Health Trend Spotlight: Detoxing Your Body

Detoxing, according to Discovery Health, literally means the elimination of toxins from the body. The ultimate goal is to return your body to a state of complete health in a short period of time, which means fueling your body with ingredients that will purify it and help it to function to its fullest potential. “Mostly, a detox diet can be summed up as a low-calorie, primarily liquid diet that has the goal of cleansing the body,” explained Rosalind Jackson of Discovery Health.

How to Detox Your Body

There are dozens of various detox diets out there, but the most basic consists of a three-day diet of fasting only on water, followed by a strict diet of raw vegetables, fruit, and fruit juices.

Pros of Detoxing:

In addition to weight loss, those who participate in cleanse diets sometimes report feeling more energized and focused during the day, according to the Mayo Clinic. Your skin may also see benefits to this change in diet. Due to the fresh and pure ingredients, you’re putting into your body, you may start to see healthier skin with a natural glow.

Cons of Detoxing:

One of the biggest setbacks of this diet is the number of restrictions it demands. Oftentimes, participants have to stay away from solid food and stick to liquids. For example, the master cleanses, according to Everyday Health, consists of water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Many who participate in a cleanse find that they lose weight. However, after returning to a normal diet, some find that the weight comes back on even easier. Shape explains this saying it’s due to how you lose weight. Detoxing causes the majority of weight loss to be in water, carbs, and waste. People were also more likely to overindulge because the strictness of the diet left them even hungrier. Kerry Gans, a New York City-based spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association spoke negatively of the fad diet, saying “They can be dangerous, often causing extreme fatigue and fainting.”

The Verdict

Although there are several benefits to these cleanse diets, overall, there are possibly better and healthier ways to shed pounds. The Mayo Clinic recommended that you stick to a diet comprised of vegetables, fruits, protein, and whole grain. Diet alone won’t help you get to that goal weight. Cardio exercise is imperative if you want to stay slim and trim. TRUE Fitness has a line of top-quality commercial fitness equipment that works to deliver you maximum durability and a lifetime of effective cardio workouts. With preset and custom programs, all of these workout machines can help you safely reach all of your fitness goals.