We weren't actually going to hit detox diets, but by request... What is it? We’re going to lump a few diets in here to simplify things, let’s call it any diet that uses or references the term ‘detox’. The general idea of these is to purge any would-be toxins out of the body.
The good: It’s generally true that some of us probably from time to time over-consume high sugar, high fat foods, overuse alcohol and/or medications, overuse supplements and eat nutrient-poor foods. Along with other things such as traffic pollution and sleep deprivation. All of which probably increase your disease risk. Some of these diets encourage a better quality of nutrient rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.
The bad: The answer to all of the above does not have to be a ‘teatox’ or ‘juice cleanse’. These things appear to work because they show an extremely quick result on the scales staring back at you. This though is because you’re essentially running on empty, there’s nothing sitting in your stomach, and you’ve expelled water and carb stores. Most of these diets are extremely low in calories and can be as long as 7 days+. The irony of loading yourself up with all these new nutrients is that they themselves can actually prove to be ‘toxic'. The stupid: Some are simply dangerous. Along with being low in calories, they also tend to be low in other essential nutrients such as protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. Some have a diuretic effect which can have potentially harmful effects on your electrolyte balance. There are plenty of reports of people ending up in A&E after these sorts of plans. Perhaps the biggest issue though is the binge/purge cycles they tend to encourage. Anyone we know who has used these seems to rely on them on a regular basis.
The good: It’s generally true that some of us probably from time to time over-consume high sugar, high fat foods, overuse alcohol and/or medications, overuse supplements and eat nutrient-poor foods. Along with other things such as traffic pollution and sleep deprivation. All of which probably increase your disease risk. Some of these diets encourage a better quality of nutrient rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.
The bad: The answer to all of the above does not have to be a ‘teatox’ or ‘juice cleanse’. These things appear to work because they show an extremely quick result on the scales staring back at you. This though is because you’re essentially running on empty, there’s nothing sitting in your stomach, and you’ve expelled water and carb stores. Most of these diets are extremely low in calories and can be as long as 7 days+. The irony of loading yourself up with all these new nutrients is that they themselves can actually prove to be ‘toxic'. The stupid: Some are simply dangerous. Along with being low in calories, they also tend to be low in other essential nutrients such as protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. Some have a diuretic effect which can have potentially harmful effects on your electrolyte balance. There are plenty of reports of people ending up in A&E after these sorts of plans. Perhaps the biggest issue though is the binge/purge cycles they tend to encourage. Anyone we know who has used these seems to rely on them on a regular basis.
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