Planning a New Year detox? You could be doing more harm than good, doctor warns
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After all the excesses of the festive season, you might be feeling the need to give your body a reset. But there's one solution you should avoid at all costs: detox diets.
Yes, that's right - starting the New Year with a detox diet, juice cleanse or any other similar 'quick fix' to supposedly 'purify' your body could be more harmful than beneficial, according to Dr Megan Rossi.
'I don't want to demotivate anyone who wants to be healthier – and I have suggestions to help with that, which evidence shows will work,' Dr Rossi explains. So let's dive in to find out why you should give your body a break from detoxing.
First off, our bodies come across toxins on a regular basis - from the food we eat, from pollutants, and even from some forms of medication. But here's the thing - our bodies are actually very well equipped to deal with these toxins, thanks to our built-in detoxification systems.
For example, our liver plays an important role in breaking down toxins, turning them into harmless by-products. The kidneys help 'sieve' out waste and push it out of our bodies in the form of urine. The colon also plays an important role, with a community of microbes (our microbiota) preventing toxins from entering our bloodstream.
The point is - our bodies have robust systems to handle toxins and don't require any help outside of this natural setup. In fact, Dr Rossi explains that taking on a detox program can actually undermine these systems and deprive your body of the essential nutrients needed to function at its best.
Take the juicing detox, for example - where you drink only fruit or veg juices and juice-based smoothies - a popular form of detox these days.
Dr Rossi explains that while juice will still contain water-soluble nutrients such as Vitamin C, it won't provide the fat-soluble nutrients such as Vitamin E, which are actually vital for protecting against infections and keeping our muscles functioning.
And our gut bacteria - which is a key player in helping us stay healthy and break down our food so we can absorb all the goodness - won't be provided with the fibre its need to thrive.
These low-protein diets that often come with a detox are also to be avoided - Dr Rossi warns that protein is needed to prevent muscle wastage and maintain a healthy metabolic rate. So, in the long run, these detoxes actually have the potential to lead to weight gain rather than loss. Yikes!
So don't be fooled by the shady marketing tactics - no matter how good the promises are - and take the time to seek out honest, evidenced-based advice if you really want to make a healthy lifestyle change.
In fact, if you're looking for small changes that could make a big difference, Dr Rossi has a few helpful tips:
Dr Rossi's main advice is to opt for 'natural' foods as much as possible and cut back on ultra-processed foods such as pre-packaged meals, bacon, processed meats, ready meals and cakes - almost anything that has had its natural goodness extracted.
This type of food encourages inflammation amongst our gut microbes, which in turn can trigger overeating. So the message here is to fill your fridge and pantry with real food - fruit, vegetables, whole grains, greens and herbs and spices - all of which your healthy gut bacteria love.
Doing this could even help you lose weight, as well as keep your gut in good shape.
As always, folks, please don't take any information mentioned in this article as professional medical advice. If you are planning to make major changes to your diet or the medications you take, it is always better to talk things over with your primary care physician or a nutritionist first.
Here's hoping for a healthier and happier 2023 for us all. Let's keep looking out for each other and start the new year off with a fresh approach to our health! If you have more tips to share with us, we would love to hear them in the comments below!
Yes, that's right - starting the New Year with a detox diet, juice cleanse or any other similar 'quick fix' to supposedly 'purify' your body could be more harmful than beneficial, according to Dr Megan Rossi.
'I don't want to demotivate anyone who wants to be healthier – and I have suggestions to help with that, which evidence shows will work,' Dr Rossi explains. So let's dive in to find out why you should give your body a break from detoxing.
If you're planning on doing a 'detox' to kick off the new year, a doctor has some words of caution for you. Credit: Pexels/Vegan Liftz.
First off, our bodies come across toxins on a regular basis - from the food we eat, from pollutants, and even from some forms of medication. But here's the thing - our bodies are actually very well equipped to deal with these toxins, thanks to our built-in detoxification systems.
For example, our liver plays an important role in breaking down toxins, turning them into harmless by-products. The kidneys help 'sieve' out waste and push it out of our bodies in the form of urine. The colon also plays an important role, with a community of microbes (our microbiota) preventing toxins from entering our bloodstream.
The point is - our bodies have robust systems to handle toxins and don't require any help outside of this natural setup. In fact, Dr Rossi explains that taking on a detox program can actually undermine these systems and deprive your body of the essential nutrients needed to function at its best.
Take the juicing detox, for example - where you drink only fruit or veg juices and juice-based smoothies - a popular form of detox these days.
Our body is already equipped with several mechanisms to detox itself. Credit: Pexels/Ketut Subiyanto.
Dr Rossi explains that while juice will still contain water-soluble nutrients such as Vitamin C, it won't provide the fat-soluble nutrients such as Vitamin E, which are actually vital for protecting against infections and keeping our muscles functioning.
And our gut bacteria - which is a key player in helping us stay healthy and break down our food so we can absorb all the goodness - won't be provided with the fibre its need to thrive.
These low-protein diets that often come with a detox are also to be avoided - Dr Rossi warns that protein is needed to prevent muscle wastage and maintain a healthy metabolic rate. So, in the long run, these detoxes actually have the potential to lead to weight gain rather than loss. Yikes!
So don't be fooled by the shady marketing tactics - no matter how good the promises are - and take the time to seek out honest, evidenced-based advice if you really want to make a healthy lifestyle change.
Choose 'natural' foods as much as you can and limit your consumption of highly-processed ones. Credit: Pexels/Jane Doan.
In fact, if you're looking for small changes that could make a big difference, Dr Rossi has a few helpful tips:
- cut back on alcohol
- ask your pharmacist or GP to review your medication
- cycle or walk on quieter, less busy routes to avoid high levels of air pollution.
Dr Rossi's main advice is to opt for 'natural' foods as much as possible and cut back on ultra-processed foods such as pre-packaged meals, bacon, processed meats, ready meals and cakes - almost anything that has had its natural goodness extracted.
This type of food encourages inflammation amongst our gut microbes, which in turn can trigger overeating. So the message here is to fill your fridge and pantry with real food - fruit, vegetables, whole grains, greens and herbs and spices - all of which your healthy gut bacteria love.
Doing this could even help you lose weight, as well as keep your gut in good shape.
Here's hoping for a healthier and happier 2023 for us all. Let's keep looking out for each other and start the new year off with a fresh approach to our health! If you have more tips to share with us, we would love to hear them in the comments below!
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