Do I need a detox before starting a diet?

Detox - what is it really?

Before we go into explaining why detox is not a good option on a diet, let's start by clarifying what it actually is. For many people, it means cleansing the body of toxins. The cause of poisoning is most often supplied in large quantities mercury, cadmium, lead and other heavy metals or dioxins. In the case of an excess of the mentioned elements and substances in the body, vegetable-juice detoxes will not help, and the treatment to remove toxins from the body should be handled by a doctor!

A detox that tempts

In recent years, detox has become a fashionable and profitable trend. This program created for marketing purposes usually consists of a few days, low-energy diet, based primarily on fruits and vegetables, also in the form of juices. For many people, it seems to be a good start on the path to weight loss. And it is tempting, because just a few days after starting the detox we lose a few kilos, which motivates us to continue acting.

Such rapid weight loss should not come as a surprise, given the fact that the vast majority of detox programs provide not more than 1000 kcal. This is definitely not enough! This value does not fully cover even the basic need of the body for energy, which is used primarily for breathing, heart work or maintaining a constant body temperature.

Losing kilograms is certainly pleasing - especially so fast, but it is worth being aware of what it results from. Namely, from the loss of water, which we intensively excrete in the first days of detox. Unfortunately, the fat tissue, which we should most care about getting rid of, does not want to disappear so quickly.

Another tempting aspect of detox is the improvement in well-being and the feeling of lightness that we feel during short-term treatments. Problems begin with prolonged use of a vegetable and fruit diet. Providing the body with meals with such a low calorie content, we begin to experience drowsiness, fatigue and headache. The monotony of the diet can also lead to a deficiency of nutrients and minerals.

To the detriment of A low-energy diet is also indicated by the fact that it reduces the concentration of the hormone of satiety — leptin, and increase the concentration of ghrelin responsible for the feeling of hunger. Dysregulation of this mechanism makes it difficult to continue following the diet, so detox before going on a diet is absolutely not a good idea.

Physiological processes

As we have already mentioned, the main idea of detox for many people is to cleanse the body. But did you know that our organs constantly carry out physiological processes, during which we get rid of metabolic products? They occur, among other things, through the liver, kidneys, lungs or skin. Due to this, unnecessary substances are excreted on an ongoing basis and the pH of the blood is maintained in a constant range.

To help the body in this action, we do not need to resort to restrictive detoxes. He will thank us more for his daily care in the form of a balanced diet, which will provide him with the necessary ingredients for work.

The basis of such a diet is Adequate hydration. More than half of the adult human body consists of water, and it is in the aquatic environment that most of the intrabody reactions take place.

Another key issue is supply of vitamins and minerals, which affects, among other things, the proper functioning of enzymes and the maintenance of acid-base balance. You will find them in vegetables, fruits, whole grain cereal products, lean dairy, fish, legumes, nuts, seeds and good quality fats.

Own plan

And finally, good news for all those who dream of losing extra pounds - the introduction of a healthy diet for weight loss does not require special preparation. However, if you want an individual and adapted nutrition model, it is worth doing basic blood tests, including: morphology, glucose, insulin, lipidogram (total cholesterol and division into fractions LDL-Chol and HDL-Chol, TG), general urine test, TSH, uric acid, and their results should be consulted with a specialist. Good luck!

Bibliography:

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