To Cleanse Or Not To Cleanse?

The answer is no. The concept of "cleansing" or "detoxing" is ridiculous considering the human body is an incredibly intricate system that detoxifies itself better than any silly diet. Unfortunately in our culture so many people (especially young women) look up to celebrities who endorse various diets and cleanses. It's natural to think "hey, if all I eat for a week is cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and maple syrup, I too will have the abs of (insert dingbat celebrity here)". Of course if all you eat is about 12 calories of the world's nastiest concoction per day you will lose weight (btw--you lose water and muscle first, not fat), but as soon as you begin eating real foods again you will gain all that weight back PLUS MORE because your body assumes it needs to prepare for starvation mode. In starvation mode, the primary purpose of the metabolic system is to provide glucose (or energy) to the brain and other tissues that require glucose to function and keep you alive. During starvation, glucose comes from one main source: the protein in your muscles. In other words, you begin to catabolize your muscles and slow your metabolism down so that when you begin eating food again your body clings to every calorie and stores fat to prepare for the next time it's being starved. You end up gaining all the lost "weight" (remember, water + muscle tissue) and more! Not to mention you are deprived of essential nutrients, and it completely throws off your "regularity" if you know what I mean, which that can't be very fun.

That being said, I think there is definitely a time and place for sprucing up your healthy eating habits if you'd like to lose a couple pounds before, say, a trip to the beach or a wedding. A safe and healthy alternative to a cleanse or a detox would be amp up your veggies, whole grains, and water intake while eliminating all processed foods, refined sugars, caffeine, alcohol, fatty meats and even dairy just for the period of time you'd like to "cleanse". Additionally, cutting back on salt, carbonated beverages, fake sugars, gum, and cruciferous vegetables will help keep bloating at bay. Unless you have just had oral surgery or a medical doctor has told you otherwise, just say no to liquid diets or any other dubious sounding detox or cleanse.

And don't even get me started on colon cleansing. That's some crazy shit. Literally.