12/27/2022
IS A DETOX DIET RIGHT FOR YOU?
Ok so how many of you are starting to feel like you may have over indulged during the holidays? How many of you are already thinking that beginning in the New Year you're going to go on a diet, start the gym or maybe even do some sort of "detox" to rid yourself of toxins and/or those extra pounds you may have put on? Or maybe this is the year you want to start eating healthier.
With so may diets and detoxes advertised that claim to do such things as eliminate toxins, quarantee weight loss and even give you more energy. How you decide which one is right for you???
I love to see people make their health a priority but there is so much information out there that I have written this to help you make more informed choices.
So what exactly are detox diets?
Well, these diets claim to:
✔help you lose weight
✔increase your energy
✔reduce inflammation
✔clean your blood and eliminate harmful toxins from your body.
Most detox diets involve at least one of the following:
• Fasting for 1–3 days.
• Drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, water, and tea.
• Drinking only specific liquids, such as salted water or lemon juice.
• Taking supplements or herbs.
• Using laxatives, colon cleanses, or enemas.
Unfortunately detox diets if not done properly can:
✔Mess up your metabolism. Once you stop, you will gain any lost weight right back and then some.
✔Lose muscle mass. This will make any future weight loss even more difficult.
✔Can leave you feeling tired, irritable, lacking concentration, achy, hungry and just generally not feeling well.
There are those that claim that they feel more focused and energised during and after a detox diet. However the improved well-being may simply be due to the elimination of processed and refined foods, sugar, food additives, alcohol and other unhealthy substances combined with an increase in nutrients that may have been lacking beforehand.
There is also no scientific evidence that these diets can actually detox the body since our bodies already do a great job of this already. Our liver, kidneys, gut/intestines, and skin are all detox organs. It is their job to remove/eliminate toxins from our body.
However, with the environment becoming increasingly contaminated with everything from heavy metals to plastics and pesticides we are taking in more toxins which have our bodies working harder than ever to keep our cells healthy, clear and functioning optimally. When left unchecked, pollutants, chemicals and other toxins in the air, water and yes even in our food combined with stress from our daily lives can build up and have major health implications over time.
I am not opposed to the concept of "detoxing", however; the best way to do this is to support our detox organs/pathways on a daily basis through what we eat and our lifestyle. It is the habits we do each day that keep us healthy and feeling good. Not the quick fixes. By maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle you will not need to starve yourself. In fact you can eat a huge variety of foods from all the food groups. This will leave you feeling more energised, having more focus and mental clarity as well as lose those extra pounds and keep them off. So how can we support our detox organs/pathways? Here are a few recommendations:
✅Eat a variety of fresh whole foods from all the food groups (carbohydrates, protein and fats) in a rainbow of colours.
✅Practice stress management (mindfulness, meditation, yoga, journaling etc)
✅Drinking 2-3L of water per day
✅Some form of movement that makes you sweat at least 3x per week
✅Switching out your cleaning products, laundry detergent, soaps, deodorant, shampoo, makeup etc. for items with more natural ingredients.
As you add more whole/real foods into your diet reduce or better yet eliminate the following:
❌Refined foods such as white sugar and flour.
❌The boxed, tinned and packaged foods - the foods with labels that have ingredients you cannot pronounce or even know what they are.
❌Alcohol
❌Cigarettes
If you are looking for a sustainable lifestyle that will allow you to eat plenty of food, increase your energy, improve your mood and mental clarity along with weight loss, send me a message.
I am taking on new clients in January 2023.
