Let’s talk about detoxes for a moment.   Generally around New Years and Vacation season, here come the magic bean pushers with their 3 day Cleanses designed to help you rid your body of toxins and they can guarantee up to a 5 pound weight loss!!!

So is what they’re pushing for real?  Let’s take a deeper look.

What is a Cleanse?

These cleanses promise to rid your body of toxins and build up caused by the environment, a poor diet, or your systems being backed up.  These cleanses promise to rid your body of all of these harmful toxins.  (Can your cleanse pusher name any of these toxins in the body?  More on that later.)

You already have built in detox mechanisms

Our bodies come with already installed detox mechanisms called your liver and kidneys.  These systems work around the clock to clean out all of the harmful substances in your body.

According to an article from Examine.com there is evidence that commercial detox supplements are not based on facts.  A 2009 investigation which you can read about here found that not a single company behind 15 commercial cleanses could name the toxins targeted by their treatment, agree on the definition of the word detox, or even supply evidence that their products work. (Posted by Sol Examine.com on Jan 21, 2015)

From the same article, This quote sums it up

In Fact that no company can name the toxin their product targets reveals just how little of an impact cleanses have

If they don’t work, then why do I lose so much weight on a cleanse?  Also I feel so much better

Because you’re not eating.

You aren’t losing fat.  In most cases, you are just losing water and glycogen (muscle fuel) because you are not eating food.  As soon as you start eating normally again, then the weight will come back on.

Let’s be honest, the average American Diet is filled with refined sugars and processed foods which leave people lethargic and not feeling their best..  A few days of shakes, fresh fruits, and vegetables will have you feeling much better.

Save your Money and Eat Vegan for a week or two

I am not a fan of detoxes and cleanses since most are just products for people to sell to those who are looking for a quick fix.

What I do every 3-4 months or so is eat a vegan diet (with no Fake meat )for a week or so.  The longest I’ve done is 3 weeks for spiritual reasons and I really do feel great afterwards.  It’s great to give the digestive system a break and also to try new recipes and foods.  It’s a great way to get in a ton of fruits and vegetables.  For those with skin issues, I’ve noticed my skin is a lot more clear after doing this for even a week.

My advice?

Eat a High Quality Diet Filled with FRESH FOOD, moderate your alcohol intake, and let your body do it’s thing and detox itself!