cells in our body. A poor diet can impair our natural ability to detoxify chemicals, which further leads to their build-up in the body. As a result of this build-up in our system, any number of health issues can occur, including weight gain, cellulite, wrinkles, headaches, dull skin, bloating, fatigue, lowered immunity, aches and pains, and a general lack of wellbeing.

Also, individuals are levitating to this diet because of the celebrity power behind it, and the promises of beating cellulite for good, banishing bloating forever, getting glowing skin, and dropping excessive weight. These are just a few of the promises that these programs make, and these promises are very alluring and many individuals are influenced by these claims, in hopes of instant weight loss and feelings of wellbeing.

What Does a Detox Diet Involve

Advocates recommend many methods to help you detox, ranging from the mild and pleasurable, like saunas, massages and body brushing to the extreme and unpleasant such as colonic irrigation, bowel enemas and fasting. The fasting consists of giving up food for a couple of days and then gradually reintroducing certain foods into the diet. Herbal supplements like milk thistle, detox drinks and liver tonics are often recommended. And making a dietary change, is of course, a bit part of most detox diets.

The Foods allowed can vary widely amongst different detox diets, but generally this diet involves one or two days on a completely liquid diet and another four or five days with only adding brown rice, fruit and steamed vegetables to the diet. After a week of eating only these foods, you gradually reintroduce other foods – except for red meat, wheat, sugar, eggs, fish, alcohol, salt, caffeine, and all prepackaged or junk foods into your diet. 

What Do Experts Say About This Diet

There is simply no scientific evidence to suggest that our bodies need help to get rid of waste products if we are healthy and there’s little proof to support the claims that detox diets work. Quite the contrary, most nutritionists, dieticians, and doctors believe that our bodies are completely capable of excreting waste without the aid of detoxing, via our lungs, liver, kidneys and skin.

Most experts also believe that strict detox diets followed long-term, can lead to nutrient deficiencies (malnutrition), and other health problems. For example, eliminating dairy products from your diet will deplete your body of the nutrient calcium, which helps protect bones and teeth. Also, the absence of sufficient protein, essential fats, and minerals will cause your body to become less healthy, as you begin to break down muscle tissue.

Experts also say that any benefits that are seen can be easily explained. Fewer headaches, for example, are probably the result of being fully hydrated due to drinking so much water and better skin may be due to eating more antioxidant-packed fruit and vegetables. Cellulite may well improve if you pay more attention to your thighs and bottom by body brushing these areas and less bloating is probably due to the fact that you feel empty much of the time!

Can You Lose Weight

There is no question that these programs help you lose weight. Obviously, if your intake of food is extremely low, by eating mostly fruits and veggies and cutting out dairy products, meat and wheat-based foods, your calories will be slashed, hence drop in weight occurs. The amount of weight you lose depends on the severity of the dietary restriction—the more foods that are banned, the more weight you are likely to lose. It’s that simple.

Pros

Detox diets encourage some good habits such as eating more fruit and veggies, drinking more water and cutting down on junk food and processed foods. Plus, they encourage you to cut back on caffeine and alcohol –all good habits to develop. They also help you to think about what you are eating and to take control of your health

Cons

The main problem relates to a shortage of many nutrients, which can lead to certain deficiencies and lower immunity. Weight loss is usual fast, but temporary, and is the result of loss of water as well as fat due to the severe calorie restriction. You may also feel tired, sick, and headachy. Advocates say this is the result of detoxing, but in reality, it is usually caused by a lack of food! This strict detox plans can encourage you to develop an unhealthy obsession with food and a potential eating disorder. Finally, eating out and socializing are almost impossible—most hosts and restaurants do not produce detox-friendly meals.

Final Thoughts

There are a few aspects of these diets that can help boost your health, such as eating fruits and veggies, consumption of water, and cutting out junk food from your diet. Nevertheless, there is no good evidence that suggests these programs work.

We are not suggesting that eating lots of veggies, fruits, and fiber and drinking lots of water is a bad idea, but you also need to make sure you are getting ample nutrients you need from other foods; including protein from lean meats, eggs, beans, or peas and calcium from low-fat or fat-free dairy products. You definitely shouldn’t start a program or stop eating from any major food group, without talking to your doctor first.

Ultimately, if these programs appeal to you, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. For starters, these programs are intended for short-term purposes only. And these programs are usually recommended not as a way to lose weight, but to help “clean out the system.”

It is not recommended that individuals with health issues, diabetes, low blood sugar or eating disorders go on one of these programs.

Finally, individuals who fast for several days may drop pounds, but most of it will be water and some of it may be muscle. Fasting for longer periods can also slow down a person’s metabolism, making it harder to keep the weight off or to lose weight later.