Why Detox Diets Are Bad For You

As the first week of 2017 comes to a close I keep hearing different people talk about idea about how they are going to spearhead their health and fitness plans. One particular idea keeps coming up and I want to dive a bit deeper into it, and this topic is that of Detox Diets. It sounds like a perfectly good idea when you first think about it: After all of the holidays of “toxifying” your system with punch-bowl booze, bacon-wrapped everything, and endless other holiday treats, you probably feel crappy and want to change that immediately but dont know where to start. What do you do?  

Regardless of whether you're looking, you most likely see a diet book or Instagram influencer pushing some quick fix “detox” that’ll have you feeling great and losing weight in just a few short days.

Problem is, is its a bad idea to buy into all of these and here is why.

1. Your Body Already Does a Good Job Of Flushing Toxins and Has Specific Organs That Do Just That!

Detox diets claim they help flush toxins like pesticides and metals out of your system, but your body already has a detoxification system in your liver, kidneys, and colon.  There is no research which proves that any of these detox diets do anything more than your body already does in order to reduce sugar, fat, and caloric intake.

2. Most Detox Diets Are Super Low In Protein 

Six glasses of green juice every day may help you lose weight temporarily, but it does not give you the protein that your body needs to build or maintain muscle. You’re essentially starving the muscles of their building blocks, meaning that the number on the scale might be going down but that doesn't necessarily mean that all of that is fat.

3. Detox Diets Encourage a Poor View Of Good Nutrition 

The thought that a simple 7-10 day fix of pure lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and some wheat grass will fix all the problems and then make it okay to go and eat a bacon cheeseburger. It is common for many people to slide and gain back the weight they've lost during their cleanse. Instead of depriving yourself of important nutrients and going on a juice cleanse, simply try to hold yourself to an 80/20 rule. 80% of the time stay to a healthy diet with a balance of approximately 40% Carbs, 30% Protein, 20% Fat. That other 20% of the time though...


GO ENJOY YOURSELF!!!

Don't think of food as good and bad, there is a healthy mixture of all foods