Having to look at a model gulping down colorful juices and looking fabulous is most often the picture that appears once you start looking for ways to detox and lose weight. You can easily find "5 day" juice detox plans or "one week juice detox" plans which talk about just gulping down colorful concoctions of fruit and vegetable juices. So, how much does drinking that kale and cucumber juices really help in removing the toxins from your body? You may be surprised to know the answer... not a lot!
Our unhealthy fast and processed food diet lifestyle based guilt wants us to believe that juice detoxification is the perfect antidote to all our health problems. The idea that we can get rid of our daily sinful caloric intake just by downing gallons of fruit juices for 4 or 5 days does sound tempting enough and is convenient too. But, here's is the bitter truth; there is nothing really that healthy about these juice detoxification fads. Here are the top 5 juice detoxification myths debunked:
1. You have to detox your body yourself!
This is completely false. The human body does not need any external help to detoxify itself. It has natural detoxifiers in the body in the form of the intestines, liver, kidneys, lungs and skin. If the human body was unable to naturally get rid of toxins or excrete them out, chances are that you'd probably be dead right now.
The human body is able to remove the harmful toxins accumulating inside it in the form of sweat, feces and urine. This is a continuous process and the body does not need juices to detoxify or cleanse it of toxins.
2. Lose weight quickly and easily.
Juice detox diets are becoming increasingly popular especially due to the promotion they get from Holly Wood celebrities but it is a very ineffective solution for weight loss. It might help you drop a few pounds but since the weight lost is water weight, it gains back rapidly once you resume your normal diet. Another major drawback of such a restricted detox diet is that protein intake is very low, which results in more muscle loss than fat loss.
3. Improve your health and feel energetic.
People expect these juice detox diets to make them feel healthier and energetic when in fact, they do the exact opposite. Juice detox offers the followers a false sense of health and wellness security. The first few days of the juice detox are responsible for burning up the body's stored glycogen to fulfill its energy requirement. Glycogen is form of glucose which is stored in the body and is used for energy. Once this glycogen is used, it appears as weight loss and causes the follower to believe that weight loss has occurred. Juice fasts or detox diets actually promote loss of energy, shakiness and headaches due to low blood sugar level. The lack of fiber intake during a juice fast can also lead to constipation.
4. No exercise required.
Now that is just wishful thinking! When you are on a detox diet, you only take in juices which help in weight loss by reducing your muscles rather than fat. This weight is gained back rapidly once the detox diet is over. If you want to lose weight through juice detox without losing your muscles, you need to exercise as well so you can gain muscle instead of losing them.
5. It's recommended by dieticians and nutritionists.
Not really. However, a lot of hype has been created about these cleansing diets among Hollywood stars. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Selma Hayek and Oprah root for it by claiming that it helps with weight loss and makes them feel healthier. But many health experts claim that a juice detox offers only a short term solution and is ineffective as a long term solution. Your body detoxifies itself constantly and the proper way to achieve a healthy and toxin free body is through exercise and healthy eating.