Considering a detox after the excesses of Christmas? You’re not alone.
Millions of people around the world embark on a detox the week after the holiday period finishes – with mixed results.
To get the real skinny on detoxing, FEMAIL spoke to Sydney-based dietitian and nutritionist, Lyndi Cohen, who outlined both the pros, cons and exactly what happens to the body when you drastically reduce your calorie intake.
It might make you think twice about that New Year teatox.
FEMAIL spoke to Sydney-based dietitian and nutritionist, Lyndi Cohen , who outlined both the pros, cons and exactly what happens to the body when you go on a detox
Detoxes are all the rage right now, especially at the beginning of a new year (stock image)
The idea behind a detox is that it will ‘lighten the load, so your body isn’t always churning through food’, Lyndi (pictured) explained
WHAT A DETOX DOES TO THE BODY
While it depends what you’re doing when you’re detoxing, Lyndi said there are many things that will happen to both your brain and body:
‘The idea behind a detox is that it will lighten the load, so your body isn’t always churning through food,’ she told FEMAIL.
‘But when you’re on a typically low calorie intake, you’ll soon find your body starts using fat as its primary energy source.
‘It’s not unusual to feel light-headed, dizzy, moody or fatigued. You might also experience problems with your digestion.’
‘It’s not unusual to feel light-headed, dizzy, moody or fatigued. You might also experience problems with your digestion on a detox,’ Lyndi (pictured) said
THE PROS
There are, of course, pros to detoxing – the first and most obvious of which is weight loss:
‘You will see weight loss results with a detox, naturally,’ Lyndi Cohen said. ‘But most of this weight loss will be water weight or muscle weight.’
Next, you’ll see a shrink in your stomach size, which should give positive results:
‘You won’t be able to eat as much and your palette should become more sensitive to sugar and sweetness or salt,’ Lyndi said.
‘A detox can often act as a palette reset.’
There are pros to detoxing – the first and most obvious of which is weight loss; elsewhere, it can help you to shrink your stomach size and make your stomach more sensitive (stock image)
However, for Lyndi (pictured), there are also cons – there’s a massive chance of weight regain after a detox, as well as a rise in cravings which need to be fed
THE CONS
However, as with anything, there are also cons with detoxing – and these perhaps outweigh the plus points.
‘There is a massive chance of weight regain after a detox,’ Lyndi explained.
‘Because you’ve cut out certain foods for a while, you might have cravings which you feel need to be fed.’
Of course, you will also no doubt experience at least one of the symptoms described above – whether that be fatigue, dizziness, moodiness or light-headedness.
Any major restriction of calories is akin to crash dieting – which is often not good for the body.
‘There’s also always a risk of deficiency if you’re detoxing, particularly when it comes to fibre and other vital nutrients,’ Lyndi said.
Lyndi explained that there is a way to detox healthily – cut out all alcohol, cut refined sugars and fill up on plenty of green vegetables, other veggies and fruit (stock image)
HOW TO DETOX HEALTHILY
While you might be thinking that the cons list is longer than your arm and that you might as well ditch detoxes forever, Lyndi explained that there is a way to detox healthily:
‘The first thing you need to do is cut out alcohol entirely,’ she said. ‘Alcohol is a carcinogenic, and is empty calories. There is no place for it on a detox.’
Next, pull back on refined sugar:
‘There’s no need to ditch carbs,’ Lyndi said. ‘But sugary juices, biscuits and all fried foods need to go. Instead, load up your plate with more veggies and aim for 5-10 servings of fruit and veg each day.’
A good day on a detox plate could start with some eggs, leafy greens, tomatoes and feta for breakfast – before lunching on salad with chickpeas, legumes and tuna.
A detox dinner could consist of white fish with dark leafy greens, while snacks should be nuts, vegetables and dip or fruit.
When it comes to some of the diets around, Lyndi (pictured) has little time for them – instead, she recommends an early dinner and late breakfast, and eating healthily
THE EXPERT VERDICT ON SOME OF THE POPULAR DETOXES AROUND
Finally, Lyndi shared her opinions on some of the popular detoxes doing the rounds at the start of 2018, beginning with the controversial water fast diet.
Water Fasting involves trying to lose weight by eating no food and only taking in the three beverages.
‘This is really extreme and is never going to be sustainable or healthy,’ Lyndi admitted.
‘If you’re that way inclined and want to fast, then try having an early dinner and a later breakfast instead. This will allow your body an 8-10 hour fast almost naturally, and it won’t be so severe.’
With regards to ‘teatoxing’ – or the art of sipping specific detox teas – Lyndi said this is very dangerous:
‘These are drinks which case a laxative effect,’ she said. ‘This will leave you feeling very unwell and see you lose a whole pile of water weight.’
Finally, she touched on juicing – which is perhaps the healthiest of the extreme detox approaches:
‘Juicing can be a good thing, as it gives the body a well-earned break from food,’ Lyndi said.
‘Juices are filled with antioxidants – and unlike the other cleanses, they will give you some nutrients.’
The dietitian concluded by saying that there is ‘no evidence to support the fact that a detox will work’.
‘Be kind to your body,’ Lyndi said. ‘If any diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is.’
To read more from Lyndi Cohen, visit her website here.