06/05/2024
How many of you have tried the "detox" diet things?
Working on my Precision Nutrition Specialist in Nutrition for Metabolic Health (My case study with Sienna)
Thought y'all might find this interesting -
yep! I've fallen for it too- I won't anymore!
(there are a few links here too) Liver and detoxification: Coaching in practice
Coaching in practice
Meet Sienna.
Sienna
She’s a former varsity athlete hoping to “make it” as a wellness influencer on social media.
So, naturally, she spends a lot of time reading about the “next big thing” that she might be able to share with her followers.
While the life of an influencer might seem like it’s all spa days and yoga poses on the beach, it’s actually a lot of work. Sienna has to create a lot of content to keep up with her competitors.
Ironically, the job of promoting wellness can be just as demanding as any other job. Sienna works full-time to bring in a regular income, and then works hard on her social media feed after hours.
This means Sienna’s had lots of “burning the candle at both ends” recently, plus more alcohol, caffeine, and takeout food than she’d prefer.
Now she’s asking you, her coach, about a detox diet.
What are detox diets?
Detoxification diets claim to eliminate toxins from the body to help with health and fat loss.
Detox diets range from complete fasting with no food or calories at all, to juice fasts, to drinking a bunch of special tea, and everything in between.
Yet there are many problems with detoxes and cleanses.
Most plans involve:
very low protein
very low energy intake (i.e., calories)
restrictive eating and deprivation
laxatives and/or diuretics
vitamins, minerals, and/or “special” foods (such as cayenne pepper, honey, or lemons) that claim to help you detox
In turn, these can lead to problems such as:
blood sugar swings
GI tract dysfunctions, such as diarrhea or gastroparesis
electrolyte imbalances and blood pressure fluctuations
disordered eating
In these types of dietary regimes, the word “toxin” is never clearly defined — it’s just something nebulously “bad”. The suggested plan is also nebulous; it’s implied that you’ll just sort of “clean house” in a general way.
However, in evidence-based toxicology research and medicine:
“Toxins” are specifically xenobiotics, typically synthetic chemicals like BPA or Tylenol.
Any detoxification intervention is for a specific xenobiotic. You can’t detoxify your body of all toxins with the same process.49
To test the quality of a detoxification protocol, you’d need to answer four questions:
What specific chemical are we detoxifying from?
By what exact pathway does this detoxification occur?
What objective measures can be used (such as blood levels of a specific metabolite) to show effectiveness?
Is it safe for the person doing the diet?
What does this mean for you as a coach?
Start with the psychology, not the physiology.
As we explored at the start of this chapter, “detox diets” have a lot to do with how people want to feel.
(Which is generally some version of “better”.)
Rather than pulling out this chapter and going through the phases of biotransformation, help your client find out why they’re trying this type of diet.
With genuine curiosity and an attitude of non-judgement, ask questions like:
“Why do you want to do this detox diet?”
“What do you hope to get out of it?”
“How do you imagine this working for you in your daily routine / life?”
“And why is that important to you?”
“What might you do after it’s done?”
“Does your healthcare provider know about this? Would it be useful to consult with them?”
Offer the physiology only if there’s interest.
Trust us on this one: A client who doesn’t want to hear will only become defensive.
Again, with an open attitude of genuine care, try something like:
“Are you interested in learning a little more about how this might work?”
If your client says yes, have your clear, plain-language, non-lecture-y explanation ready.
If your client says no, well… let them know you’re just there to support them as best you can.
Further reading
For more on how to work with a client considering a detox diet, see our articles
Detoxes, cleanses, and 30-day challenges article https://www.precisionnutrition.com/long-term-diet-success
Surviving the Dr. Oz Diet. (Gwyneth Paltrow and Tracy Anderson too.) https://www.precisionnutrition.com/dr-oz-diet
For one of our team’s personal experience with a detox diet, see our article: Are detox diets good for you? How a 3-day juice cleanse landed this dietitian in the ER https://www.precisionnutrition.com/are-detox-diets-good-for-you
OK, over to you. In your Learner’s Manual, capture a conversation that you might have with Sienna.
Those colorful, expensive bottles of juice look healthy. But are detox diets good for you? Here's what the science says — and how a juice cleanse landed one of our nutrition experts in the ER.
