Detox Diets: Myth or Miracle?

Lately detox diets (or “cleanses”) are all over the news promising us dramatic weight loss results that will help us get our beach body fast. But do these diets actually work?

                

A detox, which is short for detoxification, is a diet that claims to flush toxins and unwanted chemicals from your body through extreme fasting or ingestion of a certain food, beverage, and/or laxative (1). Detox diets are intended to achieve rapid weight loss and claim they will leave you feeling younger and healthier. Unfortunately, these extreme diets have unwanted and potentially harmful side effects that are often not reported by their advocates. Here we bust the top detox diet myths by analyzing the three most popular cleanses: the master cleanse, candida cleanse and colon cleanse.

The Master Cleanse

With the master cleanse, a mixture of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper is consumed every day for 10-28 days (2). No food, caffeine or alcohol is allowed.

Diet claims:

-rapid weight loss

-more energy

-flushes toxins from body

Truth:

With any diet that requires you to consume a very low amount of calories, weight loss will occur. Unfortunately, rapid weight loss can actually lead to future weight gain because periods of extreme fasting can slow your body’s metabolism to conserve energy. Some other harmful side effects of the master cleanse include heart palpitations, decreased immune function and depletion of essential nutrients (3). Instead of severely restricting your food intake, try increasing your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and meat alternatives. Decreasing processed meats and deep fried foods can also help you achieve a healthy weight. Eating a wide variety of foods from each of the four food groups is a great way to ensure you are getting all the important nutrients your body needs.

The Candida Cleanse

No sugar, white flour, yeast or cheese may be consumed. The diet claims that these foods promote candida overgrowth, which is reported to cause unpleasant symptoms such as fatigue (4).

Diet claims:

-decreased fatigue

-less headaches

-improved memory

Truth:

There is no current evidence that supports the theory of Candida overgrowth in the intestine, so the benefits of decreasing your intake of refined foods probably isn’t a result of decreased Candida growth (4). However, cutting out processed foods that are high in sugar and fat, and low in other important nutrients may make you feel better in general. Sugar has addictive properties that can lead to cravings for unhealthy foods, but by practicing portion control and choosing low fat and unprocessed foods, you can lose weight and feel great!

Colon Cleansing

A diet consisting of psyllium fibre, liquids, herbs and supplements is consumed (5). Laxatives are occasionally used to help move waste through the intestines quicker.

Diet claims:

-removes waste and toxins from intestines

-rapid weight loss

Truth:

Your digestive system naturally removes waste and bacteria from your body. Colon cleansing, especially the use of laxatives (unless otherwise prescribed by a physician), are unnecessary and can actually be harmful to your body. Colon cleansing can increase your risk of dehydration, infection, bowel perforations, and can cause a rise in electrolytes that is especially dangerous if you have heart or kidney problems. While colon cleansing diets can be harmful to your health, Dietitians recommend increasing your daily fibre intake and drinking plenty of clear liquids such as water. Fibre makes you feel full and can prevent overeating, which promotes weight loss.

Some people consider following a colon cleansing diet due to constipation. If you are trying to relieve constipation first try increasing your fibre intake, drinking lots of fluids, and exercise daily. 

So what's the conclusion on detox diets? Are they that magical fix to all our problems? In short: no probably not, but there are a few key points that we can take from them to help us feel great and achieve a healthy weight:

1. Drink plenty of water/clear fluids every day - about 8-9 cups. Water helps keep you feel full and therefore can help prevent overeating. Dehydration can lead to headaches, fatigue and muscle cramps - so drink up! 

2. Avoid sugary drinks and processed foods.  They are loaded with "empty calories" ie. they are often high in fat and energy content and don't provide you with any nutritional benefits.

3. Increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables. They are a source of important vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (compounds that naturally occur in plant-based foods that have many health benefits such as decreasing your risk of cancer, heart disease and more!).

   

                       

References

(1) http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/detox-diets-purging-myths

(2) http://themastercleanse.com/master-cleanse/faq/

(3) http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20409933,00.html

(4) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/candida-cleanse/AN01679

(5) http://www.justcleansing.com/coloncleansing.htm

(6) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colon-cleansing/AN00065

Exercise Plan - Part 2

I tried following this exercise plan and it was intense! I was so sore, so keep the weight fairly light to start.

Some common terminology:

Reps (or repetitions): the number of consecutive times you lift a weight/perform a move with no break in between.
Set: a set is composed of a series of reps ie. it is a way to group the number of times you performed an exercise. After you complete a certain number of repetitions you will generally take a break. This break will constitute the time between your first set and your second set of exercises. Most often workouts will encourage you to perform 3 sets in order to sufficiently fatigue your muscles.
Example: I did 12 bicep curls consecutively without a break in between = 12 reps. I then took a break for 30 seconds and completed 12 more bicep curls.
I would have completed 2 sets of 12 bicep curls.

For this work out plan you will complete 3 sets of 8-12 reps. Rest in between each set for one minute. As you increase your weight each month, you may increase your rest to 2 minutes in between sets. You should start off with a weight that will allow you to comfortably complete each set, but that you will struggle to finish your last rep.

For cardio you will perform High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on your off days, leaving at least one day a week for rest and recovery. HIIT can be performed during running on a track or treadmill, on a bike or elliptical machine. You will go at your max. for 30 seconds and then return to a light pace for 2 minutes. (ie: sprint for 30 seconds, light jog/brisk walk for 2 minutes). Complete this 10-12 times.

Monday - Upper Body #1
Push ups
Bent over row
Double shoulder press
Lying tricep extension
Dumbbell curl

Tuesday - Lower Body #1
Squat
Leg extension
Leg curl
Oblique crunch
Swiss ball crunch
Standing calf raise

Thursday - Upper Body #2
Dips
Pull-ups
Dumbbell side lateral lift
Cable pull down for back/lats
Superman (laying on ground back extension)

Friday - Lower Body #2
Leg press
Lunges
Seated calf raise
Incline crunch
Lying leg raise

Continue this workout for 4 months.

Always consult a physician before starting any new exercise routine, especially if you have any heart conditions.

Multi-grain, whole grain and whole wheat - Which one is best?

Is multi-grain the same as whole grain?
Multi-grains don't always contain whole grains. They are a mixture of various grains, which may not provide you with all the health benefits of a whole grain product.


Whole grains include all 3 parts of the grain, including the outer husk of the grain (called the bran), endosperm and the wheat germ. The wheat germ is an important part of the grain and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other essential nutrients. The bran also confers many health benefits. It is a good source of the B vitamins (such as niacin, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, B6 etc.), it contains important minerals, and is a great source of dietary fibre. 
Whenever possible, opt for whole grain products that contain the entire grain and will provide you with the most nutritional benefits. 


What about whole wheat?
In whole wheat products the grains are put through a process that separates the different parts of the grain and often destroys the wheat germ. Since we are losing the wheat germ, we lose some of the benefits associated with whole grain products (increased omega-3 fatty acids etc.). BUT this does not mean that whole wheat products are bad. They are an excellent alternative to white/refined grains because they contain the bran portion of the wheat.


What are refined grains?

Refined grains are whole grains that have been processed (ground or sifted into a flour) to remove the germ and bran, and only contain the endosperm. The loss of these parts of the grain gives a whiter colour to the flour. This results in a loss of fibre, omega-3 fatty acids and important vitamins and minerals such as the B-vitamins. Most refined grains are enriched in Canada, which results in a flour that is a significant source of vitamins and iron. However, refined grains are not as nutritious as whole grains or whole wheat products and you should substitute them for the more nutritious options whenever possible.


Health Canada advises that you make half of your grain products whole grain each day, and to read food labels to make sure that the first ingredient listed is whole grains. 


To learn more check out Health Canada's section on grains!