A detox will help to rid your body of habit-induced toxins
There are plenty of myths that surround the topic of detoxing, but it can be a great way to boost weight loss and get your skin glowing too.
So here’s a quick guide to what’s what in the world of detox and weight loss with the help of Ilona Wesle, nutritionist and co-founder of MyDetoxDiet.co.uk.
1) You’ll pile the weight back on after your detox
After a period of eating a very specific controlled diet, many people expect to (even plan to) overeat afterwards, and put on more weight than they initially lost. But detoxing is as much about cleansing the mind as it is the body. Whether you detox for a day, a month or a week, what you’re doing is challenging your habits as well as ridding the body of those habit-induced toxins. A good detox won’t send you running for the nearest Chinese takeaway you can lay your hands on because you’ll feel so good after you’ve detoxed that your body and mind will finally be on the same page and want the same thing for you: good food, and plenty of it.
Verdict: MYTH
2) There’s a limit to how much water you should drink when you detox
Water is a huge part of the detox process - it literally flushes toxins out of the body and enhances your liver and kidney functions - but advice to drink lots should not be taken to the extreme. Overhydrating yourself can lead to headaches and nausea. Water intoxication is rare but deadly, and causes complications through over-diluting the body’s natural sodium stores. Two and a half litres a day is optimum, and more if exercising and in hot weather.
Verdict: FACT
3) Our bodies know how to detox themselves without the help of a special diet
The simple truth is; we’ve never known toxic living like we know today. Yes, our bodies are designed to deal with toxins on a regular basis. But can our bodies continue to detoxify themselves when we consider the level of toxins we’re exposed to every day? Toxins are in the pollution we ingest, the additives in the processed foods we eat, the alcohol we binge on, the stress we put ourselves under at work and the chemicals in our fruit and vegetables. And this is without mentioning the toxic damage done by smoking, the medicines we’re prescribed, and any drug use. Even the cleaning products we use at home have toxins in them. One hundred years ago, our bodies probably wouldn’t have needed a helping hand in the detox process. But today? We wouldn’t be so sure.
Verdict: MYTH
4) Detoxing is expensive and faddy
The basis of detoxing is wonderfully simple: a detox helps cleanse the body of harmful toxins that make us ill and cause us to hold onto excess weight. A detox, therefore, gives the internal organs a chance to recover and heal and to do their primary jobs properly. Detoxing can be as simple as cutting out alcohol and sugar from your diet, or whatever your specific toxic weaknesses are - be it red meat or dairy products, cigarettes or microwave meals. There’s nothing simpler than that, and it might even save you money.
Verdict: MYTH
So there is no need to hold back – detoxing is good for you, will help you lose weight and help you keep it off!
Tagged in Diet tips Detox Weight loss