To Detox or Not to Detox??

I had a long layover at the airport yesterday and so I had a lot of time on my hands.  My close friends and family know I like to talk a lot and give lots of information.  So this unlimited uninterrupted time allowed me to type my little heart out.  Enjoy.

We have all heard of the crazy detox diets available on the market or those promoted on the Internet.  Most of these detoxes substitute real food for cleansing beverages or a plethora of supplements.  You should steer clear of the ones that will cause you to hibernate from reality for a few days due to the extreme laxative effect.  Most likely you will not be eating food during this detox and I can’t stress it enough that food is fuel for the body.  Also dehydration is a major risk factor in those types of detoxes so hydration so important!Plus you could be losing major minerals such as potassium and sodium that are necessary for many body processes.

Other detox diets require major fastings or extreme calorie restrictions.  I have said it before and I will say it again, starving the body is not the best way to get that figure you’ve always dreamed of.  You will slow your metabolism down drastically which will harm you in the long run.  Some people get carried away with fasting diets and this can lead to major medical complications.   I am not too fond of these types of diet plans because many people use them for a quick fix for shedding pounds.  Reality is your body has the capability to detox on its own.  That is what our major organs are for. (lungs, kidneys, liver, etc) 

If you still want to try a detox diet, try to find one that allows you to eat and definitely includes protein in the diet.  A liquid-based detox diet may just promote the loss of water weight and can even waste away lean muscle mass.  When you lose muscle, you’re losing your calorie burning powerhouse.  Therefore taking in adequate protein and continuing to partake in exercise to promote the maintenance and building of lean muscle mass is necessary. With that said, some detox diets may better than others you will just have to do the research.   

Ridding your body of waste is necessary but unless you practice healthy dietary habits on a regular basis, these detox diets won’t help you in the long run especially when it comes to weight loss unless you truly learn how to live a healthy lifelong lifestyle.  I wouldn’t recommend a commercial detox to any of my clients or patients but what I could do is educate them on natural ways to detoxify their bodies.  So below I will do just that, give recommendations on healthy ways to rid your body of unnecessary toxins.  This way you won’t have to stomach crazy concoctions such as vinegar and cayenne pepper and put your body in starvation mode. 

It is no secret that obesity is a major epidemic in the United States.  We just eat too much and move too little.  One easy way to detox is to just eat a little less.  You should know if you are eating mindlessly out of boredom and when you do notice this, stop it!  One small change such as this goes a long way.  I am a firm believer of small frequent meals which means snacking often BUT don’t snack just for the heck of it; snack when you are hungry or have gone way too long without providing your body with fuel.  You may not experience hunger pangs in the stomach but you may start to get irritated easily or get a headache out of nowhere.  These are also signs of hunger.  Just try to focus in on your hunger cues and this can really help you eat when you are supposed to not because your day-to-day habits are causing you to.  No adult should really consume less than 1200 calories unless you are super small and not moving at all but you need to be moving for good overall health.  If you are going to try and eat less, continue to drink plenty of water.  Eating less will cause you to take in less water because many foods contain water.  So drink up!

Now some things to eliminate from your current diet that can help detoxify your system.

·  Artificial sweeteners – These are often consumed in excess because they are calorie free.  Unfortunately there aren’t too many long-term studies done on how these sweeteners affect our bodies in the long run.  Research does show that artificial sweeteners can actually lead to weight gain because they cause you to crave sweets more often!  Plus majority of these sweeteners are not natural and if we are going to detox, let’s get rid of anything that is not natural!

·  Mindless eating – I mentioned this above.  Eat when hungry, no when bored, tired, anxious, sad, angry, or for social reasons.  Of course it is courteous to eat when at a dinner party or get together but you CAN make smart choices or just nibble on a few bites.  Don’t eat just because the food is there.  Instead sip on water or unsweetened iced tea.

·  Bottles and bottles of supplements – A multivitamin is always a good idea just in case your diet is inadequate in some important vitamins and minerals, but when you are taking 20 different herbal supplements your body is having to process these and that can overload your kidneys.  Plus many herbal supplements have interactions with other supplements, medicines and even some foods.  Some people may require more supplementation such as calcium, vitamin D, and omega-3s and that is fine it is just when you are taking packets and packets of things you don’t even know what they are.  Do the research and know what you are putting into your body!  Additionally research has shown the absorption of antioxidants from foods is superior to the supplement form. 

·  Think fresh not fried – Avoid fast food at all costs!  I don’t think I really need to explain why but I will.  Fried foods are full of artery-clogging saturated fats and sodium.  Enough said!

·  Sugar – especially soda!  Some sugar is fine, in moderation and from more natural sources such as agave nectar and honey but sugar is the additive most found in foods.  Read ten food labels in your house.  I bet all or most of them contain some form of sugar.  Have you ever paid attention to how much sugar is in your favorite foods?  You can find this on the nutrition label on the package under the Total carbohydrate line.  This is something to pay attention to.  You can then search for alternate foods that may contain less sugar than the one you are currently consuming.  For example I love yogurt.  Well I started looking at how much sugar is in my yogurt and I was shocked!  So I have learned to switch to non-fat plain Greek yogurt.  This still has sugar in it but this sugar is naturally occurring from lactose.  So I sweeten my yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit rather than high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners found in many yogurt varieties.  Now back to soda.  This is one beverage that should be avoided.  There really is no health benefit to soda, so why drink 44 ounces of it on a daily basis?  If you saw my post on sugar a few months back you know just how much sugar is in your favorite soda.  Typically each ounce of soda contains around 1 teaspoon of sugar.  So your 16 oz bottle will contain close to 16 teaspoons of sugar.  Instead try seltzer water, club soda or tonic water and flavor these with fresh fruit or a splash of 100% juice. 

·   Alcohol – hmmmm, ok a drink on occasion is fine but daily drinking really is not.  It is recommended that if you are going to drink daily that women have no more than one drink and men no more than two.  The best choice would be red wine because there are actually health benefits associated with red wine.  I actually am doing a little detox of my own by eliminating certain foods that I like but may not be the best for me during the week and one of them is alcohol.  Occasionally I would enjoy a glass of red wine after work but with that red wine came cheese, crackers and grapes.  Can you blame me?  But I was eating mindlessly and decided I didn’t need to do that and I realized I could do it on occasion if I really want to.

·  Red meat – It's full of saturated fat.  If you can’t fully eliminate red meat from your diet, just try to eat less of it. Choose low calorie cuts of chicken, pork, turkey and fish.  Substitute ground turkey for beef in recipes and try to eat one or two plant based meals each week such as vegetarian lasagna or chili made with soy crumbles (check out my recipe tab – I bet you will never know the difference!)  Also eat the serving size -  three ounces.  This is the size of a deck of cards.

Now what can we include in our Healthy Detox Diet Plan???

·  Plenty of sleep!  Get your zzzz's please.

·  Small frequent meals (healthy ones, when hungry) Include fiber and lean protein as well as a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

·  Exercise – every little bit counts.  Start with just ten minutes a day and watch it grow!!

·  Chocolate – yes I said it!!!  Now I am talking about dark chocolate made with at least 70% cocoa.  Dark chocolate has antioxidants that fight free radicals which damage our cells.  But stick to a serving, 1-2 ounces/day.  Also cinnamon is another great addition to any diet.  It tastes great and is calorie free.  Cinnamon is also known to help control blood sugars. 

Sample Detox Diet

Breakfast
• 8 oz water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Scrambled egg whites with chopped fresh herbs (such as basil or oregano), topped with a dollop of salsa, and 1 slice whole-wheat toast, dry
or 1 cup cooked oats topped with 1 Tbsp of cocoa powder and ½ cup berries, ½ banana or 2 Tbsp nuts
• 8 oz decaffeinated green or herbal tea

Snack:
• Sliced apple with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
or 1/3 cup natural trail mix (don’t forget the water)

Lunch
• 1 cup fresh spinach or lightly sautéed spinach or kale, squeezed with fresh lemon juice
or 1 cup asparagus with 1 tsp olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice
• 4 oz grilled, baked, or broiled salmon, chicken, or pork tenderloin, seasoned with spices such as lemon pepper
• 1/2 cup edamame beans, steamed
• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea
• 8 pecan halves

Snack:
• 1/2 sweet potato or one citrus fruit (orange or grapefruit) paired with 4 oz low-fat yogurt (and more water please)

Dinner
• Large spinach or romaine salad with vegetables. Dress with 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil mixed with lemon juice or vinegar (any variety)
• ½ cup to 1 cup asparagus or artichoke hearts, steamed
• 4 oz lean chicken with spices, baked or grilled
• ½ cup brown rice, barley, bulgur, or quinoa
• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea

Snack:
• ¾ cup to 1 cup blueberries and 17 almonds or walnuts
• 4 oz nonfat Greek yogurt or low-fat organic yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese (water?)