The Truth About Detoxing for Health
By Sarah Matthews | Published on October 16, 2009 | 0 Comments
At age 26, Tricia thought her modeling days were over. But when the 5 foot 10 inch glamorous blond was suddenly offered some cash for an unexpected modeling shoot, she realized that she needed to lose weight fast if she was to fit into size 2 outfits. What do do?
Well, Tricia did what many American girls do all the time – and some American boys as well. She went on a one-week detox and lost 12 pounds How did she manage to do it? She went on the Cabbage Soup Diet, took a couple of vitamins and drank loads of water. Although she smelled like a rank diaper, her eyes had lost all their luster and her skin looked sallow, she just managed to fit into the dresses she needed to wear.
Needless to say, when Tricia went off her diet she quickly regained all the weight – with an extra 3 pounds on top. And her gut two three weeks to recover. “You are supposed to do the Cabbage Soup Diet for not more than three days, and I was on it a bit more than a week,” she admits. “I had a constant tummyache and was farting all the time. It was nasty!”
The idea of a detox sounds too good to be true – and many health professionals say it is. Yet many of us, especially those who are overweight, lack energy or both, are enticed by the idea of a good old detox to eliminate bad toxins in our diet and cleanse our systems from top to bottom. But are the claims really worth the hype?
Detox Legends and Myths
If you are considering a detox of your own, here are a few legends and myths about detoxing which you may not have been aware of…
TRUE: Nature has a way of detoxing our bodies naturally, without us resorting to starvation or other fad diets to do the trick for us. That way is called our natural digestive systems, with the help of the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin and other necessary organs. And don’t forget the bowels.
TRUE: Drinking water can help me flush out bad toxins. Yes, but don’t overdo it… 64 ounces a day is usually considered enough. And drinking fancy bottled water or herbal concoctions will not speed up elimination any faster – stick with plain old water, as it’s healthy and a lot cheaper.
TRUE: Eating raw foods is good for me. Yes, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables are great. But some foods are actually better for you when cooked such as tomatoes, which release lycopene, a natural anti-carcinogenic.
TRUE” Good habits are better than detox. Up your fluid intact, cut out recreational drugs, nicotine and alcohol, lower your caffeine levels and eat plenty of fresh fruit and veggies while avoiding consuming too much sugar, fat and processed foods (see below).
FALSE: Detoxing is great as a quick fix to kick-start a diet. While you may initially seem to lose loads of weight, you will actually be losing primarily necessary fluids, which you will regain back quickly once you start eating normally.
FALSE: Long-term detoxing can be good for me. While a healthy person can survive on a short-term detox of just a few days and emerge relatively intact, anything longer can be dangerous. Most detox diets mean you are depriving yourself not only of necessary vitamins and minerals, but also of the fluids your body so desperately needs to be healthy and function to the best of its ability.
FALSE: Colon-cleansing products are wonderful – and necessary. The problem here is that detox diets intended to flush all “harmful” bacteria from your colon will also unwittingly get rid of all the good bacteria as well, leaving you more susceptible to certain types of infection.
FALSE: Colonic irrigation is a great way to get rid of nasty bacteria quickly. Under the supervision of a qualified professional, a rare irrigation should do no more harm that result in a nasty yeast infection, as the good bacteria disappears with the “bad.” Too often, people are often left with unexpected surprises they hadn’t bargained for, such as a punctured colon.
FALSE: I am sure my doctor would encourage me to detox, as I am overweight. As no scientific evidence supports detox plans, virtually all traditional doctors do not encourage their patients to try them, although alternative naturopaths often do.
Healthy Yet Cool
If you need to lose weight quickly or are looking for a way to start a healthy, balanced diet under the supervision of a medical professional, Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D. and C.N.S., a well-known diet and nutrition expert, recommends these simple steps for a healthful detox:
- Stick with unprocessed foods
- Eat at least 7 to 9 servings of produce a day (fresh or frozen)
- Choose vegetable proteins over red meat, poultry, or fish
- Gradually cut back on caffeine (to avoid severe headaches)
- Eliminate alcohol
- Drink half your body weight for ounces of daily water (150 pounds, drink 75 ounces water) or at least 64 ounces.
Most people don’t stop to ask if there is any scientific proof that a detoxing plan will actually have any positive health benefits or if anything is dangerously inherent in the plan. There is little evidence that detox programs really work, despite their growing popularity. So next time you think about trying a detox yourself, keep in mind that a healthy diet combined with long-term healthy eating habits and regular exercise will have much more far-reaching results.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.