Detox Diet?

Are you a big fan of the “detox” diet? Maybe you should think again. There are hundreds of products on the market that promise to help you cleanse your system or lose X pounds in a couple of days.

What those products don’t tell you is that they are made up of mostly stimulants, laxatives, and diuretics. Sure, the scale may go down a few pounds, but the weight won’t stay off. And trying to lose weight this way isn’t healthy, or smart!

There are several risks that come with using these products. Any of these products, whether it be a tea you drink or a pill you take, can lead to an imbalance in electrolytes, dehydration and you end up losing good gut flora (bacteria) that’s necessary to maintain gut health (i.e. avoiding yeast/bacterial infections that those good bacteria help to fight off). If you are spending money on these products, you will be flushing money down the toilet.

If that is not enough to convince you, recent reports show that some products that list all natural, herbal ingredients were actually found to contain traces of prescription drugs. Prescription drugs require a prescription for a reason – there are risks involved that need to be evaluated by a medical professional before they are prescribed for you.

So now that we have covered that detox diets are not the best plan, what should you do? Well, hopefully you have made changes to your diet since you started boot camp. You should be eating a diet of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. If you want to take this a step further, you could cut out refined foods and alternative sweeteners.

The thing that is most important, is realizing that your liver, kidneys and sweat glands, do all the “cleansing” that most healthy people need. If you want more information about why you should steer clear of the “detox diets”, check out this article from the NY Times.

As Always...Eat Right, Stay Active and Keep Positive!