In January of every year, many folks declare New Year’s resolutions, some involve developing a healthier lifestyle. But everything that claims to be healthy isn’t. A big trend for years has been detoxes or cleanses. Detoxes say they rid your body of toxins and give your digestive system a break. They also claim to make you feel younger and energized.
The thing is, no evidence has been shown that these detoxes work or live up to their claims. Some of them are restrictive and may do more harm than good. The most popular cleanses are juice or smoothie cleanse, liver detox, food restriction, and colon cleanse.
Of the four listed above, the juice or smoothie cleanse is the most used. Lasting anywhere between 3 and 21 days they replace solid foods with fruit and vegetable based juice or smoothies. Multiple companies sell these smoothies, and they are also available from a specialized shop. You may choose to make them at home.
Drinking vegetable and fruit based smoothies is healthy as long as they are fresh pressed. These smoothies are full of nutrients especially if they go heavy on the veggies.
However, drinking only juices and smoothies, depriving your body of actual food is where this type of detox becomes dangerous.
Liquid detoxes remove the majority of fat and protein from the diet. The lack of fat and protein means you’ll spend the entire detox being hungry and may lead to other negative side effects. Low blood sugar, brain fog, decreased productivity and fatigue to name a few.
Liver detoxes are being used more often, the aim is to improve the body’s detoxifying system by giving it a boost. Sounds good but a better idea would be to eat a diet focusing on raw and cooked fruits and vegetables, including soluble fiber like beans, nuts, and grains, and limiting alcohol intake. These essential building blocks allow your liver to operate at optimal levels.
Another detox is to restrict certain foods or food groups, as a way to flush the body of toxins. Restricting or eliminating certain foods in your diet can be healthy under certain circumstances. Examples are gluten and dairy.
The key to this type of cleanse is to not eliminate a whole group of foods at once. Try removing a type of food for a week and see how you feel. Then add it back in and monitor any symptoms, like bloating, intestinal discomfort, constipation, or diarrhea. If these occur eliminate the food.
The fourth most popular cleanse I would like to discuss today is the colon cleanse. Colon cleanses attempt to cleanse the digestive track and rid the body of toxins by promoting bowel movements with supplements or laxatives. Colon hydrotherapy, also referred to as a colonic, removes waste manually by flushing the colon with water.
Unless done under the care of a physician colon cleanses and hydrotherapy should be avoided. They may cause cramping of the stomach, diarrhea, and vomiting. Serious outcomes could include bacterial infection, perforated bowels, and electrolyte imbalance.
A diet high in soluble and insoluble fiber will effectively remove debris and undigested food particles from the colon.
None of these cleanses or detoxes are necessary, our body has a built in detoxifier,the liver. It’s main function is to process toxins and convert them into non-harmful compounds that are either used or removed by the body.
The bottom line is detoxes are unnecessary, unpleasant, and may be dangerous. Options to support your health are:
* drinking plenty of water throughout the day
* eating a diet high in soluble and insoluble fiber
* keep added sugar to a minimum
* eat more raw vegetables and fruits
* avoid processed foods
* make time for rest, recovery, and relaxation
* practice deep breathing or meditation
Take care of your body and it will function as it should, you only have one. Doing your part to take care of it will lead to a longer, healthier life.
Until next time,
Peace Love and Blessings 💖
