The popular trend of detox water and smoothies is still gaining more followers. However, health specialists say there is nothing healthy about trying to detox your body.
Detox waters usually include a large amount of fruit, such as lemon, strawberries or cucumbers and are believed to clean the system of toxins. But Alec Smith, owner of Feel Good Nutrition, said these drinks are unnecessary because the liver and kidneys detox your body daily.
“They are not necessary and after long periods of time can be potentially harmful,” Smith said. “If someone were to try something like that for a day or two only to try to kick-start a healthy lifestyle, in that case I’m probably OK with it.”
Dr. Sara Blackburn, clinical associate professor of nutrition at IUPUI, agrees and believes one should only detox with the help of a professional.
“It’s always a choice to do whatever you want to do. But I’ve been around long enough that I’ve seen people get into trouble when they do it themselves,” she said.
While detox water/smoothie drinkers usually consume these beverages for weight loss, Smith said these drinks only help drop water weight.
LeVonte Abercrombie, 22, tried detox water for three months. He usually used lemons, oranges, blueberries or raspberries in his water, which made him feel energized.
“I don’t believe it’s a ‘cure-all,’ it’s not some magic trick that will make you lose a lot of weight,” Abercrombie said. “It will help because of the vitamins you’re getting from these different fruits.”
However, colon hydrotherapist Brandy Mason believes “juicing” — extracting juice from raw fruits and vegetables — is the best way to detox and cleanse your body.
“If you actually do it (detox) through juicing, you get a high concentration of minerals. Immediately you’ll have a lot of energy,” Mason said, who has a bachelor’s degree in food science. “If you take a lot of living nutrients and have a lot of raw foods between the juicing, you keep yourself cleansed.”
Although there are many options when it comes to “detoxing,” professionals can agree it is better to just maintain a healthy diet.
Blackburn said one has to establish an eating pattern that works for them and said choosemyplate.gov is a good source for those who want to eat well.
Smith agrees. “If fat loss is your goal, then diet is going to be key. If you’re looking to improve overall health, then exercise is going to be a huge factor,” Smith said. “It’s a lot easier to not eat five Oreos than it is to run three miles.”
Smith also said when kick-starting a healthy lifestyle, every little bit counts.
“If you’re so busy you can only do 10 minutes (of exercise) in the morning, 10 minutes during lunch, and 10 minutes in the evening, you are doing better than 90 percent of people,” he said. “It doesn’t have to happen all at once.”
For more information on living a healthy lifestyle, visit Choosemyplate.gov or fgnutrition.com.
