Another fad diet - detox and cleanse diets

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Have you ever felt like you needed to reset your body? Many people might after eating “bad” food or a night of drinking. As a result, people will research on how to detox and start cleanse diets. Detoxification involves the removal of “toxins” out of the body as waste from the gut. The removal of these toxins can happen through urine, feces, or sweat. Excessive toxin in the body can result in stored fat and damage to the body. Everyone removes toxins differently and what may work for one person, may not work for another because of different environments, diet, lifestyle, health status, and genetics. 
Many celebrities advertise cleanse diets like 1 pound a day, the 10-day green smoothie cleanse, or the master cleanse diet. These diets involve restricting diets, smoothie cleanse, dietary supplements, herbal laxatives, and even fasting. They state that they will result in weight loss, rid the body of waste and toxins, enhance beauty, and even decrease the effects of aging. However, these programs can be expensive, restrictive, hard to follow and unrealistic. Little scientific evidence that these diets remove toxins, improve health or help with weight loss and staying off. Once the diet is over, it can be hard to maintain the weight loss. 
Cleanse diets can show some benefits but they typically last only for a short period of time. Ever feel great the first few days of starting a “diet”? That’s because you’re making healthier choices and drinking more water and staying hydrated. However, after a while you may start to feel sick again or the weight comes back after finishing the diet. These reasons could include because these diets typically involve the exclusion of certain food groups that are not recommended. Each food group is needed for a healthy diet. Severe protein and calorie restriction can lead to fatigue, compromised immune function, constipation and gallstones. Long term effects of cleanse diets can lead to abnormal blood pressure, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and low blood sugars. Rather than completing a cleanse diet, making small changes to your lifestyle that are similar to the cleanse diet is encouraged. Many diets encourage to eat more fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and fermented foods, drink more water, and eat less processed food which are great choices to make in life. Think long term changes rather than short term changes next time you are thinking of doing a diet.  

LS

Kavanagh, M. (2016). Examining popular detox diets – learn about their efficacy and safety for weight loss, their components, and potential adverse effects. Today’s Dietitian, 18(10), 52. Retrieved from https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/1016p52.shtml

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