Do I need a detox before starting a diet?

Detox – what is it really?

Before we explain why a detox isn't a good solution for weight loss, let's clarify what it actually is. For many people, it means cleansing the body of toxins. Poisoning is most often caused by high levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, and other heavy metals or dioxins. If you have an excess of these elements and substances in your body, vegetable-juice detoxes won't help; medical treatment is required to remove toxins from the body!

The tempting detox

In recent years, detoxing has become a trendy and profitable business. This marketing-driven program usually consists of a multi-day, low-energy diet based primarily on fruits and vegetables, often in the form of juices. For many, it seems like a good way to kickstart weight loss. It’s tempting because just a few days after starting, you lose a few kilograms, which provides motivation to keep going.

Such rapid weight loss shouldn't come as a surprise, given that the vast majority of detox programs provide no more than 1000 kcal. That is definitely not enough! This amount doesn't even cover the body's basic energy requirements, which are used primarily for breathing, heart function, and maintaining a constant body temperature.

Losing weight is certainly satisfying—especially when it happens so quickly—but it's worth being aware of what it actually is. It is primarily the loss of water, which we shed rapidly in the first few days of a detox. Unfortunately, body fat, which is what we should really be focusing on losing, doesn't disappear that quickly.

Another tempting aspect of a detox is the improved mood and feeling of lightness experienced during short-term treatments. Problems arise when a fruit and vegetable diet is followed for longer periods. By providing the body with such low-calorie meals, you start to feel drowsy, tired, and develop headaches. The monotony of the diet can also lead to nutrient and mineral deficiencies.

Against a low-energy diet is the fact that it reduces the concentration of the satiety hormone – leptin, while increasing the concentration of ghrelin, which is responsible for feelings of hunger. Disrupting this mechanism makes it harder to stick to a diet later on, which is why doing a detox before starting a diet is absolutely not a good idea.

Physiological processes

As we mentioned, the main idea behind a detox for many people is to cleanse the body. But did you know that our organs are constantly carrying out physiological processes to get rid of metabolic waste? These processes occur through the liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin, among others. Thanks to this, waste substances are continuously excreted, and blood pH is kept within a constant range.

We don't need to use restrictive detoxes to help the body with this. It will thank us more for daily care in the form of a balanced diet that provides the nutrients it needs to function.

The foundation of such a diet is proper hydration. An adult's body is more than half water, and it is in this aqueous environment that most internal bodily reactions take place.

Another key issue is providing vitamins and minerals, which, among other things, supports proper enzyme function and maintains acid-base balance. You can find them in vegetables, fruits, whole grain products, low-fat dairy, fish, legumes, nuts, seeds, and high-quality fats.

Your own plan

And finally, some good news for everyone dreaming of shedding those extra pounds - starting a healthy weight-loss diet doesn't require any special preparation. However, if you are looking for a personalized nutrition plan tailored to your needs, it is worth getting some basic blood tests done, such as a complete blood count (CBC), glucose, insulin, lipid profile (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides), urinalysis, TSH, and uric acid, and then discussing the results with a specialist. Good luck!  

Bibliography:

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