Detoxification, Myth? Truth?

Nowadays, many so call "professor, dietitian, doctors and don't know who" has brought up issue of body detoxification....Now, here comes the questions, do our bodies really need detoxification? Do our bodies really accumulate lots of toxin? And most importantly, can detoxification help us to loose weight? Undoubtedly, many people will tell you that yes, we need all this detoxification once a while to cleanse our body.

"Detox" is certainly a popular buzzword in the dieting world! The idea behind it is that we need to periodically clear the "toxic waste" from our body in order to stay healthy. In particular, we might be tempted to detox after over-indulging a little, for example during Chinese New Year, Christmas, Hari Raya and so on. Part of the reasons people practice detox after these "grand eating" might be due to the guilty feeling after eating so much food.....haha, typical Malaysian style of thinking....

Detox diets can last from around one day to around one month and may involve:

• Fasting for short periods of time
• Consuming only fruits and vegetables
• Cutting out wheat and dairy foods
• Consuming a limited range of foods
• Avoiding caffeine and alcohol

Now, the fact is.... The concept of detox diets is irrational and unscientific. In actual fact, when you starve your body of calories your body will ultimately start to build up chemicals called ketones. These chemicals can result in nausea, dehydration, weakness, light-headedness and irritability. Further, a prolonged lack of protein causes your body to break down its own muscles and can compromise your immune system.

Rapid weight loss occurs when fasting or severely restricting dietary intake, but this weight loss is water, glycogen (the body's carbohydrate stores) and muscle, rather than fat. You may feel fatigued and dizzy and it's likely you'll have less energy while you are following a detox programme that involves fasting. Further, if you are fasting your body won't have the proper fuels available to carry out sustained exercise and activity. At the end the programme, when you return to your old eating habits, any weight lost is likely to go back on!

So, think twice when you are ask to join any "detox" diet...

Then, you might ask, "what should i do/eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle? ". Well, this is a big question to answer....which i will try to share some of my thoughts some days later. But now, it is generally agreed that, a well balanced diet is the key to healthy lifestyle.