The Deadly Truth About Healthy Cleansing
Over the past few years, we have been bombarded with media attention around gorgeously thin (and usually airbrushed) celebrities who tout the health and weight loss benefits of cleansing—the dramatic restriction of caloric intake for up to two weeks, usually replaced by liquid concoctions and/or herbal supplements.
If you Google the term “healthy cleanse” you will get hundreds of pages of websites that promise their specific cleanse is the one that will rid you of years of toxic buildup and restore health and youth to your very cells. They assure you that your energy will soar, your skin will glow, and you’ll never catch another cold again, all the while losing 10 or 20 lbs. Just look at Gwyneth Paltrow, who has practically made a religion of cleansing.
Cleanses, though, are actually really terrible for your health. Most doctors discourage their patients from cleansing because they know that the body is very good at detoxing itself, and that starvation is bad on multiple levels. In fact, none of the research shows that cleanses are beneficial.
Here’s what you need to know:
Your body is a detox machine
The human body has been evolving for hundreds of thousands of years (tens of millions, if you count primates), and it’s a pretty impressive machine. The body is home to a highly complex set of organs and systems that keep us from being poisoned by everyday things that enter it. From the liver and kidneys to the intestinal tract and even the lungs, our bodies are supremely adept at filtering out what we don’t need and excreting waste products through our breath, sweat, urine, and feces. In fact, doing a cleanse actually makes it more difficult for your body to rid itself of what it doesn’t need by virtually shutting down the natural detox process.
What happens when you cleanse
When you cleanse, you deprive your body of the calories and nutrients it needs to run efficiently. When you starve your body and drastically limit or cut certain food groups, the result is that the body’s immune system is weakened, muscle mass is lost, blood sugar plummets, and, without the fuel your brain needs to run, you’re highly likely to experience lethargy and inability to focus.
Many cleanses include a laxative component, which means diarrhea. Not only does this dangerously dehydrate you, but it also prevents you from absorbing any nutrients from the few calories you are actually taking in. In addition, potassium levels can drop dangerously. These deficiencies can negatively affect every organ in your body.
The weight loss factor
If you do a cleanse, you will likely lose weight. Unfortunately, it will be neither healthy nor sustainable. Weight loss from a cleanse consists of water from dehydration, and muscle tissue from a lack of protein—not fat. In fact, a cleanse is like sending your metabolism a telegram that says “SLOW DOWN, we’re starving here!” Which means that when you start eating again, even if you eat healthier, lower-calorie foods than before, you’re virtually guaranteed to gain the weight right back. Plus, your metabolism could take a long time to get back to normal—if ever—especially since you will have less muscle mass, which is your metabolism’s furnace. It’s not worth a few days of looser pants when you’re potentially doing long-term damage to your body and your future ability to maintain a healthy weight.
Helping your natural detoxification process do its thing
A much more effective way to deal with toxins from our air, food, and other sources is by boosting the ability of our bodies to do what they do best, and by limiting our exposure to bad stuff as much as possible. Choosing fresh, whole, organic foods instead of processed, GMO, and non-organic is one way to drastically reduce exposure to toxins. Using indoor air filters and paying attention to potential allergens can be helpful, as well. Avoiding cigarettes and drugs, and greatly limiting alcohol, refined sugar, and caffeine should go without saying.
Eating plenty of high-nutrient fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean protein will give your organs and systems the fuel they need to function at top condition. Regular cardiovascular exercise is a great way to increase circulation, bringing well-oxygenated blood to the organs, and to sweat out some of the bad stuff we want to get rid of. Finally, getting plenty of sleep and staying well-hydrated will allow your body to function at peak condition—all of which, coincidentally, leads to reaching a healthy weight, too.
