A detox program as a way to lose weight is a relatively new idea. For decades, the "calories in, calories out" approach was considered the only sound way to lose weight. But awareness has been slowly growing that cleaning the poisons out of our bodies with a cleansing diet just might be a pretty good strategy for losing weight. Of course, having celebrities, like Gwyneth Paltrow, adopt the same notion definitely hasn't hurt. :-)
"How Will A Detox Diet Cause Weight Loss?
There are a wide variety of plans for a body detox. Some of them are quite severe. I've already mentioned a water fast and a juice fast, and how hard they were on my body. I despised those experiences although perhaps other people are huge fans? If so, go for it.
There are more formalized plans like the Master Cleanse diet (alias the Lemonade Diet) that are a bit less tough to live with but still call for severe calorie restrictions. This diet restricts your entire calorie intake to a beverage made of fresh lemons, maple syrup, water and cayenne pepper.
When you severely limit calories this way you are almost certain to burn fat stores and lose weight really quickly. The thing is, though, that you may well be burning muscle as well – which isn't so great. And if you continue for too long, your metabolism is almost certain to slow down, making it harder to keep the fat off once you return to normal eating.
Still, you ARE getting rid of a lot of poisons with detox diets and that's a very positive thing to do.
A cleanse diet, though, doesn't have to be drastic. I've been blogging about the liver detox I've been doing and it's quite easy. I like the food and taking the supplements and drinking the water isn't difficult at all. It's also true that I won't be getting fantastic results in only minutes – OK, I'm exaggerating about the effects of the detox drinks mentioned above. :-) But I can live with this long term which is much more important in my view.
Other Detox Programs
There are lots of other ways to detox besides with food, like
Detox teas
Massage
Saunas/sweating
Detox foot pads
Detox baths
Other Detox Program Benefits
One great benefit is that you will sleep better when the poisons are out of your system. Possibly you will sleep more deeply, sleep longer and be more relaxed while you're sleeping. That is no small thing. A side benefit is that studies have shown that good sleep is important for weight loss – and for keeping it off once you've lost it.
Your cravings for junk food should decline. Sugar and processed food won't seem so appealing. I've read explanations for this, but I admit to not truly understanding why this is so … but I do know my cravings decline after a time.
Most importantly for me is increased energy. I'm less likely to have the 'afternoon slump' and to have to drag myself up the stairs for bed in the evening. Nothing – NOTHING – beats feeling energetic and alive!
However much your mind might agree that a body cleanse is a good idea, there's no doubt that a detox program isn't easy. So get your goals clear in your mind before you begin. If you have a firm "why" it's easier to resist the inevitable moments when you want to give up.
Hiral says
Helpful Comments really. The relation between sleep and detox is very positive for insomniacs.
Juice Weight Loss says
There are plenty of detox program that you could use, well you must be aware of the right detox program that you should try since there are some programs that only works for a certain body type, blood type and so on.
BlissPlan says
Sorry, but I don’t agree with your comment. Detox programs work for every type and although there are various ways to conduct them – water fast, juice fast, food restrictions – they help everyone. It’s more about comfort level than anything else.
hiral says
Detox is really good. Fruit, veggie, and decaf detox is the best. Detox clarifies your mind.