Do Detox Diets Work? You Tell Me.
I hate fad diets. Hate them all. Which one? In my opinion, whether you're juicing, doing the "master cleanse", or the cabbage soup diet its all the same.
Here's what usually makes up a fad diet:
- Lasts 2-7 days
- Usually made up of a few hundred calories
- Usually lets you have some fruit or veggies
And this is why I hate them.
1) There is NO detox here: I can imagine there is a spiritual aspect to things like juicing etc- I can admit that. When the whole world was gasping at Adriana Lima's pre-Victoria's Secret show diet I agreed it was extreme but I understood. Modeling, her body, thats her job. If she looked like everyone else wouldn't we all be Victoria's Secret models?
But I hate when people call these things "cleanses" saying its "detoxifying" their body. According to WebMD and MayoClinic, researchers at Harvard Institute and registered dietitians they don't work. And you will never find a professional (outside of a extremist group of eaters) that say they do. So I just wish people would call a spade a spade- its not detoxifyng anything. Stop kidding yourself. You want to detox? Don't go to happy hour every other day after work. Boom. Problem solved.
Your body doesn't need to detox. That's what your kidney and livers are for- and they do a great job at what they do. Fad diets havent proven to remove toxins from your body.
 |
| probably didn't get like this by juicing :P |
2) People are kidding themselves. The truth is, the majority of my friends who try fad diets aren't in great shape. Why? Because they do things like fad diets all the time. They haven't accepted the fact that eating well is something you have to implement every single day (or at least 80% of the time).
That being said I always try to stress that it is perfectly OKAY to have "cheat" meals. But you can't eat badly 7 days of the week, every single week, crash diet a weekend before your Vegas trip and expect to look amazing. You know what really happens when you do that? You lose a few pounds (on a scale), still feel bloated, look the same and and then blow up with sodium and water weight the second you have a normal meal. And now you're especially cranky because you were trying to kill your calorie intake. Its a viscous cycle.
Now I agree- juicing is a great way to get vitamins in. But your body can only handle so many vitamins in a day- the rest leaves your body via urine. So if people were to add it as a supplement to their meals? Nothing wrong with that. But I don't like how its become the new "quick fix" that I'm sure will just be replaced by something else in the near future.
You want to look great all the time, then be mindful of what you eat most of the time. I love food- there's no denying it. The fatty stuff, tacos, noodles etc. So its not like I don't like food. But this is I how I think of it- I only go out to eat 3-4 times a week on the weekends. If the food isn't great (and if I made it it won't be LOL) then I'd rather just eat clean. Whats the point of being bloated and tired for some mediocre mac and cheese?
So that's just my two cents. I can understand the spiritual aspect of it for some people- feeling connected to your body and owning it is a wonderful thing. But no more of this "detox" nonsense please. Let's just call a spade a spade, and that is all :)
PS. I'll be uploading a video today about my favorite pasta substitutes for my fellow carb lovers :D Stay tuned!
Bye guys!
