If your diet has been less than stellar over these past few months, you may be searching for a way to “reset” your system. Scrolling through your social media news feed, you may find a number of detox diets and supplements touting that they can rid your body of all the toxins and chemicals you’ve accumulated from your poor lifestyle habits.
Despite the claims, there’s no proof that detox diets and supplements do what they say. In fact, your body is equipped to naturally remove all harmful substances from your body on a daily basis. Starving yourself or drinking a special juice for 10 days isn’t going to improve the process and may even harm your health.
At Weston Medical Health & Wellness in Weston, Florida, our weight-loss specialist Dr. Andrea Bretal shares what you need to know about detox diets and supplements, so you can make a more informed decision about how to “reset” your system.
The ins and outs of detox diets and supplements
Detox diets and supplements come in a variety of forms and may involve one or several steps, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
Some of the most common types of detox diets include:
- Fasting
- Limiting your intake to a special tea or juice
- Colon cleanses
- Eating specific types of foods
Detox supplements often contain natural laxatives or diuretics that help “rid” your body of toxic substances. In reality, they just add to the number of trips you make to the bathroom by increasing urination or bowel movements.
The detox claims
Proponents of detox diets and supplements claim that they help rid your body of toxic chemicals and impurities that affect your health or impede your weight loss. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence to back up any of the claims, says NCCIH.
Your liver and kidneys filter toxic substances and impurities from your body on a daily basis, and the toxins leave your body through urine, bowel movements, and sweat. Starving yourself or taking supplements that have you spending half the day in the bathroom won’t improve your body’s natural detoxification process.
In fact, detox diets and supplements may cause more harm than good. You may lose some weight following a detox diet, but it won’t last because it’s mostly water weight. Many detox diets and supplements increase your risk of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, which may affect your heart health and kidney function.
Healthier ways to reset your system
You don’t need to starve yourself or take supplements to “reset” your system because of your less-than-perfect diet habits. We specialize in weight loss and offer a comprehensive personalized weight-loss program that can help you lose weight and get in shape without following a restrictive diet.
Instead of focusing on what you eat or don’t eat, we focus on helping you make lifestyle changes that lead to healthier habits so the weight comes off easily and naturally. We offer in-office appointments as well as digital weight-loss plans.
Creating healthy habits requires commitment and time, which may be hard when you’re struggling with hunger and food cravings. To support your weight-loss efforts, we offer phentermine, which is a prescription weight-loss medication that suppresses hunger.
We also provide lipotropic shots to kickstart your metabolism, weight loss, and motivation.
Detox diets and supplements won’t lead to long-term weight loss or health gains. But if you want to change your life by losing weight the healthy way, we can help. Contact our office by phone or book an appointment online today.