What’s the Skinny on Detox Diets?

On every social media site, all over the internet, and on TV celebrities are endorsing detox diets. They are often convincing, who wouldn’t want to look like a celebrity?  Beyoncé swears by the “Lemonade Diet” and Dr. Oz is singing praises of viewer success with the 3-Day Cleanse.  So what’s the skinny?

There are no short cuts! A year of unhealthy eating is not going to be corrected by a few days of drinking juice.  People claim to feel better and have more energy once they start detox diets, but those feelings are likely not from the new diet but from eliminating highly processed foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients.  Detoxing a few days per year? This is not going to make a big difference in your overall health, it will more likely just make you hungry and nutrient deprived.

Want to make a big difference you will actually notice? How about eating nutritious and healthy foods daily.  Take care of your body everyday by fueling it with proper nutrients and trust that your body will take care of you.  Your kidneys, liver and lungs naturally detox your body.  In fact, healthy people do not store toxins in the liver but the liver converts potentially harmful chemicals into water-soluble chemicals that can be sweated or excreted from the body.

Detox diets often lack protein which may cause your body to breakdown muscle tissue to get the nutrients it needs. Colon cleanses often do more harm than good by wiping out gut microflora -beneficial bacteria for immune health.

The bottom line? Ditch the detox diets and focus on a well-balanced diet year round.