detox diets: Are they really effective?

Best detox diets- regular exercise, eating more fruits and veggies, healthy fats, lean meat, some grains and drinking plenty of water.

There are plenty of detox diet plans available with just one click and woohoo! you get a perfect strategy to lose weight in the fastest way possible. When I started my weight loss journey around 6 years back, I also looked for the same, but let me disclose one secret here: I have not followed any of them.

The Internet has full of fad diets and will tell you to avoid this or avoid that. Detox diets one of them. Let’s explore what is that and does it work?

Detox diets :

Detoxification (often shortened to detox and sometimes called body cleansing) is a type of alternative medicine treatment that aims to rid the body of unspecified “toxins” – substances that proponents claim have accumulated in the body and have undesirable short-term or long-term effects on individual health. Activities commonly associated with detoxification include dieting, fasting, consuming exclusively, or avoiding specific foods such as fats, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, juices, herbs, or water, colon cleansing, etc.

People usually make poor lifestyle choices, such as drinking lots of soft drinks, caffeine, or eating lots of junk. So, it’s beneficial to get rid of all that toxins accumulated within the body. The detox diet helps in removing all the unwanted substances present in the body and also increases the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Such a diet generally consists of drinking a lot of fluids, eating whole foods, or even fasting for a few days or sometimes even a week.

Let’s get straight into the types of detox diets and see if they work for weight loss:

1. JUICE DIET: One of the most popular detox diets and this diet includes the consumption of only fruits or vegetable juices and drinking lots of water. These drinks are packed with nutrients, especially if they’re rich in veggies. These drinks can be a great addition to your diet but drinking juices or smoothies and depriving your body of actual food is where this detox veers into unhealthy territory. Usually, the detoxes eliminate a large amount of protein and fats from the diet, and you’ll end up spending your entire detox feeling hungry. So, there’s a lot of side effects associated with this.
2. FOOD RESTRICTION: These diets are ones that restrict certain food or food groups as a way to flush out toxins and improve overall health. Eliminating certain foods from your diet can be useful if you do it the right way. A well-balanced diet contains all the essential nutrients, so excluding or restricting certain foods can restrict you from getting them. Make sure to get a balanced diet and try to reduce the intake of certain food groups one at a time, doing this will help you get an insight into what foods are negatively impacting your health.
3. LIVER DETOX: This diet aims to deliver a boost to the body’s detoxifying system by enhancing the liver function. The liver is well equipped to handle the toxins that we’re most likely exposed to. It’s always a great choice to incorporate the healthy stuff in your diet but, this doesn’t require a formal detox. There are plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and drinks that one can include in their daily diet for better liver functioning.
4. COLON CLEANSE: This diet attempt to cleanse the digestive tract and helps the body to get rid of the toxins by promoting bowel movements via supplements or laxatives. It is always a great idea to get rid of all the toxins present in the body but doing it the natural way is a much better option. Colon cleanses and colon hydrotherapy should be avoided unless done in the direction of a physician. Consuming the diet rich in fiber can help you do deal with this better and will help you keep your digestive tract healthy. 
5. MASTER CLEANSE: The most intense of all is the Master Cleanse which involves making a concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water which is consumed for at least ten days.

SOUNDS GREAT, BUT NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS YOU THINK :

1. Detox drinks are great if consumed with a well-balanced healthy diet and anybody opting for such diets should consider a dietician before starting. Decreased calorie intake can cause nausea, weakness, or dizziness and can further reduce your strength. However, when combined with adequate nutrients and enough calories from healthy foods, they can be great energy boosters. Never opt for this diet without consultation.
2. This diet can help you drop a few pounds, but you’ll likely just gain it back. Your weight loss journey should be about a proper lifestyle change. Sustainable diet plans will keep you healthy forever without even depriving you of your favorite dishes. So, why not just choose a healthy diet rather than the fad diet?
3. If your only goal is to detox your system, don’t waste your time or money on this. Our body is an expert in getting rid of the toxins. The liver and Kidneys know their function very well and you can just take care of them with a balanced healthy diet.

TAKE AWAY:

Ditch unhealthy stuff and focus on devouring nutrient-rich whole foods that are filling and satisfying. Add fruits and vegetables along with the fiber-rich whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc. in your diet to keep your mind and body healthy. Stay hydrated and make sure to add some exercise in your daily routine. These simple steps can help you in maintaining a healthy weight without undergoing any nutrients or calorie deficiency.