detox diets....good or flawed?

The premise of a detox diet plan is that by eliminating certain food groups you rid the body of toxins found in those foods, while giving your digestive system a break from hard-to-digest-and-absorb foods, such as meat, cheese and processed foods. This premise is illogical and flawed. It doesn't take a lot of energy to digest food. Our bodies are made to do so. In fact, our bodies are designed to do this naturally! Our liver, kidneys, lungs, skin and immune system are our bodies built-in detox system.

Having said this, it should not give one liberty to pile junk food into his/her body. While our bodies are amazingly designed, we should take care of our bodies and fuel them with whole-foods. Because we do fail to eat from all food groups on a consistant basis, taking whole-food supplements, however, can aid in the health of your digestive tract and over health!

Most detox diets start with a fasting phase (which is a starvation phase!) that includes only liquids and then slowly introduces solids back into the diet. This is a fad diet and should not be adopted as a way to cleanse the body! By doing a detox diet you will not experience special health benefits, such as cure for a chronic disease or quick weight loss. If weight is lost it will not be proper weight loss, meaning it will return very quickly! In fact the negative effects one may experience is lack of proper nutrients since they are avoiding food intake!  (Source:  IDEA Fitness Journal, Feb 2010)

The detox diet is full of misdirected claims. According to an ADA position statement, a claim is misdirected when it leads consumers to make incorrect inferences or broad generalizations about health benefits of a food.

If your diet has been horrible, you can always begin with some HerbLax and Alfalfa from Shaklee, which will mildly cleanse the g.i. tract and allow for better absorption, better elimination and more energy. But do not cut out food.

Another food you may want to add to your regimen that I would recommend is the Energizing Soy Protein, ESP, and Vitalizer, the daily regimen o vitamins that come in daily strips (or at least Vita-Lea, the muti-vitamin). The ESP is so perfectly formulated and so efficient (the same Protein Efficiency Ratio as casein from milk which is the standard), that it is adds energy to those who consume it. But my favorite protein shake from Shaklee is the Cinch Cafe Latte. Yum! And the Cinch shakes have Leucine for muscle sparing.

Please let me know your nutrition questions and needs. You can almost always find your answers to any problem you are experiencing with real food and by consuming real food supplements! Not all supplements are created equal! My mentors in Shaklee have been recommending Shaklee supplements for over 18 years, and guess what? They are pharmacists! They know their stuff and they recommend Shaklee! If you have a particular question on what you are experiencing and what you should take for that issue, I can ask them and they will direct me. Just know we have that resource and I am happy to offer that to you at no cost. They usually charge $75/hour for their knowledge, but will help me and my clients for free.

http://www.adventurebootcamp.myshaklee.com/

Have a fit and fabulous day!

Sara Oliver
http://www.gettobootcamp.com/