Why detoxing could be bad for you!
Friday 06 January 2012
We are all looking to shed that festive bulge but according to health experts, detoxing is the worst option. Although a detox promises to rid your body of harmful toxins; apparently making us feel revitalised, really the only thing a detox will help you with is leaving a big hole in your pocket.
From diets based on raw fruit and vegetables to foot spas, there are dozens of different treatments claiming to cleanse the body of harmful toxins. Detoxing in the traditional sense normally consists of mainly eating fruit and vegetables and juices whilst drinking large amounts of water and steering clear of caffeine, sugar and alcoho, but do they really work?
Gwyneth Paltrow has recently revealed to the world via her lifestlye website GOOP, that she is embarking on a New Year cleanse. Her 21 day detox is low on fat and sugar and comprises two 'tasty' protein shakes for breakfast and dinner, and a lunch made from any combination of prescribed foods. These include plenty of vegetables such as salad leaves and kale, as well as brown rice, chickpeas and butternut squash.
The diet plan is named Clean and was created by Dr Alejandro Junger. It's been heralded by Gwyneth who apparently succeeded on the plan last year too. She wrote on GOOP: She wrote: 'Next week, when it’s back to the grind with work and the daily school run, I’m starting off with Clean, my go-to cleanse from Dr Alejandro Junger...
'I’ve used Clean in the past with great results, losing a few pounds and kickstarting a healthier and more energetic New Year.'
But what does Closer's nutritionist think?
Catherine Matthews says: "On the positive Gwyneth is eating plenty of wholegrains like brown rice and vegetables which are great for getting rid of bloat. However, she is going down quite a drastic route by using supplements and shakes. We all feel like cutting down after the excesses of Christmas, but eating fruits, veggies, lean protein and plenty of wholegrains, not forgetting drinking plenty of water will help you to do this. Taking supplements or shakes to rid your body of toxins is not the answer, if anything they can make things worse by loading your system with extra protein and replacing foods which should be providing valuable nutrients."
Expert David Bender, an Emeritus Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of Toronto has also warned this form of dieting is not the answer. He claims that the body is perfectly capable of detoxing itself without any extra help and that some detox methods may even be dangerous...
"The whole philosophy of detox is based on the unlikely premise that accumulated toxins cause a sluggish metabolism, weight gain, general malaise and so on.
"Weight gain is due to an imbalance between food consumption and energy expenditure. There is no magic shortcut for weight loss - you have to eat less and exercise more. It's that simple."
Closer's Catherine Matthews agrees:
"A less flattering name for a detox diet is a crash diet and if they are followed in the long term they will starve the body and lead to a breakdown of muscle which is needed to burn calories and fat. A detox should be about eating more healthily and nourishing the body, not starving it of nutrition.
"Yes vegetables are healthy, of course water is really good for you, but is a water and veg only diet healthy? Of course not, to ensure your body gets everything it needs to stay healthy it is important to eat foods from every food group in the correct amounts."
Catherine reccommends Closer Diets for a healthy, balanced way of losing weight. They have recently launched their new website which promises that, if followed properly, their plans will be all you ever need to lose weight for life.
Closer Diets works on the promise that you will never go hungry, you can still have treats and your family can enjoy your food too. They promote a healthy weight loss of 2lbs per week to ensure you move at a steady and realistic pace with the weight staying off. More importantly, there are no fad, quick-fix diet plans here.
If you’re interested, head over to www.closerdiets.com now.