Ah, New Year's. A time for new beginnings, resolutions, and diets. The gyms get crowded and the diet bars sell mad. But those fad diets that you read about on Pinterest that you think is healthy, really isn't. There are many different ways that people "detox." There are juice diets, the GM diet, the lemonade diet, and many more.
Why Detoxing Can be Detrimental
According to One Green Planet, there are a plethora of reasons that detoxing might be just a fad. One of the most important things, I think, is that our body naturally detoxes itself. Everyone's bodies naturally eliminates waste every 24 hours. Our livers and other vital organs detox themselves naturally when needed.
A lot of detox diets are obviously deprived of protein and many other important nutrients. Without protein our bodies can suffer muscle loss over a long period of time. Juicing is by far one of the most popular detoxes. Without adding in a protein powder or supplement, the juice is simply the liquid extracted from a fruit. There is no fiber either. Juicing removes the skin and pulp of the fruit or vegetable. The skin and the pulp is the fiber in the food product. Fiber is needed in the body to absorb nutrients and keep blood sugar stabilized.
Juicing can also actually slow down your metabolism as well. Because during a juice diet, you're not ingesting a lot of calories, your body doesn't have to work as hard to burn them off. The body is using that energy to perform other daily tasks like walking up the stairs or doing laundry.
Another negative aspect of the juice diet or other detoxes like that is that it can be incredibly costly. Juicing does have some benefits, though, but not juice diets. Drinking a juice once a day will not have these negative effects on you, but drinking only juices for a prolonged period of time will.
Healthy Ways to Detox
There are healthy and easier ways to detox that are a lot safer to try as well. According to the Daily Burn, simply working out and sweating is a good way to detox after the holidays. Or sitting in a sauna for 15 minutes a few times a week. As the sauna gets warmer and your body gets hotter, blood flow is increased and toxins are released from body fat. Sitting in a sauna after a workout is a great way to detox your body. You already got your workout in and now you're getting rid of the toxins in your body. But remember to stay hydrated throughout your workout and while in the sauna.
Soaking in some Epsom salts can also help you detox. Epsom salts contain sulfur which boosts glutathione production. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, glutathione is key in preventing aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and many more. You could even buy scented Epsom salts like lavender or eucalyptus. Pour some Epsom salts into running bath water and soak for however long you want!
Th easiest way to detox is simply just to eat better and cleaner. Rid your diet of all processed and artificial foods. No cookies, candy, cake or ice cream. Have real, whole and natural foods instead. Not only will your body enjoy it more but you will feel great! BuzzFeed has a great Clean Eating plan complete with grocery lists and meal prep instructions. Check it our for some healthy and clean ideas for the new year!
Detoxing shouldn't be painful to your mind or your body. Use these healthy ways to detox and start your New Year off right!
