So, we've all heard about them, read about them, or actually know someone who's done one. Detoxes...they are touted by celebrities everywhere as the best way to lose a lot of weight extremely quickly. We all look at the glow and glamor of these celebrities and think, if they can do it, so can I. However, the question we should be asking ourselves is whether or not any of these detoxes are actually safe. In fact, "doctors and dietitians, most of whom agree the habit can turn disordered and dangerous and may ultimately make you fatter", would NEVER recommend a detox to help someone lose weight.
For as much as people tout the great affects that a detox has on their body, many of them are unfounded or simply temporary. In fact, over time detoxes are going to do much more harm to your body than good. We think that by cutting food out of our diets we just speed up the process of losing the weight and once it's off it will stay off. When instead by cutting out nutrients our body needs we slow down our metabolism and our body conserves any energy we give it. So by the time you're ready to eat solid food again you gain all of the weight back that you've lost if not more, because your body doesn't know how to digest it properly.
Then there's the argument that detoxing at least cleanses our bodies of all of the harmful things that we put into it. The fact of the matter is, our bodies cleanse themselves just fine all on their own. According to Lona Sandon, R.D., assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, "We have a liver and kidneys, and they are quite efficient at processing out anything toxic." By putting our bodies through a detox we may "actually weaken immunity by killing good bacteria that fend off invading germs in the gut. And fasting can trigger arrhythmia and even cardiac arrest because of the rapid loss of key electrolytes."
It's very easy to see why the lure of the a detox is so tempting. Some of our favorite celebrites constantly talk about how great a detox makes them feel. When we look at the celebrities we admire, and see their "perfect" bodies we think they've given us a gift from the gods. "Of course! A detox is the answer I've been waiting for all along!" We have to be honest with ourselves though and realize that there really is no quick fix. If you want to lose weight and keep it off you have to work for it, just as all those celebrities do. The truth of the matter is, many of them, if not all of them, are in the gym working their butts off and eating right to keep their bodies looking the way they do. If they do a detox they are few and far between. The only way to truly keep ourselves healthy is reagular diet and exercise. If you ever find yourself questioning whether or not a new diet is safe for you, SELF magazine has listed six signs to look out for. And they are:
1. It touts superfast results. These are the diets we all reach for right away. We all want the fastest way possible to reach our goal weight and discover our dream bodies. Again though, it takes time. "A normal-weight woman should lose no more than 2 pounds of fat a week or risk shedding water and muscle, says SELF contributing expert Stephanie Clarke, R.D."
2. It ODs on vitamins. Even if something is healthy and good for you, you can still have too much of it. Willow Jarosh, R.D. says, "Too much retinyl palmitate (synthetic vitamin A) can damage the liver and might prevent vitamin D from helping our body absorb calcium."
3. It has fewer than 1200 calories. We should all know by now that in order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume. However, you still need to consume calories, if you don't Jarosh warns, "this could slow down your metabolism and raise your risk for nutrient defeiciency."
4. It claims to speed your metabolism. Jarosh says, "If a low-cal plan says this, it probably contains a stimulant like caffeine or bitter orange,"....."when the diet with caffeine ends, you'll face withdrawal--and want to detox again to stop it."
5. It promises to clear out toxins. Again ,your body really doesn't need any help clearing out toxins from your itself. And these plans may very well contain laxatives to help you achieve the cleansing it promises. Instead, "dehydration could occur, making you sluggish and impeding natural filters: your kidneys, liver and skin."
6. It serves the same thing daily. Simply for the reason that your body needs a well balanced diet to stay as healthy as possible. Even if all you're eating are healthly foods, you can hurt your body by depriving it of other nutrients by eating the same thing everyday.
So as great as detoxes seem, they are really only a quick fix. If you want to lose weight you have to change your lifestyle by eating healthy and exercising. There really is no other way to do it.
Today's information was gathered from.
Torgovnick, Kate. "Detox Diets Debunked." SELF Nov. 2010: 113-15.
Great advice!!!
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