detox (as first step to a eating plan/diet) work or is a lotta bunk?
 

Hey y'all....

Have a second question to pose! ;)

Do you guys think that a "detox" part of an eating plan that you see in soooo many diet books, actually help or is a lotta nonsense?

I've also heard about a lot of detox "cleanses" like veggie shakes and stuff.

So, whadda guys think?

detox helps or is a lotta bunk? lol :)

~ tea

bunk

yeah i think its nonsense. most of the weight you lose on stuff like that is water.

bunk.

I think it's a GREAT idea. Doing away with food. Drinking some horrible stuff. Having the weight (the water weight) fly off in no time, only to put it back on the second you take a bit of food. Spending that time being anxious and cranky, instead of spending the time accepting and embracing that there are no quick fixes and working on a plan that you can sustain throughout your entire life. Oh yeah. I think it's a fabulous way to spend ones time and money. ;)

I'm going to be a bit more moderate and say "sometimes, depending on definition".

Compare something like Phase 1 of South Beach (which advocates eating a fairly limited variety of foods in order to break a cycle of blood sugar highs/lows and the resultant cravings) with a pill, program, colon cleanse, etc. The first can be actually helpful, if you have bad food cravings that can influence you going off plan. A lot of diet plans start with an "Induction" or more restrictive period that could be thought of as a "detox", and these can help you stick to those plans. But in terms of juice fasts/extremely low cal diets/colon cleanse products, that "Master Cleanse" drink, etc, it's just not going to do you any good except perhaps causing you to drop a little water weight.

I did a detox, but it wasn't like I couldn't have food. It was Dr Natura, and it was basically a colon cleanser. You just drank this tea and put this powdered stuff in your juice and you just pooped. It's not meant to lose weight, but to help with bowel problems, irregularity, constipation, etc. I'd recommend it, and the only detoxes I'd recommend are easy and light colon cleansers where you don't deprive yourself of food.

Oh yes. Agreed - about something like a phase one of South Beach.

I was clearly, clearly (hopefully clearly) only speaking about the Master Cleanse and other "detox" liquid type products.

In fact, I've often spoke of myself having to allow myself to "detox" from the high quantity/high calorie foods that I so accustomed to eating and having to let my cravings, wants and desires for them die up and atrophy - by switching to a healthy diet.

Several weeks ago when I decided to make the commitment to healthy eating and exercise, I thought that a cleanse would be a great way to prepare myself physically and emotionally for the change.

To be specific, I did the master cleanse- which basically entails eating absolutely nothing for ten days, and drinking a concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Oh.. and taking laxatives. How could I forget those? :P (btw, the book encourages people to go for longer than ten days- apparently some people have done the cleanse for over 300 days)

I actually quit after about 4 days because I realized that it wasn't having a positive effect on my body. My first inclination was to ignore the messages my body was sending me, but in the end I realized how important it is to pay attention to them.

The only good thing that came of the half cleanse that I did, was that it prepared me psychologically for my new lifestyle... It sounds silly, but I just sort of needed something to mark the end of being unhealthy. For whatever reason this just made the transition easier.

Honestly though, I wouldn't do it again. People have the tendency to really talk up cleanses and make them sound like the best thing since sliced bread. I don't get it at all, and I think it's just a trend.

Most people see it as an easy way to lose weight, a way to avoid having to live a healthy life style- and I think that's why it's become so popular. There are too many people out there who are willing to exploit other peoples desires to look a certain way.

I think that if I could go back I wouldn't do it again. But I might do some sort of mild "detox"- maybe spending a day or two eating only raw foods or a one day fast for spiritual reasons.

But I think that as long as you practice healthy eating habits there isn't really a reason to do a cleanse.

That's just how I feel about it. There's lots of conflicting info out there about it though :P

You're kidding, right? Or that's a typo? 300 days? That's 10 months.... no way would anyone survive that, or they'd be terribly malnourished. I'm surprised people aren't malnourished after 30 days.

Nope, no typo. And of course the book went on and on about the supposed health benefits that this individual gained.

The creator of the cleanse, Stanley Burroughs, was actually charged in the death of a man who he talked into doing the cleanse for 30 days. The man was a cancer patient and Burroughs claimed that the cleanse would cure his cancer. He was also charged with practicing medicine without a license.

(Just to add: I think that the charge was eventually overturned and there was talk of him being guilty of manslaughter- but I can't remember the details). I'm sure that there would be more information on wikipedia about Burroughs.

Basically, the master cleanse books encourage you to ignore your doctors- Burroughs barred the man with cancer from seeing his doctor, for example.

While I generally try to avoid doctors and medications as much as possible.... I really think that there are a lot of illnesses that require medical attention.... I'm pretty sure cancer is high up on that list!!

I think that there is too much information out there promoting the cleanse and not enough exposing the other side of the story.... maybe some people have had great experiences with it- but I think it's important to gather ALL the information before committing to something that extreme.

I think cleanses are bunk. I'm basing this on personal experience. Everytime I've decided to lose weight in the past, it's been by cutting out junk food (chinese take-out, pizza, etc) and exercising 3-5 days a week. This time, I'm not cutting out anything, I'm teaching myself to eat proper portion sizes and count calories. The weight's coming off slower, but it's definitely coming off. I don't see any more huge jumps when I eat the slightest bit of carb. So I'd have to say it's an unnecessary step and that a committment to better health and eating choices will go much further than a cleanse ever can.

I agree with other posters who say that cleanses are targeted to people in search of a "quick fix" weight loss cure. People are desperate, especially now when looks are even more important.

Wow :eek:

That's frightening. I am so surprised not more people have died from it, consdiering they're doing it for up to 300 days.

I absolutely positively cannot ignore my doctor, as I have hypothyroism (technically no-thyroidism lol) and have to take synthroid every day. I'd imagine you'd go crazy after 2 weeks of doing the master cleanse.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Cleanse

For anyone considering a liquid diet.... your bowel might stop digesting food properly.

I don't think they are bunk IF they are reasonable- the fat smash has a ten day one that cuts out a lot of stuff that you crave- the first few days are miserable but by day 10 you lose a substantial amount of weight and if you follow Dr. Ian's plan exactly in I believe 90-120 days you should be eating very well and not depriving yourself of anything.

Fasts like drink nothing but water and cayenne pepper (or whatever) are insane IMO.

Dr Natura is a bit scammy in how they advertise and I believe I read something lately that they and a couple other 'colon cleanse' products are going through a lawsuit. They claim to clean out parasites but its really what you ingest that makes it looks like you are ridding yourself of parasites but its not.

I wouldn't recommend it or other colon cleanses. Your colon cleanses itself.

i had never heard of the "master cleanse" and just looked it up.

http://diet.health.com/2009/06/22/ho...lth-and-heart/

yikes!

Craziness. I've never been at the stage of desperation that would make me voluntarily ingest a mix of maple syrup and CAYENNE PEPPER. Ew. I'll pass, and keep the weight, thanks.

right? lol. i also found a blog someone made while they were doing the "cleanse". even though she seemed to be a fan of it, she was saying that they also have to do a "salt water flush" a few times where they drink 32 oz of salt water (yuck) and a laxative tea every night. she said she lost 10 lbs, but also said she woke up every night/early morning with horrible diarrhea.

she also updated a month or so later saying she had gained back all the weight. :dizzy:

People do the craziest things in the name of weight loss... the more extreme the method, the more enamored people seem to be. A colleague of mine started proselytizing even before starting her cleanse this week. It's only gotten worse since she lost a few pounds... of course one wonders, a few pounds of what? But she doesn't seem to care. Sigh.

isnt it ridiculous how the scale dictates our lives? i am definitely guilty of this, but i hope i never get desperate enough to risk my health. my sister has a nasty habit of binging then abusing laxatives when she hits a plateau dieting. i always tell her shes just losing water weight, she says, "yeah but i need to see the numbers go down on the scale". sigh. she cant believe im happy with 1lb/week (which hasnt even been happening lately). she always says, "but that takes FOREVER!" id rather lose 1lb of fat/week than 5 lb of water. sure the number on the scale would make me feel great!! i would not feel so great once i stopped starving myself/abusing laxatives and gained it all back.

i was also shocked to read about the 23 year old who had a heart attack. i guess i dont usually think about my heart as a "muscle", so i dont factor it in when i think about muscle damage or burning muscle. scary stuff!!

Ugh, facepalm... when it comes to losing weight, some people are just... stupid.

Good for you for doing it the smart way ;)

Well I didn't do it for the parasite stuff, it was because I was having digestive problems and it really did help me go every morning. I really only drank the tea at night.

Well it is full of laxatives so it should help you go. There are cheaper laxatives though.

thank you! its definitely the longer/more frustrating road, but i hope not to yoyo forever like she does. especially not after reading that article!!

yes, stupid. saying you want to lose water weight just to see a drop in the scale? that makes NO sense.

Bunk.

A lot of the "colon cleanse powders" are just psyllium seed husks. They absorb fluid and grow 8 to 16 times their size, which makes it look like there was a lot of waste in your colon. But you can do the same thing with psyllium in water.

I have had friends tell me they feel so much better after a cleanse, dropped a bunch of weight and feel rejuvenated. But none of them have sustained any loss.

Honestly, I've tried OTC ones, and they don't unfortunately work that well for me. :-(

This is exactly what I think of when I have the slightest urge to follow one of these fad diets. I always think of that phen-fen (sp?) scare back in the 80s or 90s? I remember reading follow-up articles in the 90s about all these people who required hospitalization because they were OD'ing on those pills.

BTW, don't get me started on Alli. The pill that makes you leak your undies if you eat too much fat. They recommend wearing dark pants while on the drug. Um. Seriously, I'll keep my weight, thanks.

lotta bunk

I think it depends on how you look a t "detox". If you look at it as a quick way to drop some weight or something and do ridiculous things to achieve it of course it is ridiculous.
But if you look at it as a way to break a cycle or drop a bad habit then it has it benefits. A friend of mine was a big sugar and junk food addict. She did something similar to the South Beach for 21 dyas - no sugared drinks or food, no junk food, no excess salt, etc. It was hard. I had to literally sit on her sometimes for her to not give in. That was almost 12 years ago and she is healthier for it.

Amen sister!

My mom really hounds me to lose weight, and so does my endocrinologist, and rightfully so. Anyways, at one of my last check-ups, my mom was really pressuring me to try Alli, and I kept saying no, it makes you have anal leakage, no way, etc. So she asks my doctor's medical assistant what he thinks and I interrupt and say something about anal leakage, and he said yeah, it makes you do that if you have too much fat, and said he'd never do it because of that, and laughed. I was soooo happy to have someone on my side!

But yeah, no thanks. I'd rather lose weight slower than have anal leakage. I have digestive and bowel problems enough as it is (from being hypothyroid).

yeah, my sister did that too and lost 40 lbs. she said its constant diarrhea/stomach cramps and RUNNING to the bathroom the whole time you're on it even if you dont eat too much fat.

id rather take the long road, lol.

Well the same ingredients in Dr Natura are available in a health food store. Also, the tea is habit forming and I'm not sure if Dr Natura tells you that. My husband actually accidentally bought the tea at a asian grocery store. I had to tell him it was a laxative tea.

You're a nice wife. ;)

As far as all these detoxes and such go, I just think no matter what you do, you have to WANT to lose weight and be committed. These quick fixes are just that - quick and they don't teach you anything in the long run. Maybe with the whole cutting out sugars and all that stuff, it might teach you not to be dependent on them, but for some reason, that doesn't come to mind when I think detox. It's all these quack diets that come to mind. :)

I like the concept of a detox as part of a ritual - the marking of a milestone. That being said, I learned my lessons the hard way by fad-dieting my way up to my highest weight. I guess what's changed is that "detox" to me is more along the lines of the SB one, or Ultrametabolism (my fave), or the Paleo. "Detox" just means going back to eating nothing but what I was designed to eat.

Rituals can be very powerful, and could be part of that COMMITMENT that helps with bullying through those times when the motivation just isn't there.

I don't particularly agree with the cleanses out there, but as far as some plans that have a phase of detox, I think it can be a good idea. Again, everything is so dependant on who you are and what works for you.

For me, being on phase 1 of south beach wasn't about losing a ton of water weight quickly, as some have posted. For me, it was about regaining control of my eating and food. It was a way to flush the junk out and get rid of the nasty sugar cravings. Yes, I lost a good portion of my weight in those 2 weeks, but it is still weight gone, and also helped motivate me to keep going. I wasn't looking for a quick fix, just a way to get control. I felt better than I had in years.

For me, that 2 weeks helped me a lot, mentally and physically.

Just my opinion.

i think a lot of us were looking at detox more as the "cleanses" and not the induction phases offered by some plans. its important to clarify that.

Yeah, I wouldn't consider phase 1 of SBD to be a detox. Detoxes usually involve doing some extreme things like drinking only juice (or water) for a week or taking laxatives multiple times per day, etc.

I was reading a pretty good article not too long ago that said basically detoxes are a way to make anorexia sound acceptable. Instead of saying "I'm not eating anything for the next week", you say "I'm on a detox" and every one thinks you are doing something good for yourself when you really aren't.

If the "cleanse" means to "eat clean," then yeah, its a good thing. Quit soda, sugar, simple carbs, fast food- that is a GREAT start to weight loss. These foods tend to reinforce cravings for these foods. When we first start a weight loss plan, we are sometimes a little more jazzed up, and making changes is sort of exciting. No time like the present to quit the junk and start habits for eating healthy foods. Giving up the junk (and all the sugars and sodium that come with it) will often result in a quick loss of water weight and bloating, which may not be the same as long-term weight loss, but it can be a big motivator, and who doesn't need that?

If by "cleanse" one means a "colon cleanse" any sort of diet that your gut (or your brain) tells you is radical and not nutritious in the long run, its just bunk. Your gastrointestinal tract is self-cleansing, and if you eat good foods and not too much of them, your body will take care of itself.

The most important part of losing weight is learning to nourish yourself in a way that sustains your body at the weight you feel comfortable with, forever.

Hi! I really think detox is very good for you. I have studied it and tried many products and juice fasts. I traveled around to many detox retreats too and must say, i not only lost weight, but changed my whole way of eating, and feel 10 years younger. I used to be tired all the time and was anemic. After my detox I was no longer anemic, and had tons of energy that is still lasting daily. I tried making my own juice for a while, but it got so time consuming to make and expensive, that I after looking around to find an alternative, I recently purchased a ready-to-drink beverage called Simplifast fasting beverages. I must say I was surprised at the results. I lost little over 10 additional pounds in about 4 days. I never felt weak or dizzy, no bad effects. Its listed as All Natural without preservatives and stimulants, and all 3 flavors tastes really good, I was impressed to see a company live out their claims as they have. I drink one everyday now for breakfast, and have a salad or something light at lunch and what ever I want at dinner, and have not gained a pound back. This drink gave me more natural energy and when you drink it you feel the effects immediately. I actually crave simplifast instead of carbonated energy drinks and diet sodas. I am telling you this stuff works! I wish there were more healthy options on the market other than the false food and beverage claims from manufactures. Always look at the ingredients, if you don't know look it up. you will be surprised at the bad crap that is in what products claim to be "Healthy"

sorry just saw your comment. I just wanted to mention something. Taking laxatives and forcing your body to purge just isnt so great. Neither is not feeding your body any nutrients, while fasting. But there are ways to detox/fast in a healthy and effective way, that really do make great changes to body and mind. I have been fasting for years, and now I use a all natural drink called Simplifast to fast with. its a ready-to-drink fasting beverage designed to do the opposite of what you described. It has lots of electrolytes and vitamins and high fiber, to keep you healthy and energetic without passing out and depleting the body. I do agree a water fast or a plain juice fast can be intense and not so healthy, but when you can find a healthy option that works, then detox can be good. Its just that up until now, there were no healthy options for people, because even thought juice is good for you, it still lacks some of the important nutrients that the body needs. So its more about using the right product and being smart, using what makes you feel good. And detox and fasting has helped lots of people, and still does.