Today's entry is based on reader questions about cleansing diets, fads, rituals and other practices being heavily marketed over the past couple of years.The concept differs from program to program, but generally speaking the cleansing marketers want you to believe that your body is filled with toxins and your intestines are lined with gunk that is making you heavier, fatter, and less healthy. This is due to the processed, chemical-laden foods we eat on a daily basis.
Some even provide disgusting evidence of the "things" that come out of the body during cleansing and fasting rituals. Many want to sell cleansing supplements, while others want to market sketchy practices such as colonic irrigation.
This is a complex topic that I discuss in more detail in my book Three Weeks to Thrive. For now, let me give you a quick rundown on the research I’ve done.
First of all, there are toxins in your body but these cleansing diets and rituals do little to get them out. Many toxins are stored in fatty tissue, so losing weight gradually tends to release those toxins to be filtered out of the bloodstream (not the bowels). This is one reason that drastic weight loss can be problematic.
The next thing to understand is that intestinal mucus is a normal thing. This is what cleansing diets mostly flush out after periods of fasting. Flushing this mucus out results in gross deposits in the toilet, but it’s not beneficial to the body.
Finally, there are beneficial bacteria that keep the bowels in good working order and fight infection. Cleansing rituals such as colonic irrigation remove these good bacteria and disrupt water absorption. This often can lead to dehydration, infection, and a list of other problems. I've spoken to a several medical doctors about cleansing practices and they all agree that it is far more dangerous than it could be beneficial, except in certain cases of illness or injury where it is specifically prescribed by a doctor.
The bottom line is that cleansing diets are nothing more than clever marketing. If you fast for long periods of time you will lose a lot of weight for a variety of reasons. As soon as you resume normal eating habits again, you will quickly regain all of the weight you lost and then some.
Instead of taking ten times the daily amount of fiber to "cleanse toxins", I suggest you check your diet to make sure you get enough dietary fiber each day. You should get somewhere around 25-30 grams of fiber per day. If you do take one of those cleansing products, prepare to spend a lot of time on the toilet.
If you're worried about toxins, cut the chemicals out of your diet to begin with. Eat less fast food and highly processed foods that are loaded with preservatives, fertilizers, pesticides, colors, and artificial sweeteners. There’s no point trying to flush out the poisons if you're just going to start adding them back in soon after. Consider switching to more wholesome foods that are produced in more natural, organic ways.
You may get tired of hearing it, but there are no shortcuts to better health. Cleansing is billed as a shortcut, but it's only a ruse. The key is better nutrition and exercise. You don’t need to cleanse for a week, you need to eat healthier for the rest of your life. That means adopting a moderate approach to nutrition that is sustainable and enjoyable, yet healthy.
