With the turn of the New Year, many of us are looking for solutions to compensate for our over indulgences during the holiday period. What better way to kick-start a new healthy lifestyle than a detox! However, often a detox can just lead to a non-sustainable quick weight loss and increased energy. How do you make a detox work for you?
Clearing the Toxins
Toxins are agents that can potentially harm the body and can either be from an external, internal or self-generated source.
Promoters of detox diets propose that these toxins can build up over time and cause symptoms such as weight gain, headaches, dull skin and bloating. However, it is important to know that the body already has systems in place that protect us from potentially harmful substances. The liver, intestines, kidneys, lungs, skin, blood and lymphatic systems are all designed to work together to ensure any dangerous toxins are chemically transformed into less harmful compounds that are then excreted from the body.
So What Are The Benefits Of A Detox?
A dietary detox follows the concept of cleansing the body of toxins by eliminating certain foods, loading up on fresh fruit and vegetables, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and rehydrating with plenty of water, for a set period of time. It may also include herbal supplements or other methods, all of which aim to remove environmental and dietary toxins from the body.
Those who normally eat an unhealthy diet will naturally feel better when they start a detox diet and are eating properly. Most people don't drink enough water or eat enough fresh fruit and vegetables, so simple changes such as boosting hydration and eliminating processed foods will lead to an increased sense of wellbeing.
Claimed benefits of detoxing, such as helping relieve headaches, are more likely to be linked to lifestyle changes such as not drinking alcohol or coffee and the fact you are fully hydrated. Reduced bloating, for example, is probably a result of eating less and eating more fibre so your bowel is working properly. While better skin may be due to drinking more fluids, and eating more fruit and vegetables which are full of vitamins and antioxidants.
Weight loss from detox diets may be a result of cutting back on calories and increasing physical activity. The weight loss from these detox diets is often short-term as these diets are difficult to sustain. Most people feel they can go back to their pre diet weight.
Supplements That Can Help You Detox:
There are many herbal supplements that can help you on your dietary detox. Milk Thistle (Silybum Marianum) is an herb with remarkable detoxifying and liver protective effects. Its most active constituent, silymarin, can protect against some liver toxins by acting as an antioxidant to reduce damage to cells. Silymarin can also increase the quantity of the powerful liver protector glutathione, and is able to speed up the regeneration of healthy liver cells.
Other supplements such as, Liquid Chlorophyll assists in cleansing the body and eliminating toxins, while Hydrated Bentonite can support the intestinal system in the elimination of unwanted toxins due to ability to ‘adsorb’ toxins.
Are Detox Diets Dangerous?
The biggest danger with detox diets is that they often don't provide enough nutrients. Insufficient carbohydrates can drain you of energy and cutting out dairy means you’re missing out on calcium putting you at risk of osteoporosis. Other downsides may include blood sugar problems, fatigue, nausea and a decrease in the body's ability to fight infection.
The Verdict
Our bodies have an amazing detox system already in place. However you can try a detox diet that includes all the food groups and use it as kick-start or stepping stone to making long-term lifestyle changes. Detox diets encourage you to eat more fruit and vegetables, drink more water as well as cutting back on processed foods. It is also very empowering to feel like you are taking control of your diet which can boost your mood and motivate you to continue with positive changes
A better and more sustainable investment in your health would be to eat more natural foods, cut back on sugar, salt, additives, caffeine and alcohol and follow the Australian Dietary Guidelines.