Fitness Myths: The Detox Diet Myth
1st Jul 19
Detox diets are on the rise in modern diet plans. They show themselves as a way to help deal with all the problems your diet might be making in one quick fix. Said to help you feel better, they’re supposed to rejuvenate your digestive system, as well as everything else, to help undo the damage that you’ve already done by neglecting your food or overindulging.
What they don’t tell you, however, is that they do not work. More importantly, you don’t need them in the first place. (If you were really that toxic, you would be very, very ill).
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What Are Detox Diets?
Detox diets are typically just diet plans that change your lifestyle completely. They work around substituting certain things that you usually eat, such as sugar, carbohydrates, gluten or even dairy – for the miracle superfoods of fruit smoothies and herbal teas. After all, they cause all of your issues, right? Well, no, not really.
The premise behind them is that having all of these types of nutrients in your body results in negative responses. To negate them, you need to be eating fruits and vegetables in certain concoctions and staying away from the more evil substances like wheat and dairy. That’s the only way you can return yourself to your organic, temple-like body state after all, or so they say. (And they are WRONG.)
How Do They Work (Or Why They Don’t)?
The idea behind getting rid of these types of foods that are making you so desperately unhealthy (which again is not true) is that cleansing yourself for a month will restore you back to a healthy state. What this actually does, more often than not, is more harmful than what you were doing before.
It results in you likely not getting enough calories in your diet from good, healthy sources, and that kick starts weight loss. That’s the fundamental way to lose weight, but not always in the best way. You begin depriving yourself of vital macro and micronutrients, and that’s a serious issue. You make deficiencies from such an unbalanced diet, and that causes a world of issues on its own. If you were seeing problems pre-detox diet, you’d see more after.
The Real Detox Diet
What the detox diets are suggesting to do; eating more fruits and vegetables, at least, is a good thing. Typically, people are just not getting enough of them on a daily basis (5 a day is recommended). That’s the only positive these kinds of diets actually have.
If you truly want to detoxify your body, so to speak, then the only way to do it is the old-school method. Exercise more and eat better. Not eat a weird and unhealthy diet, but a good and proper balanced diet. That includes all of these ‘toxifying’ food groups.
The Weigh Up
Overall, these diets are not detoxifying. They will make you feel worse than before you started. At least physically, if not mentally. They deprive you of the things that you need to keep everything working at full capacity.
If you really want to be healthier, inside and out, you need to live a healthier lifestyle. Try to get 150 minutes of exercise per week and get all of the nutrients you need on a daily basis through a healthy diet. Find your caloric needs and stick to them, or adjust to reach your fitness goals.
Above all else, work to be healthier, NOT to weigh less. Especially through fad diets and marketing ploys like detox diets. Do What’s best for you, not how you think you should look. Happiness and health go hand in hand.
For more information, check out information from the NHS here.
Before beginning any exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician, doctor or other professional. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health problems. Exercise.co.uk assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained using our advice.
If you experience dizziness, nausea, chest pain, or any other abnormal symptoms, stop the workout at once and consult a physician or doctor immediately.
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