Detox diets are widely promoted as a healthy way to lose weight and cleanse your body. Although the January health rush has come to a close this message is still pertinent year-round as people seek a quick fix or a magic bullet to get rid of any excess fluff.
Marketers promoting detox diets and commercial cleanses are all too familiar with the attractiveness of instant results and look to take full advantage.
A detox diet is essentially a marketing strategy designed to treat a non-existent medical condition.
The reality is that health and weight management is a long-term endeavor. There is no quick fix and a weekend of ‘cleansing’ certainly won’t negate from poor dietary habits in the long-run.
Detox diets, juice cleanses and the likes typically encourage customers to consume little to no calories for a given period. As body tissue mass change is determined by energy balance, if one adheres to the suggested guidelines, weight loss will ensue.
The problem, however, is there are no education or behavior/lifestyle modifications to support the process. Quite frankly, consumers are often left disempowered and disheartened once weight regains inevitably follows soon after.
Why? Detox diets lead people to believe they have been ‘cleansed/flushed/purged’ and can return to consuming an unbalanced, highly refined diet only to ‘detox’ again in 6 months. This on-going ‘all or nothing’ cycle naturally fails, often leaving individuals with higher body fat levels than when they initially started.
Take-home message – your all-natural detoxification system tends to do a pretty good job without unnecessary ‘toxin elimination’ assistance! If you do struggle to reach your goals, hire a coach who can help and guide you throughout the process. Don’t be suckered in by clever (yet misleading) marketing!
What foods are included?
Fruit and vegetable juices and water
Some detoxes allow fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables
What foods are avoided?
Few allow whole grains and flaxseed
Solid foods
What are the pros?
Could reduce alcohol and caffeine intake
Decreased intake of high-fat and highly processed foods
Encourages eating more plant-based foods
What are the cons?
Weight loss is from fluid and potentially muscle mass
Weight regain is rapid when diet is discontinued
Metabolism slows down, making it more difficult to keep weight off
May result in nutrient deficiencies
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