Okay, raise your hand if you have ever done a detox!
If you have you are not alone. Most people have tried one at some stage. With claims such as “lose a stone in a week”…..“get rid of cellulite for good”… “boost your immune system” who wouldn’t be tempted.
But is it beneficial, or even necessary to detox?
The truth is…. No.
There is no scientific evidence to support the benefits of detox diets. Sure you will lose weight quickly if you don’t eat and drink nothing but kale smoothies for a week. But that’s not because of the magic of detoxing. It’s due to the fact we just mentioned – you are barely eating or drinking and so are taking in less calories than normal! And hey presto… You lose weight.
So at Hustle we want everyone to start the New Year thinking about ‘dejunking’ rather than ‘detoxing’. We want you to forget about your detox diet book as we have something better for you to focus on – your own detox system.
The body is a well-developed system that has its own built in mechanisms to detoxify and remove waste and toxins. Our body is constantly breaking down and getting rid of toxins and waste products such as alcohol, by-products of digestion, dead cells, chemicals from pollution and bacteria. Our ‘cleansing’ organs include the digestive tract (which definitely needs a break after Christmas), the urinary system and the skin (both of which appreciate water instead of alcohol), and the most important cleansing organ – the liver which is constantly busy producing heat, balancing cholesterol, processing proteins, making bile (which helps fat digestion), making hormones and storing vitamins.
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that our bodies need help to get rid of waste products if we are healthy and there’s little proof to support the claims that detox diets work. Strict detox diets, if followed in the long term, can in fact lead to health problems, nutrient deficiencies and a loss in muscle mass.
Hustle’s New Year’s Dejunk Plan
A dejunk plan doesn’t have to be completely restrictive and boring. The better the food tastes the more likely you are to stick to your plan. Our definition of dejunk is pretty simple……
Remove the foods and ingredients that are causing problems to your health such as caffeine, alcohol & highly processed foods and instead focus on simple fresh foods such as fruit, veg, nuts, wholegrains and lean proteins.
The one thing you can detox is your fridge, freezer and kitchen cupboards!
| WHAT’S OUT……. | WHAT’S IN….. |
| Poor quality meats and pies | Lean beef mince, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, pulses, tofu |
| Mayonnaise and salads made with mayonnaise such as potato, egg and coleslaw salad. | Reduced fat mayonnaise. Bean and lentil salads |
| Pate | Hummus |
| Frozen chicken nuggets, sausage rolls, fish fingers | Frozen plain fish fillets, frozen chicken, frozen quorn products |
| White bread and rolls | Wholegrain or seeded bread, wraps and pitta |
| White rice | Brown or basmati rice |
| Salted crackers and cheese biscuits | Rye and seeded crackers, rice cakes, oats cakes |
| Sugary breakfast cereals | Wholegrain cereals such as oats, Weetabix, Bran Flakes, All Bran. |
| Sugar | Sweetener, cinnamon, nutmeg |
| Cup-a-soups | Fresh vegetable or lentil based soups |
| Tinned fish in oil | Tinned fish in spring water |
| Salted nuts | Unsalted nuts |
| Chocolate spread | Peanut butter (choose brands with no added oils or sugar) |
| Crisps | Unsalted popcorn |
| Creamy pasta sauces | Tomato based pasta sauces |
| Cakes, buns, chocolate biscuits. | Plain biscuits, oat based biscuits |
| Salt including sea salt, rock salt, garlic salt | Fresh and dried herbs, spices, lemon juice, black pepper |
We can’t forget exercise…….
We all know that exercise is important for staying healthy. Exercise helps us build and maintain muscle, it burns calories, maintains flexibility, increases aerobic capacity and causes the release of endorphins which cause the release of happy hormones in the body. An added benefit is that exercise actually helps your body to detoxify itself. Exercise helps the body’s cleansing organs to function optimally simply by getting them moving. Moving and exercising helps the circulatory and lymphatic systems of the body, both of which have a cleansing role. When exercising you breathe deeply and take in more oxygen, which helps all the cells to perform their jobs, including removing toxins. At the same time you exhale carbon dioxide, which is a by-product of the various functions performed by the body. As you exercise you build up a sweat and toxins can be released through the pores of the skin.
What are you waiting for? Get moving!
Finally detox your mind-set
Focus on the positives instead of the negatives. Try not to become obsessed with the numbers on the weighing scales – use other ways to measure your progress such as how your clothes fit, how you look, your energy levels and your mood. We all have bad days. But how you handle that setback is what’s important. Put it behind you; move on with your plan. Don’t think of it as a failure; think of it as an opportunity you can learn from in the future.
We know that sensible food and lifestyle choices reduce our exposure to toxins, as well as strengthening and supporting our organs to work properly. The results will be improved sleep, reduced stress, increased energy, better digestion, healthy skin and maybe even a bit of weight loss.
If your still feeling confused then contact us and we can give you the simple answers – please complete the contact form below or click here to get started and we would be happy to help!