Your body is a ticking time bomb. It is a disgusting, putrid, poisonous toilet and you'll forever be diseased and unclean if you don't buy this supplement that has the word 'natural' and 'cleansing' written all over the box!
... At least, that's what thousands of bullshit 'detox diets' will have you believe. Did you know there are hundreds of these things available? They range from foot pads (apparently toxins 'fall' to your feet the same way food does... Wait, no.) to citric acid drinks, mystery powders you add to boiling water, cod liver oil, sheep's brains, raw food, grass eating, and even a rubber hose you insert up your ass to flush out those heathen toxins with a water pump!
(This one apparently detoxes paint from your walls AND your large intestine.)
These days it seems like you can't turn on the radio, open the newspaper, or even read your news feed on Facebook without someone crying out to sell you, or claiming that they 'need' a detox.
Why do we believe this shit?
1. "Alternative medicine" quacks recommend it, despite having NO formal scientific or healthcare qualifications.
Yes, you read correctly. If someone is recommending or advertising a detox product, then you can bet your left kidney that the person does not have any medical or scientific qualifications of any kind, and belongs in the category of "alternative medicine", simply called that because it's the alternative to the scientifically-based "Medicine that works".
These people will have you believe that your body is constantly bombarded with "chemicals" and "free radicals" - which would be awesome if it were the plot to an 80s kids cartoon show, but sadly, it ain't.
Firstly, almost everything is made of chemicals. Your own body is made of thousands of them. Food is made out of them, and even water is a chemical (its scientific name is dihydrogen monoxide) and yet you need it to live.
For some reason, people hear the word 'chemicals' and instantly picture an industrial glow-in-the-dark factory covered with smog and biohazard signs all over the place, next to a river filled with two-headed turtles.
(Cute little buggers though.)
Secondly, "free radicals" are basically any bacteria that your body recognizes as foreign. Kind of like seeing hippies at a barber shop. Fortunately, our bodies have a host of systems and measures to take care of these things (foreign bacteria, not hippies). We are bombarded by 'free radicals' every day. If we have lasted roughly 2 million years as a species before detox diets came out, I'm sure we'll do just fine without one.
2. People believe detox diets will help them lose weight.
Well yes! If by 'losing weight', you mean shedding precious body protein and fluids! Virtually no fat is lost on these programs because you are shocking your body with calorie deprivation. It takes more energy to burn stored fat, and since your body isn't getting the calories it needs to do that, it loses muscle and fluid instead. Good work!
Ever had someone come up to you and say "Wow! This detox diet is doing wonders! I've been stuck on the shitter all day. I must have lost 5 kilos so far!"? Well now you can tell them that they just filled the toilet with body fluid and their own muscle tissue.
(Their toilet won't be too impressed either)
This can actually present real dangers to your body if you are the type to take these diets often. You are literally punishing your kidneys, as basically all you are doing is depriving your body of nutrients it needs to actually fight off free radicals, so ironically you are even more prone to disease, and the kidneys have to work overtime, increasing the risk of kidney stones developing. In fact, Christine Gerbstadt, a doctor and a registered dietician was quoted saying:
"Colons don't need flushing unless you are prepping for a medical procedure like a colonoscopy. Colonic enemas tamper with the body's natural fluid and electrolyte balance and can lead to infection, irregularity, and dehydration."
Also, detox diets can completely screw with your body's hunger drive.
"In many cases, they result in rebound overeating because of excess hunger, deprivation, and an out-of-control feeling that is not because of a metabolic imbalance or addiction but instead driven by the deprivation of the diet plan."
That's right. A detox diet will make you fatter in the long run.
So what's the alternative?
Believe it or not, our bodies have some pretty sophisticated detox systems built in as factory standard. Sweating, constant hydration, exercise, and eating nutritionally beneficial foods are all ways that we can make sure it works just as nature intended.
Did you go on a bender this weekend? Well, instead of punishing your body even further, have a nice salad and work out for a couple of hours during the week. Your body will thank you.
There is no easy way to lose fat (unless you're talking liposuction, but that has it's own host of problems). Unfortunately, we have to face the cold, hard fact that exercise and eating smart are the only ways to guarantee long term (and healthy) results without losing a kidney, or flushing precious body proteins down the toilet. People love to look for shortcuts, because this process takes months to work, but the bottom line is, it does.
Interested in this article? Here are some links for further reading.
Detox Diets, Procedures Generally Don't Promote Health, Experts Say
Demystifying Detox Diets
Finally an intellectual person on here!
ReplyDeleteLove your stuff hope to read more