#Myth: Doing a Juice Cleanse Will Rid All The Toxins From Your Body
Has anyone ever tried to convince you to take up an 8-day juice cleanse to “remove the toxins from your body” and “ help promote weight loss” ? When faced with health claims promoting quick & easy solutions that seem almost too good to be true, most of the time…it’s a red flag. In other words, you should probably take it all in with a heavy grain of salt.
Let’s crack down on these claims.
1. Removing Toxins
Advocates of cleansing diets often paint the ugly picture that our bodies have been accumulating toxins that are said to be “polluting” our bodies — from the air that we breathe, to the foods that drink we eat, all the way down to the beverages that we drink.
They claim we need to “detox” our bodies like a drainage pipe by drinking nothing but juice and to go in for our monthly colon cleanse in order to let the body “clear & reset”.
Truth is…your body already does that for you!
There’s a reason why we have intestines, lungs and kidneys. These organs do a great job at effectively helping the body rid itself of waste every single day.
Furthermore, there is almost little to no scientific evidence telling us that a cleanse is even necessary… in fact, it might actually be harmful!
You may not be getting the proper nutrients your body needs;
If on a cleanse for too long, it can lead to unpleasant side effects such as cramping, bloating, nausea, vomiting, headaches, a lack of energy and dizziness.
2. Promoting Weight Loss
Just like the ketogenic diet, juice cleanses often guarantee quick 20-30 day weight loss results…but what they DON’T mention is what happens in the long term.
Within the first few weeks of any kind of weight loss regimen, a rapid drop in pounds is super normal! When you eat fewer calories than the amount of calories your body uses up on a daily basis (from normal body functioning & physical activity), this is known as being in a “caloric deficit”.
Our body compensates for this lack of energy by using up its energy stores, also known as glycogen. Glycogen holds onto water, meaning that when it is being used up & burned for energy, so is the water.
That being the case, you’re mostly just losing water weight !
As soon as you would return to your normal eating patterns (i.e. eating food!), you’ll most likely gain all that weight back ─ and sometimes, even more so than before)! If you’re looking for long-term steady weight loss, going on a juice cleanse is not really the answer.
The best way to keep your body in check is with a well-balanced diet rich in fruits & vegetables, a proper hydration and an active lifestyle.
… but, you already knew that.
Eating well and living healthily is a continuous journey of trial & error. Instead of trying to find loopholes and quick fixes to achieve certain health goals, look for long-lasting solutions! Think about your everyday habits, your behaviours and the conscious food choices you make every single day.
The perfect diet for YOU is the one that will make you think and feel at your best!
Source(s):
[1] https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Digestion/Will-Bowel-Cleansing-Help-me-Lose-Weight-and-Keep
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