We’ve blogged about many effective weight loss treatments that can help us achieve the figure we want, without undergoing the knife, such as Coolshape, a non-invasive fat freezing treatment or skin tightening treatments such as Onda Body Magic. Detox diets are raved by celebrities for their astonishing results but are they really the best?
Many people associate detox with deprivation, with extreme diet choices, colonic cleansing. While it may sound strange to people who are not big on dieting, overweight people or people who generally want to make an extreme change to their health may be tempted to start on a detox plan. Some celebrities have also shared their detox experiences such as Oprah Winfrey, who went on a 21-day vegan diet, eliminating alcohol, gluten, animal products and caffeine and Beyonce is a fan of ‘Master Cleanse’. But nutritionists now believe that extreme detox plans are very much like double-edged swords – not all of these are caloric bargains, and there is a lack of vital food groups such as protein, which helps sustain muscle mass during weight loss.
But the truth is, being able to kickstart a detox diet and remove toxins from the body is still an attractive option for many. Here are top tips from nutritionists for anyone looking to eat and drink healthy for beauty, weight loss and health.
HAVE A FIBER-RICH DIET
Fiber is known as nature’s intestinal broom, for good reason. Have plenty of fruits, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy (my aunt swears on unsweetened soy bean milk) plenty of water can clear garbage from our bodies as quickly as packaged detox juices. More importantly, it also sounds like a healthy diet compared to a processed one with lots of fat, oil and carbohydrates (think fast food).
YOU CAN DO WITHOUT JUNK FOOD
Does it make sense that if you are trying to get rid of junk from your body, you should stop eating them? And registered dietician Brooke Alpert wrote, “lose the sugar, lose the weight”. If there is any kind of detox you have to sustain, perhaps the best one to pick would be a sugar detox – reducing sugar permanently helps with weight loss, health and will even improve one’s complexion.
EAT VERY, VERY SIMPLY
Some detox diets are not really calorie-friendly – you could actually pick real, healthy food instead. For example, Master Cleanse involves over 1000 calories per day – you could easily substitute this with healthy foods such as guava (high in fiber and vitamin C, low in sugar), whole grain cereals, salads, and even salmon.
DRINK A LOT OF WATER
Water constitutes approximately 70% of the volume of our bodies, so it makes sense that you should drink a lot of water to keep your body fluids balanced. If you would still like some kind of a ritual cleanse, try Purification 1-Day Cleanse, a herbal dietary supplement which is taken diluted with 3 litres of water throughout the day. This contains 7 nourishing herbs which gives your body a fast reboot.
THINK LONG TERM TOO WHEN YOU CONTEMPLATE A DETOX DIET
A detox diet is useless if you return to your previous (unhealthy) eating habits. So go for sustainable, healthy eating instead.