If you’re one of the many women out there considering going on a juice cleanse, or buying a fancy weight loss supplement, let me give you a few reasons not to do a detox diet first. Detox diets dish out a lot of promise but don’t dish out much more than temporary results. I’ve made the mistake myself of believing for some reason I needed a detox diet to “reboot” my system. I’’ve done everything from juice cleansing, smoothie cleanses, going raw and vegan, to only eating twice a day. I can tell you that I’ve never been more miserable in my life, despite feeling cleansed. If you’re thinking about starting a detox diet yourself, let me give you a few of my personal reasons not to do detox diet and I’ll show you what you can do to reboot your system, without hurting your body.
One of the most important reasons not to do a detox diet is for your insulin levels. Many detox diets promise to help improve insulin levels, but what actually happens is the opposite. You either avoid eating, or eating enough, which may help you feel like you’re not hungry, but in the meantime, you’re teaching your metabolism that it’s starving. This will cause it to conserve energy, make you tired, and also mess with your levels of insulin, which is essentially your blood sugar’s maintenance hormone. When insulin is secreted in the body from low blood sugar, it actually stores fat in your body. The best way to prevent that from happening is to eat a smaller meal every few hours that has some sort of protein in it. This is the best way to promote healthy insulin levels, while also helping to stoke your metabolism.
Another reason not to do a detox diet is for your thyroid. Your thyroid needs a huge array of vitamins, minerals and macronutrients from your diet to function properly. When you don’t eat, or eat very little, the hormones your thyroid produces become depleted. They can’t do their job efficiently, and therefore can’t provide you with optimal energy, and they certainly can’t help stoke your metabolism. To ensure your thyroid is healthy, be sure to eat healthy fats, substantial protein, and plenty of vegetables and fruits, along with nuts and seeds. These are all excellent for your thyroid, digestion,and your heart and weight.
One of the worst things I noticed about detox diets was the lack of focus. This wasn’t just because of the absence of caffeine either. No matter what green juice I consumed, my focus just wasn’t up to par on detox diets. Though I did feel a sort of sense of “euphoria” as detox specialists call it, it only lasted for a couple of days, and then I just felt terrible. And don’t let anyone tell you that’s just toxins leaving your body. That’s not how the body is meant to work, live, or exist. You need to feed your body so it can help you focus. So long as you feed it the right foods, and avoid the processed stuff that’s high in sugars, unhealthy fats and artificial preservatives and ingredients, your body can cleanse all on its own, the right way.
Now, let’s talk about your weight, shall we? Detox diets are supposed to lower your weight, but what actually happens is a quick weight drop that comes back on, often more than was lost, once you go off the detox diet. Sure, it may come back on slowly, but it will come back. Juicing is not the best way to lose weight. I do think it can help your blood sugar if consumed before a meal, but it’s not going to help you by juicing instead of meals. And yes, if you’re wondering, I’ve seen all those juice documentaries, and actually like them, but I don’t believe that’s best for the everyday person. Juicing is a great way to include more antioxidants in your diet, but don’t use it as a quick route to getting skinny. Trust me, you will miss food more than you ever imagined, and submit yourself to tempting to binge.
If you’re juicing, skipping meals, or going on a fast, I’ve got news for you: you’re going to have some serious bathroom issues ladies! Constipation is caused mostly by a lack of fiber in the diet, and most detox diets contain very little fiber. One option that is better is drinking smoothies, which contain the fiber from fruits and vegetables. Now, if you’re going to consume smoothies, I strongly suggest keeping the fruit to a minimum and avoid added sugar and heavy nut butters. You should include mostly greens in your smoothies, with one or two fruits to keep the sugar low. Smoothies are a great way to get sources of fiber into your diet to prevent constipation, but I still do not recommend only having smoothies for meals all day as a form of detox. One or two a day is more acceptable, so long as they contain enough calories.
You can find just about any kind of bottled cleanse product imaginable on the market right now and you’ll also pay a pretty penny for them. While they may be easy to consume, quick and easy to make, and some are even shipped to your door, I seriously recommend staying away from them. Why? Well, for the most part, they’re a waste of money. They’re also not near as healthy or fresh as making your own at home, despite the product claims. As soon as juices are made they start oxidizing, which means nutrients are lost. Instead of consuming juices that are made elsewhere, make your own and have them before a meal, not in place of. Bottled cleanses are also very high in sugar, even if they’re straight green juices. Juice is simple sugar, no matter how healthy a form it comes in. Don’t pay tons of money for a cleanse product that’s really just an added source of sugar.
Detox diets are also an easy way to give yourself a headache quickly. Specialists in detoxing say this comes from the toxins leaving your body, and that may be somewhat true, but for the most part, it’s a lack of nutrients and energy that’s giving you a headache. Instead of going a detox route, just add more vegetables, lean proteins and fiber to your diet, along with healthy fats. Cut caffeine and all sources of added sugar. This is the best way of all to detox your bodyl, and it won’t leave you with headaches from a lack of nutrients.
Cravings are another hard fact of detoxing. This can go two ways. You’ll either ignore the cravings and just end up starving, which will likely lead you to become moody, tired, or even sick from a lack of food, or you’ll cave in and binge on everything in sight. Now, in my opinion, I’d just rather eat incredibly healthy foods that still detox my body the natural way, but won’t leave me moody, hungry, or giving in to eating all the sweets I can get my hands on. What about you?
Now, sadly, one of the worst things that can happen from a detox diet is what happens when you try to detox for far too long. Heart failure can happen quickly, especially to someone depriving their body from calories it needs for energy, nourishment, and for optimal heart function. Sadly, many women fall prey to detox diets in hopes of improving their heart health, but what actually happens is the opposite. When you don’t get enough calories in your diet, your heart has to work double time to provide energy to your body. To ensure you and your heart stay healthy, just eat foods that are naturally healthy for your heart. Fish, vegetables, fruits, raw nuts and seeds, raw coconut products, olive oil and some superfoods, are all amazing for your health, and are your body’s preferred way to detox and lremain functioning properly and at optimum levels. .
If you’ve ever done a detox diet, chances are you’ve experienced some negative side effects. I know for me, it was a lack of energy, moodiness, cravings and digestive problems. Have you ever done a detox diet?
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