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detoxification is a word that is thrown around a lot. detox through your skin, detoxify you live, colon, kidneys and it goes on. but "they" never say what exactly these toxins are.
i was reading some stuff about detoxifying through your skin, wraps and stuff, and i noticed that i only read those things on alternative medicine sites. i thought about all i learned in biology classes (my major) and never learned that one of the functions of the skin was to relese toxins. so i did a web search on med sites, biology sites, physiology sites and not one mention.
and detoxifying your liver? your liver is a detox organ and it is documented what it does do.
so when your read about releasing toxins through pills, tonics, massages, wraps to reduce cellulite, lose weight, and all that it's a scam.
if anyone has any real peer reviewed studies about this subject with objective tangible results naming the offending toxins please let me know i am truly interested.
gen
I just always thought of detox as getting out toxins
Hi! I don't have any scientific explanation but I always thought if you go to a detox program for alcohol, let's say, you are trying to get the alcohol out of your system. I'm sure if your body is used to having something unhealthy in it, it is a very difficult process to get healthy again.
So I heard of the detox "diets" where you try to get toxins out of your system
by eating very little and maybe drinking some horrible stuff. They are supposed to cleanse the system. Sure, you may lose a few pounds but they are not permanent weight loss solutions. And those wraps are only temporary. I think most of know this but I think some of us feel that our bodies may have a lot of "junk" in them at times, and want to clear it out. Some people may just drink juices and water for a few days to do this. I don't know if there is anything wrong with this for a short period of time (like a day or two but no more than that. I don't know...just going by what I read. I can only last a day, if that, just drinking juice and water. As long as people know it is not a solution for permanent weight loss.
This isn't scientific, but it is true. A few years ago I had a body wrap. It was supposed to help me lose 10 inches, guaranteed. Well, I did lose 10 inches, all over my body, which isn't much when you think about it. And it came back. The only good thing I can say is that it was the strangest yet coolest experience. I had it done at some rich lady's house (she owned a shop, but also did wraps in her home). So, there I was, stripped down to my underwear, being wrapped in wet ace bandages by a perfect stranger. Then she put clear plastic bags on my hands and feet, which immediately started filling up with liquid (sweat?). It was great. I felt good afterward, even though I didn't feel smaller. I think it was just a funny thing to do, and that cheered me up.
Even though she said the wrap would detoxify me, and that the liquid coming from my hands and feet could be full of toxins, I don't really believe it. She did tell me she did a wrap on a hairstylist and her liquid was pink because of all the perm solution absorbed by her body. I have no idea if that is true, but it sounded convincing at the time.
So, if you have $100 to spend and just want a strange story to tell, go for it. If you're seriously wanting to get smaller, keep searching, cause this is not the way to do it.
The body wrap sounds like it had the effect of a sauna suit or sitting in a sauna. If you want to lose some water weight, which would make you temporarily lose inches, until you rehydrated, then you could get the same effect by sitting in a sauna.
Most of those "detox" claims are useless or can even severly injure or kill you (I'm thinking of colonic irrigation in particular). As has been stated, as long as you're not abusing drugs, ciggies, or booze, the body does just fine detoxifying itself, thank you.
Regarding bodywraps...here's an interesting article.
The term "cellulite" is often used to describe deposits of dimpled fat found on the thighs and buttocks of many women.
It is alleged to be a special type of "fat gone wrong," a combination of fat, water, and "toxic wastes" that the body has failed to eliminate.
It's important to know that "Cellulite" is not a medical term. Medical authorities agree that cellulite is simply ordinary fatty tissue. Strands of fibrous tissue connect the skin to deeper tissue layers and also separate compartments that contain fat cells. When fat cells increase in size, these compartments bulge and produce a waffled appearance of the skin.
Many years ago, Neil Solomon, M.D., conducted a double-blind study of 100 people to see whether cellulite differed from ordinary fat. Specimens of regular fat and lumpy fat were obtained by a needle biopsy procedure and given to pathologists for analysis and comparison. No difference between the two was found.
More recently, researchers at Rockefeller Institute used ultrasonography, microscopic examinations, and fat-metabolism studies to see "affected" and unaffected skin areas differed in seven healthy adult subjects (five women, two men; four affected, three unaffected). The researchers concluded: (a) certain characteristics of skin make women more prone than men to develop cellulite; (b) the process is diffuse rather than localized; and (3) there were no significant differences in the appearance or function of the fatty tissue or the regional blood flow between affected and unaffected sites within individuals.
Alleged "anti-cellulite" products have included "loofah" sponges; cactus fibers; special washcloths; horsehair mitts; creams and gels to "dissolve" cellulite; supplements containing vitamins; minerals and/or herbs; bath liquids; massagers; rubberized pants; exercise books; brushes; rollers; body wraps; and toning lotions. Many salons offer treatment with electrical muscle stimulation, vibrating machines, inflatable hip-high pressurized boots, "hormone" or "enzyme" injections, heating pads, and massage. None of these actually work.
Many salons and spas claim that body wraps or garments can trim inches off the waist, hips, thighs, and other areas of the body. The wraps -- with or without a special lotion or cream applied to the skin-- may be applied to parts of the body or to the entire body. Clients are typically assured that fat will "melt away" and they can lose "up to 2 inches from those problem areas in just one hour."
Suddenly Slender, which franchises body-wrap shops in the United States and Canada, claims that "wrapping works because cellulite is water-logged fatty tissue." Home-use wrapping systems are also marketed, often with a claim that they can "remove toxins." Some marketers suggest measuring a large number of body areas before and afterward and adding up the differences to get "total inches lost." Life Force International, for example, advises users to add the results of 17 measurements. This enables minor changes due to temporary effects or to measurement variations to appear to be large numbers.
The bottom line is very simple: No body wrap can cause selective reduction of an area of the body. Although wrapping may cause temporary water loss as a result of perspiration or compression, any fluid will soon be replaced by drinking or eating. The idea that herbal wraps detoxify the body is absurd.
I think that detoxing is going to the extreme just like the magical weight loss pills that will magically make your weight disapper. I have spent a lot of money hoping to lose weight. I recently tried to detox my body with a product I bought from the nutrition store. The salesperson told me they can't keep it stocked. They only had three on the shelves so I said this stuff must be good. I bought it home and my goodness, how in the world do people take this stuff. It was the most nastiest stuff I have ever tasted. I took most of it, the rest is sitting in the fridge now. It says use in three weeks. I don't want to waste the money, but I don't think I can stomach taking the rest of this stuff. There is so many scams out there. I am currently taking didrex, but it isn't working anymore, I still take it because I paid a lot of money for it. I wish these companies would stop preying on us to get our money promising false hopes for us. Thanks for reading my post.
I think the reason they keep making them is because we keep buying them! We all hope that the next "new" pill, plan etc, is the magic cure. I too have spent tons of $$$ on stuff that never works! I really wish I had all that money back now. If everyone (me included) would not believe their "studies" and hype, then they would all go out of business. I remember in the late 70's body wraps were the big thing then. I got several, but they were only $5-$8 each back then. I felt slim for awhile, but as soon as I drank water etc, I plumped back up. I was good to use if you had a special occassion and wanted to get into a special outfit or something. I certainly cannot believe how expensive they have gotten over the years. Oh yeah, I got one in 1994 for $20.00 and I thought that was rather high for one.
Although it's not the same thing, I do a little fast every month, never to lose weight, but simply because my body begs me to. Also, I've done a detox before, and found it completely helpful, I followed a specific plan for 12 days, which really cleaned me out, and I just felt better. But I was told not to bother with a detox if I had any plans of going back to eating processed foods, which I haven't. And part of the reason I was recommended to do one is because I was having problems with my period and was taking upwards of 10 extra strength ibuprofen a day for 7 days in every month.. my body needed to rid itself of all that crap. As a weight loss tool? I believe it's a total waste of time and money, but if you are really trying to get your body healthy, it could be of value.
8 glasses of water a day and a fiber rich diet is good enough detox for me. I have had unhealthier times in my life where I looked for more, but overall, I'm healthy and my kidneys, liver and bowels do just fine with the proper nourishment.
Toxins are everywhere nowadays: in the air we breathe (especially if you live in a big city), in the stuff we use (many make-up and beauty products contain potentially carcinogenic components), in the foods we buy. So we do have toxins around in our body. The body uses all outgoing substances to try to get rid of some of those toxins, like sweat, urine, for women even their period is a time when the body tries to detoxify - of course to a degree, we aren't talking about "cleansing and purifying thyself"
The liver is basically the filter of the body, but nowadays it can get "clogged", so to speak, because of all the things we ingest that attack it instead of supporting it, like caffeine, alcohol, hydrogenated fats, nicotine... hence the liver detoxes you hear about. But it shouldn't be an extreme regimen! If one drinks lots of clean water (make it fluoride-free!), avoids processed foods (with hydrogenated fats and lots of additives) and concentrated instead on wholesome foods (think lean protein, good fats, unrefined grains, lots of veggies) and keeps cofee and alcohol to a minimum, that will help the body keep healthy, relatively toxin-free and in good balance.
detoxification
Detox
