Gilbert: To cleanse or not to cleanse in your fitness regimen

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By Aaron Gilbert, CSCS

Oops …Your spouse, with the best of intentions, knowing full well you’ve been working so hard lately at adopting some healthier habits, surprises you after a long day at work with your favorite indulgence – pizza. Immediately you do what any normal person would do in this circumstance – indulge, then moments later, lament. This manifests into a solace-seeking Facebook post describing the ordeal in detail. Seemingly in nanoseconds, every guru in your Facebook universe comes to the rescue with the en vogue, quick-fix solution to “Just cleanse.”

What is a cleanse or detox diet?

Detox diets, or cleanses, typically include a highly restrictive list of foods, juices, teas and/or a whole lot of nothing (i.e. fasting). These diets will typically require you to purchase “detox/cleanse kits” or premade juices.

The promise? To rid your body of all the bad stuff, toxins. Sounds like a sweet deal, right? Clear out all the bad stuff causing havoc within your body and maybe lose a few pounds and some inches while you’re at it. Maybe not so much. Let’s take a look:

Buyer Beware
A cleanse can possibly do more harm to your body than good. Some frequently reported side effects include:
* Intense headaches (most likely from the nitrates dumped into your body from an overwhelming amount of fruit and vegetable juice)
* Sleep problems

* Feeling weak or dizzy

Additionally, high levels of fruit juices, i.e. fructose, aka sugar, can cause a major roller-coaster ride with your blood-sugar levels. Many cleanses are also low in protein. Protein deficiencies can prevent your body’s natural ability to eliminate toxins.

Here’s a big one: Cleansing will not help you lose weight, at least not the fat weight you want to lose. In fact, it might even lead to weight gain. Here’s why:

* Any weight loss is probably from water, stored carbohydrate and stuff in your intestines – all of which will come back in a few hours after the cleanse ends.

* Most weight-loss cleanses are extremely low in calories. In other words, they’re starving you. Many cleanses are so low in calories they’ll negatively affect your hormonal health.

The Solution: Cleanse Naturally

  1. If you’re eating too much, you’re building up more toxins. For general use, try your using your hand for portion and calorie control. Active women – one palm size of lean protein, one fist of dark green vegetable, one cupped hand of a minimally processed, whole carbohydrate and one full thumb of healthy fat. Active men – two palms of lean protein, two fists of dark green vegetable, two cupped hands of minimally processed, whole carbohydrate and two full thumbs of a healthy fat.
  2. Drink enough fluids, including water and tea. Give your toxin-filtering kidneys a break and keep them healthy by consuming minimally 3.7 liters a day for men and 2.7 liters for women.
  3. Get outside in the sun and enjoy some fresh air each day. The sun makes vitamin D happen from our exposure to it.
  4. Exercise and sweat regularly. Skin is a major organ, and this is where a lot of toxins leave the body.

At the end of the day, keeping it simple with well-balanced nutrition made up of mostly whole, real foods, along with plenty of water, exercise and some fresh air will do your mind and body some wonders.

Oh, and you can enjoy a yummy, detoxifying pizza guilt-free by making it with a low net carb, whole grain crust, along with a low sugar sauce, loaded with lean protein, and plenty of veggies.

Aaron Gilbert is the owner of Longevity Athletics.

References

1. Huber R, et al. Effects of one week juice fasting on lipid metabolism: a cohort study in healthy subjects. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd 2003;10:7-10.
2. Michalsen A, et al. Incorporation of fasting therapy in an integrative medicine ward: evaluation of outcome, safety, and effects on lifestyle adherence in a large prospective cohort study. J Altern Complement Med 2005;11:601-607.
3. Waldman K. Stop Juicing. 
It’s Not Healthy, It’s Not Virtuous, and It Makes You Seem Like a Jerk. Slate. November 20th, 2013
4. Chan A. 5 experts answer: 
Is there such thing as a healthy juice cleanse? March 23, 2011.
5. Walford RL, et al. Physiologic changes in humans subjected to severe, selective calorie restriction for two years in biosphere 2: health, aging, and toxicological perspectives. Toxicol Sci 1999;52(2 Suppl):61-65.
6. Lustig RH, et al. Public health: The toxic truth about sugar. Nature 2012;482:7383.
7. Duker Freuman T. 
Why Juice ‘Cleanses’ Don’t Deliver. December 26, 2012.
8. Newman J. 
The juice cleanse: A strange and green journey. October 27, 2010.
9. Callahan E. Changes in weight loss and lipid profiles after a dietary purification program: a prospective case series. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine 2013;12:30-38.

10. Berardi J, et al.
Just Say “No” to That Detox Diet or Juice Cleanse, Livestrong.com January 16 2016

This column appeared in the March issue of InMaricopa News.