{"id":534,"date":"2018-08-09T11:23:05","date_gmt":"2018-08-09T11:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.targitfit.com\/blog\/?p=534"},"modified":"2018-08-09T17:24:45","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T17:24:45","slug":"does-detoxing-really-help-you-lose-weight-and-get-healthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.targitfit.com\/blog\/does-detoxing-really-help-you-lose-weight-and-get-healthy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth About Detoxing for Health and Weight Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Garnish a detoxification smoothie any way you want–it might be healthy, but it won’t improve your body’s ability to get rid of toxins.<\/p><\/div>\n

Everyone is detoxing these days, from the rich and famous to the guy next door. With promises of increased energy, rapid weight loss, ridding your body of nefarious “toxins,” reducing risk of disease, and improving the condition of your skin, the hype might make you feel like you’re missing out if you don’t jump on the bandwagon. Plus, there are about a million ways being offered to detox including detoxification drink recipes, body cleansing diets, and detoxing supplements that are supposed to work without having to go on a fast or drink green sludge.<\/p>\n

An all-natural detox cleanse is especially alluring to those who have felt fatigued, sluggish, tired, and just icky overall for an extended length of time. The “all natural” part is surely healthy, right? And if all it takes to feel better and lose weight is to simply follow this diet for a week or whip up these smoothie recipes and drink them before each meal for a month, then it’s worth a try. The problem is, if the protocol doesn’t actually clean your system of toxins or result in lasting weight loss, then it really isn’t worth it.<\/p>\n

The Argument for Detoxification<\/h4>\n

In addition to famous personalities, there are actual authoritative advocates of detoxification, and they all use health as their reason for doing a detox cleanse. They say that it’s vital to cleanse the liver and other organs of toxins that supposedly accumulate in your body and hinder weight loss and optimal health. These unnamed poisons are blamed for cancer and other diseases and even for keeping you from losing the extra weight you’ve been trying to shed without success.<\/p>\n

The Studies Say…<\/h4>\n
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A healthy body is programmed to detox itself without fasting or slurping detoxification drink recipes.<\/p><\/div>\n

Since basic high school biology taught you that your liver and kidneys work like filters, it sounds plausible that toxins could become trapped in them like lint in the dryer. However, that is not really how it works. LiveScience<\/a> explains that your internal organs don’t typically harbor toxins. Instead, your liver, for example, converts potentially harmful substances into ones that are water-soluble and sends them to be sweated or otherwise excreted out of your body.<\/p>\n

Though the liver and kidneys of a generally healthy person do a bang-up job of detoxification all on their own,\u00a0people with liver or kidney disease are exceptions to the rule.\u00a0Additionally,\u00a0if you constantly bombard your\u00a0body with unhealthy food, drink, and habits, it will start to wear down your system and inhibit or entirely destroy its ability to effectively get rid of toxins in its own natural way. Still, an improved diet (which we will discuss in just a minute…) has shown to be more helpful for promoting health and optimal organ function than detoxing.<\/p>\n

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Some detox regimens do more harm than good, causing symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, and more.<\/p><\/div>\n

In fact, most authoritative sources say that detoxification hasn’t proven to be effective. Additionally, a body cleansing diet may even cause risky side effects such as fatigue, low blood sugar, nutrient deficiencies, and fainting, according to Web MD<\/a> and the American Council on Exercise<\/a>. And what about the claims that fat cells supposedly store toxins and any weight loss due to a round of detox will burn toxins along with the fat? LiveScience weighs in on this issue, too, pointing out that the body’s natural detoxification process is not connected at all to burning fat cells.<\/p>\n

What About the Testimonies?<\/h4>\n
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Body cleansing diets make you feel great because they eliminate all the unhealthy elements from your diet.<\/p><\/div>\n

Many people who have undergone detoxification swear by it and can’t wait to do it again. They claim to have more energy, feel more focused, and generally healthy overall after–and sometimes during–detox. Some even report rapid weight loss. So, how could all of the anecdotal evidence so starkly contrast with clinical facts? The Mayo Clinic<\/a> says that the healthier, more focused feeling could come from the fact that detoxers have eliminated all the unhealthy elements from their diets such as fats, sugar, and highly processed foods. The diet could also explain part of the weight loss, but gaining the weight back is likely once the detox is over, and the regular diet is resumed.<\/p>\n

A Detox Alternative<\/h4>\n

If all the facts have burst your bubble, there is an alternative to a short-term detoxification regimen that is actually more effective in keeping your body in working order for the long haul. It starts with understanding that a healthy body will take care of detoxing itself, so lifestyle has everything to do with making sure your organs are healthy enough to do what they’re supposed to. For example, Dr. Oz<\/a> recommends eating foods that are rich in selenium for reviving your thyroid. The good news there is that you probably already eat a lot of them:<\/p>\n