Erie Health Tips: Detox Diets
March 2010 e-Spotlight
Aren’t there just some things in life that you wish could be done a lot easier? It’s not like we’re asking for anything outlandish – like a “free money” tree in our backyard or the ability to communicate telepathically – just a few simple things. Like our own secret passageway to get to work during rush hour or the ability to get an extra three hours of sleep, that’s all we are asking.
It is safe to assume a faster way to lose weight would be top on most people’s lists. We’re not exactly looking for the ability to eat pounds of chocolate cake and still stay skinny – although that would be wonderful. We’re just looking for a quick trick we can utilize when we need to shave off a few extra pounds after we’ve had one too many slices of St. Patrick’s Day soda bread. Sure, we’ve seen the diet pills on supermarket shelves that promise to hold the secret to weight loss – but we have to give ourselves credit. It’s going to take a little bit more then fancy packaging and a pretty model on the bottle to fool us.
Enter detox diets. Yes, at first glance, detox diets seem like our ticket to easy street. The creators of detox diets coin their product with fancy names, such as the “Master Cleanse,” “Raw Food Detox Diet,” or a personal favorite – the “Hallelujah Diet.” The proponents of these diets also feed us a lot of information that initially sounds fairly believable. We hear about ‘toxins polluting the body’ and ‘cleansing our internal organs’ and ‘ridding ourselves of pollutants.’ It all sounds really good. Of course, there is also that little part about being able to drop ten pounds in ten days that really drives the point home for most consumers.
The basic premise of detoxification diets, or detox, is that by restricting foods such as meat, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, certain grains and dairy products, while increasing the intake of more fruits and vegetables or, in the cases of some detox diets, only consuming liquids, we’ll be able to rid our body of toxins and pollutants that act as a barrier to our ability to lose weight. The promise is after seven to ten days, dieters will feel lighter, more energetic and focused, as well has having an overall ‘healthier’ feeling.
Unfortunately, like all things that seem too good to be true, detox diets are not what they promise to be. Michael Picco, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic, certainly doesn’t buy it. “There is no evidence that detox diets actually remove toxins from the body,” says Picco “Most ingested toxins are efficiently and effectively removed by the kidneys and liver.”
The weight loss that is often experienced with these diets comes from the severe calorie restriction they require. Some detox diets have their user restricting themselves to 800 calories a day or less. Most of the weight that is lost is water weight anyway – or worse, lean muscle tissue. Any pounds dropped during the detox will quickly pile pack on and then some. Plus, severe calorie restriction will trigger the body to go into ‘starvation mode’ meaning that your metabolism will slow and make future attempts at weight loss difficult.
So how about those ‘feel good’ vibes detox dieters get when they initially begin their fast? Don’t be fooled – severe calorie restriction promotes heightened psychological feelings of well-being. If detoxing is continued or repeated over an extended period of time, dieters will begin to experience anemia, hair loss, low blood sugar, irregular heartbeats and dizziness. The bottom line: we already have all the equipment we need to rid our body of pollutants and toxins. By eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains and white meat, limiting saturated fats, sugars, and alcohol, getting regular exercise and practicing stress reduction techniques, we’ll keep our kidneys and liver in top form. If weight loss is what we seek, then we again need to healthfully reduce our calorie intake to no less than 1500 calories a day while also making sure to stick to a daily exercise routine that includes cardio.
So, all in all, the only way to effectively and efficiently drop pounds is to eat right and exercise regularly. There really is no easy trick or quick fix to becoming thin and trim. I guess we can’t say we’re surprised. At least we can still hope for that money tree.
Look for more information on nutrition and exercise in the next edition of Erie Health Tips!