by guest blogger Caroline Praderio, food and nutrition writer for Prevention magazine and EatClean.com
Thinking about trying a juice cleanse or radical detox to kick off 2016? We don’t blame you: The allure of these diets is strong. Who doesn’t want to chimney-sweep their insides, clearing out all the crap you put in there between Halloween and New Year’s? But as attractive as the idea of detoxing is—it’s also not smart. Nor is it healthy. Or supported by any science. (Here are 7 of the biggest clean-eating trends we predict for 2016.)
While it’s true that drastically reducing your food intake as part of cleanse can have a couple of short-term benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, there are far more reasons not to undertake intense detox diets. Here are the five most compelling:
1. You won’t lose weight long-term. Sure, radical cleanses result in quick weight loss—but the slim-down won’t last. “Anyone can follow a restrictive diet or cleanse for a certain period of time. Unfortunately, data shows us that, when the diet ends, most people gain back everything they lose plus more,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, owner of Nutrition Starring You, LLC. Save your body the roller coaster ride.
2. You’ll feel awful. Lots of detox plans—juice cleanses especially—seriously scale back your intake of both fat and protein. That’s a problem, since those are the two nutrients your body uses to make neurotransmitters, which keep your mood stable. Plus, drastically reducing the number of calories you eat will sap your energy.
3. You’ll lose muscle. Another drawback of limiting protein: You’ll lose muscle mass (on a weeklong cleanse, you could lose as much as a pound of muscle mass per day!). “Then, when the weight comes back, it will most likely be gained as fat,” says Harris-Pincus. (Try one of these filling weight-loss smoothies instead.)
4. You’re not actually detoxing yourself. Detox diets talk a big game, saying they’ll eliminate all manner of toxins from your body. But the truth is that your body doesn’t really need assistance in that department. “Our bodies were designed to detox themselves,” says Harris-Pincus. “Our liver and kidneys already do a great job of removing waste and toxins from our bodies.” How can you actually help your body run optimally? Just eat healthfully, Harris-Pincus says: Add more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and lean proteins, and limit added sugars and highly processed foods.
5. You’ll spend a lot of money for nothing. Your average three-day juice cleanse costs around $200. Two. Hundred. Dollars. For three days of “food.” Just think about how many grocery carts’ worth of actual sustenance you can get for that amount of money. Don’t start 2016 by getting swindled.
Caroline Praderio is the food and nutrition writer for Prevention magazine and EatClean.com. A native of Massachusetts, she’s a graduate of Emerson College and a winner of two International Regional Magazine Association awards. When she’s not writing, she loves to read, cook, and rehearse with her dance company.
Adapted from the article “5 Reasons You Should Never Go on a Juice Cleanse or Detox Diet,” originally published on EatClean.com
It is good to see someone telling the truth about the famous juice cleanse. I’ve never tried it but have known others who did and it never turned out well. Thank you for giving us the facts and spreading the word, Caroline!