Don't De-Tox, De-Junk!
After the indulgences of the festive season, the idea of detoxing often becomes popular. There are detox regimens that involve fasting, consumption of a very low calorie intake, or avoidance of whole food groups, in order to cleanse the body of 'toxins' and help to drop several kilos and/or make you feel like a million dollars in a very short space of time. But do they work and are they safe?
What are the dangers of "detoxing" in this way?
Whichever way you look at it, a ‘detox’ is a ‘diet’ - the word DIE with a cross at the end! Anyone who has been on a diet knows that you can easily loose weight but because they are all about deprivation, you can’t sustain them and so you end up re-gaining the weight you lost (sometimes even more)!
Detox diets often encourage the elimination of total food groups which claim many things including weight loss, reduced headaches, less bloating, clearer skin etc. Eliminating entire food groups is not recommended for many reasons as it may lead to the depletion of essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium, leading to dehydration and altered electrolyte balance. This is bad news if you are exercising, as dehydration will impair your performance.
Furthermore, when you significantly reduce your calorie intake, especially from carbohydrates, your energy levels tend to drop as these are your primary source of fuel for energy. If you deprive your body of carbohydrates particularly during and after exercise, you will not be able to go as hard or as long as you would normally and your recovery wouldn’t be very good either.
When carbohydrates are stored as glycogen (stored energy) in the muscle, it is stored with water so the rapid weight loss most people experience following a ‘detox’ is normally just water weight because they deplete their carbohydrate stores. This means it is very quickly regained.
Detox diets are not supported in scientific literature. Our own bodies are constantly detoxifying by filtering out, breaking down and excreting toxins. How else do you think we handle things like medications, alcohol, bacteria, by-products of metabolism and digestion? Our major organs like our liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs and skin do it all for us.
What is the best way to lose weight and get healthy?
The best way to feel better is to ‘de-junk’ rather than ‘de-tox’. Ensuring you are getting your 5+ a day as well as consuming the right amount of whole-grain carbohydrates, protein and essential fats as well as including adequate fluid and some exercise in your day will get you back on the path to feeling great.
By Kath Fouhy, BSc, PG DipDiet, NZRD
