As a Nutritionist, Life Coach and Trainer, I always try to rely on science when informing my clients and followers on ways to be healthy and fit. There is zero evidence that supports a cleanse or detox being good for you or having any effect rather than a short term drop in water weight. Nor is there is any science to back up the claim of any detox or cleanse being effective when it comes to weight loss and health.
Every day I hear or read about “Buy This Skinny Tea To Change Your Body,” “This Cleanse Changed My Life,” and my immediate thought is, I wish I could tell people that they simply don’t work and stop thinking there is any type of magic pill for weight loss.
Most people want fast results when it comes to weight loss and detoxes and cleanses usually offer exactly that. They deliver false claims that weight loss goals can be achieved in a limited amount of time. The issue is that they limit food to such a drastic degree that you simply can’t sustain for a long period of time, making you feel irritable, fatigued and wanting to eat everything in sight. With that, brings bingeing, which in turn, leads to weight gain, not loss.
Don’t fall into the detox & cleanse trap. It’s only a way for someone to take your money.
Keep in mind that our body cleanses itself and is constructed to detox itself. It’s extremely effective in removing toxins on its own. If you have lost 5 pounds after a detox or cleanse or challenge, keep in mind most of the weight is water, and not fat.
Most detoxes and cleanses are mixes of fruits, vegetables, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, “pure water” and the like. These things combined add up to a few hundred a calories a day. Any “food” or drink that is consumed for a week that has a few hundred calories WILL make you lose weight.
The problem with these drastic measures is that the instant you reintroduce real food into your body, the more likely you are to gain any weight back (and maybe even more). Reason being you will be so hungry from not eating that you will want to eat everything in sight. Our brain tells us that we want something more when we can’t have it. Moreover, odds are you simply did not remove any toxins from your body, as our bodies do this on it’s own.
A cleanse/detox is not only dangerous but destructive to your metabolism. In addition, it contributes to muscle breakdown. If you want to lose weight, keep in mind that the slower you do so the better off you will be in the long run. Any diet that is a good diet needs to become a lifestyle.
Incorporate healthy fruits, vegetables and whole grains into your daily diet, along with lean protein, such as chicken breast, egg whites, greek yogurt, fish, cottage cheese, turkey, and lean ground beef.
Adapting healthy habits will make your diet more sustainable for long term success. I can assure you that the key to a great diet plan is time and consistency. Make your diet work for you. Don’t be a slave to it.
Instead of falling into any gimmick, try cleaning up your eating habits. I can promise it will make you feel better long term than any short term detox that is truly a bunch of.
Remember, there is no magic pill! Losing weight takes hard work, time, patience and consistency. This is why I love and try and teach as many as I can about flexible dieting. Since there are no foods off limits, no foods that you are forced to eat, and the fact that you are able to eat whatever you want within your budget, it takes away the need to starve yourself and hence, binge. When you can sustain this way of eating long term is when you will see results. Pancakes and Push Ups’ critically acclaimed Kickstarter Plans encompass customized nutrition plans that are geared towards each individual goals, and your specific body. It also encompasses a 3 Phase, 12 week workout plan to get you into the best shape and feeling healthy and fit.
So before you go and spend money on false promises and put your body through an incredible amount of stress for a quick fix, use that energy to find a less restrictive plan that you can hold on to long term. You will be so much better off, both mentally and physically.
