Why Doing a Detox for Your Summer Slimdown is a Bad Idea

It's the time of year when we all want to look our best, fast. Juice fasts, colonics, and similar cleanses may be popular, but in The 17 Day Plan to Stop Aging, author Dr. Mike Moreno shares why you're better off without them.

There are a lot of products, diets, juices, and clinics out there these days that claim to have the definitive answer on how to rid your body of all the toxins we encounter daily in order to reverse aging. But many of these trends can be dangerous. Here are some examples of potential dangers. Consider yourself warned!

Colonics:
This is a type of "detox" that is essentially like getting a massive enema. During the procedure, the technician will pump up to 20 gallons of water into the colon to "clean" out the rectum. It really scares me to think about people having this done, especially patients who have any type of digestive disorder. So much can go wrong! The risks include perforation of your bowel wall, electrolyte imbalance and dehydration, infection from virus or bacteria, and the list goes on. Bottom line: in my medical opinion, colonics are not a smart idea.

Juice fasts: These may be all the rage, but I have my reservations. Simply put, if you're only consuming juice, with no solids at all, you're not getting the nutrients and enzymes your body needs. Therefore, you probably won't feel very good, and if you lose any weight, you're likely to gain it back relatively quickly. If you ask me, in general, whether I think juicing is a healthy way to consume fruits and vegetables, my answer is yes and no. If fresh juice is your only source of fruits and veggies, then you are missing out on most of the fiber because juicing removes the pulp, where much of the fiber comes from. But if fresh juice is part of your overall healthy diet and lifestyle, then i think it can be a terrific supplement. However, your body does not need you to do a juice fast for a week, or even a day.

Starvation diets:
Do I really even need to comment on these? Any "detox" program that severely limits your caloric intake to let your organs "rest" is not going to be something I ever recommend. These can really mess around with your metabolism and other bodily functions. We were built to require fuel in the form of food. As for folks who think if they have a "bad eating day" filled with fast food, pizza, soda, or the like and then just starve themselves for a day or two afterward to make up for it...you know who you are...this is a terrible idea. If you screw up and detour a bit from your overall healthy lifestyle for a day or a weekend, just get back in the saddle the next day by returning to your normal, healthy diet. Starving yourself only makes matters worse, often forcing your body to store more fat.

So, you may ask, what do I think is the hottest, most revolutionary detoxification system in the world? Are you ready for this? It's the human body! That's right, folks, you were born fully equipped with a very powerful waste management system. When it's functioning properly, you are naturally able to rid yourself of most of the toxins you encounter as each system can adequately dump its waste into the urinary and digestive systems, which then release them out of your body. Your skin also acts as a way for your body to flush out waste-in the form of sweat! And to keep all of your systems functioning properly, i recommend you continue implementing the anti-aging essentials, all of which help your body filter and release toxins before they accumulate.

Get fit. Find nutrition facts. Live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up for our newsletter!


Related Links: Why You Need to Clean Your Gut, Now
Like Tips on Healthy Living on Facebook