2023-09-21 03:20:00
September is a curious month, loved and hated in equal parts. On the one hand, we want the routine of the school year to begin with the hope that, in this course, we will finally achieve a good routine and the goals we set for ourselves; On the other hand, it breaks our vacation bubble of pleasure.
September is also a good business opportunity for scammers: those who deceive are on the lookout, those who sell you that your best version is always thinner. It is time to appeal to perfect bodies and magical formulas, increasingly more exotic and that erase, almost with a stroke of the pen, that ice cream, that paella in front of the sea, the pipes chatting until late or the aperitif following a dip in the sea . None of that makes sense if they manage to make you feel guilty for having enjoyed the pleasures of food and summer.
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For some time now, detoxes, or purifying treatments, have been widely used. They propose them in the form of challenges with the promise of rapid weight loss, erasing the excesses of summer; They sell them as a detox “following a time of lack of control” to achieve reduction in inflammation and an improvement in the skin, the immune system, liver function and even the quality of sleep. As an claim it has a hook, but do they really work? They are healthy?
What do ‘detox’ diets consist of?
They are diets of variable duration, they are usually plans for a week, or 10 days, taking only shakes (or smoothies, which sounds more chic) of vegetables and fruits, with a lot of ginger, turmeric, Nori seaweed and with a lot of money; because, of course, they are very expensive. They can range between €50 and €200, if they become a recurring plan that repeats every quarter. The most precarious option includes homemade preparation copying the ingredients that these magical concoctions usually contain.
For greater effect, they are usually accompanied by water with lemon to promote fat loss and the elimination of toxins and even laxatives and diuretics. However, science knows that lemon water does not promote fat loss, and that fat is not eliminated in urine, but is oxidized; What lemon water does cause is a deterioration of tooth enamel.
Detox diets generate a halo of health, since for a short period of time only fruit and vegetables are ingested. Healthier, impossible, right? Well no.
What negative effects do they have? As they are low-calorie diets, they can cause fatigue and tiredness. They are not complete diets, so if they are prolonged over time they cause nutritional deficiencies. They are not personalized. They are sold as valid for everyone who can pay for them and, of course, they do not take into account the state of health of each person. They are totally unbalanced diets. The appropriate proportion of carbohydrates, fats, or protein is not ingested. They have a guaranteed rebound effect. While doing the detox diet you lose weight, mainly because there is no fluid retention, but what they don’t tell us is that those kilos will return immediately when you resume your normal diet. Come on, following a very sad week without chewing, only drinking green smoothies full of spinach, kale, celery, spirulina and other fantasy, two days following leaving them you will return to weigh the same as before starting the detox. They cause an excess of oxalates or oxalic acid from vegetables such as spinach, beets or chard. By consuming them in large quantities, continuously and raw, they hinder the absorption of important minerals such as magnesium and calcium. Furthermore, excessive intake of oxalates promotes the formation of gallstones. Normal consumption of these vegetables does not cause any problems. They do not promote healthy habits, as they are used as a patch for excesses.
From what we have seen so far, they are only healthy for the pockets of those who market them, but hey, at least they will detoxify, right? The reality is that our body already performs this function on its own, and it only does so in the face of toxic substances such as drugs, tobacco or alcohol. The liver is the main organ that carries out these functions, but also the kidneys, lungs and skin. Our body is so intelligent that it purifies itself, it does not need concoctions. Therefore, this proclamation of its is not fulfilled either.
The only detox you need is to stop believing in magic formulas and miracle diets, which will only make your health and, surely, your relationship with food worse. If you already had a healthy diet, go back to it in a kind way, without restrictions or compensations. If it was not your way of eating, put yourself in the hands of a specialist who takes into account your medical history, your tastes, your way of life; In short, a professional that adapts to you. That will be a good start to the course, free of deception.
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