I have a friend who very kindly lets me stay with her overnight when I am working in London on two consecutive days in a week. This saves me the wretched commute through the roadwork infested M25. She is a big fan of detoxing which I have never been. Last night we were discussing the current regime she is on and she was telling me how she loves doing the detox as a kick start to a reducing regime and that it makes her feel really good.
I have always been sceptical about detoxing, so I thought I'd have a quick trawl around and see what the main arguments for and against are, hoping either to overcome my scepticism, or alert her to any potential dangers of the approach. Actually, unsurprisingly there is a highly charged and emotional debate going on out there about this subject. I am only going to summarise the main arguments in a couple of sentences and then give you my own conclusion from what I've read.
There's no doubt about the fact that detoxing has become very popular in the last decade or so. After Christmas the chemists and supermarket shelves are groaning with detox products to help people kick start their New Year resolutions and women's magazines are full of articles about the latest celebrity regime, encouraging us to abandon our normal eating habits in favour of water, fruit and vegetables, and detox products.
How does detoxing work?
Supporters of detoxing say that it helps to flush toxins through the system faster, that it uses natural herbs and remedies including diuretics to aid the body in the detox process, producing more urine, thus expelling more toxins faster.
So why is it good for you?
Among the benefits claimed for detoxing is that it boosts liver function, clears out the colon and revitalises the skin, by eliminating potentially damaging toxins from the body. Advocates also say that it reduces feelings of bloatedness and increase energy levels.
Can detoxing be bad for you?
Some critics claim that detox products can actually be harmful. They point out that many people start a detox regime without consulting their doctors first. Some herbal products used in detox supplements can interact with some prescription medicines, including blood thinners and the contraceptive pill, increasing or decreasing their effectiveness.
One of the reasons that detoxing is popular after Christmas is that everyone is aware that they have over indulged and they believe that a quick boost will do their body good. Some health experts are worried that this approach, the "detox/retox" cycle is actually very stressful for the body and the liver in particular.
Some medical experts are also concerned that some of the commercial detox regimes are lacking in certain essential vitamins and minerals as well as being based on some herbal ingredients that are untested and unproven and that might actually compromise health rather than support it. Although supporters of the use of those herbs point out that they have been used for centuries without any ill effects being recorded either.
Do you need a detox regime?
The work of detoxing the body takes place in the liver. If your liver is not compromised and you are not over indulging in frequent consumption of toxins, there really is no point in doing anything other than follow the general nutritional advice for a healthy lifestyle. If you are already Hypnosizing and getting your full complement of vitamins and minerals either from the food you eat or from the judicious supplementation of the key elements that we know are likely to aid the body's natural detox system (particularly magnesium, zinc and selenium which are frequently found at lower than optimum levels and are all necessary in the detox process), then you don't need to do a detox.
Basically, it seems that you don't need to detox to be healthier. The best way to promote good health is to remember to follow the dictum of "all things in moderation" and as well as getting regular exercise and drinking water follow the tried and tested healthy eating principles:
Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day
Eat protein, pulses, lean meat, fish and eggs - including at least one portion of oily fish a week
Eat wholegrain bread, pasta, noodles and brown rice
Have no more than two to three portions of dairy foods a day
Strictly limit the amount of sugar in your diet
Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Cooking from scratch means you know what you are putting in your body.
If you must eat "ready-made", read the labels, if it sounds like it came out of the ground then it's probably better for you than if it sounds like it came out of the chemistry lab!
In Conclusion
I can't see that detoxing is actually necessary, although it might make people feel better about themselves if they can stick to a regime for a few days and it then acts as a kick start to a healthier lifestyle. As to whether it is harmful, I guess that depends on the individual and their own health in the first place. I am going to leave the last words to someone with much better qualifications than myself.
Unfortunately, many of the claims made by detox diet promoters are wild and exaggerated - it's best to stick to the sound, sensible, science-based advice you will always get from impartial, qualified, registered dietitians."
Andrew Wadge, Chief Scientist at the Food Standards Agency has this to say about it: http://blogs.food.gov.uk/science/entry/Dump_the_detox
"First, drink a glass or two of water (tap is fine, cheaper and more sustainable than bottled); second, get a little exercise - maybe a walk in the park - and third, enjoy some nice home-cooked food. There's a lot of nonsense talked about 'detoxing' and most people seem to forget that we are born with a built-in detox mechanism. It's called the liver. So my advice would be to ditch the detox diets and supplements and buy yourself something nice with the money you've saved. "
So, all in all, I have to say that my scepticism is still firmly in place.
Sharon Walsh the HYPNOSIZE CEO has developed the HYPNOSIZE Programme, based on her own experience of many years struggling to control her size. After completing her hypnotherapy training in 2005, Sharon realised that it was the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle for her own size management issues and began working to develop a size management system that would work for everyone.
As a qualified master hypnotherapist and psychotherapist, Sharon has been working with individual clients at her clinic in Harley Street since 2007. This year she has developed the highly successful individual programme into a group programme and has published a series of online resources for people who are unable to book into her clinic.
The HYPNOSIZE blog is at http://hypno-zone.com/hypnozone
The HYPNOSIZE web site can be found at http://hypnosize.net
Author: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Walsh
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6519584
I have always been sceptical about detoxing, so I thought I'd have a quick trawl around and see what the main arguments for and against are, hoping either to overcome my scepticism, or alert her to any potential dangers of the approach. Actually, unsurprisingly there is a highly charged and emotional debate going on out there about this subject. I am only going to summarise the main arguments in a couple of sentences and then give you my own conclusion from what I've read.
There's no doubt about the fact that detoxing has become very popular in the last decade or so. After Christmas the chemists and supermarket shelves are groaning with detox products to help people kick start their New Year resolutions and women's magazines are full of articles about the latest celebrity regime, encouraging us to abandon our normal eating habits in favour of water, fruit and vegetables, and detox products.
How does detoxing work?
Supporters of detoxing say that it helps to flush toxins through the system faster, that it uses natural herbs and remedies including diuretics to aid the body in the detox process, producing more urine, thus expelling more toxins faster.
So why is it good for you?
Among the benefits claimed for detoxing is that it boosts liver function, clears out the colon and revitalises the skin, by eliminating potentially damaging toxins from the body. Advocates also say that it reduces feelings of bloatedness and increase energy levels.
Can detoxing be bad for you?
Some critics claim that detox products can actually be harmful. They point out that many people start a detox regime without consulting their doctors first. Some herbal products used in detox supplements can interact with some prescription medicines, including blood thinners and the contraceptive pill, increasing or decreasing their effectiveness.
One of the reasons that detoxing is popular after Christmas is that everyone is aware that they have over indulged and they believe that a quick boost will do their body good. Some health experts are worried that this approach, the "detox/retox" cycle is actually very stressful for the body and the liver in particular.
Some medical experts are also concerned that some of the commercial detox regimes are lacking in certain essential vitamins and minerals as well as being based on some herbal ingredients that are untested and unproven and that might actually compromise health rather than support it. Although supporters of the use of those herbs point out that they have been used for centuries without any ill effects being recorded either.
Do you need a detox regime?
The work of detoxing the body takes place in the liver. If your liver is not compromised and you are not over indulging in frequent consumption of toxins, there really is no point in doing anything other than follow the general nutritional advice for a healthy lifestyle. If you are already Hypnosizing and getting your full complement of vitamins and minerals either from the food you eat or from the judicious supplementation of the key elements that we know are likely to aid the body's natural detox system (particularly magnesium, zinc and selenium which are frequently found at lower than optimum levels and are all necessary in the detox process), then you don't need to do a detox.
Basically, it seems that you don't need to detox to be healthier. The best way to promote good health is to remember to follow the dictum of "all things in moderation" and as well as getting regular exercise and drinking water follow the tried and tested healthy eating principles:
Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day
Eat protein, pulses, lean meat, fish and eggs - including at least one portion of oily fish a week
Eat wholegrain bread, pasta, noodles and brown rice
Have no more than two to three portions of dairy foods a day
Strictly limit the amount of sugar in your diet
Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Cooking from scratch means you know what you are putting in your body.
If you must eat "ready-made", read the labels, if it sounds like it came out of the ground then it's probably better for you than if it sounds like it came out of the chemistry lab!
In Conclusion
I can't see that detoxing is actually necessary, although it might make people feel better about themselves if they can stick to a regime for a few days and it then acts as a kick start to a healthier lifestyle. As to whether it is harmful, I guess that depends on the individual and their own health in the first place. I am going to leave the last words to someone with much better qualifications than myself.
Unfortunately, many of the claims made by detox diet promoters are wild and exaggerated - it's best to stick to the sound, sensible, science-based advice you will always get from impartial, qualified, registered dietitians."
Andrew Wadge, Chief Scientist at the Food Standards Agency has this to say about it: http://blogs.food.gov.uk/science/entry/Dump_the_detox
"First, drink a glass or two of water (tap is fine, cheaper and more sustainable than bottled); second, get a little exercise - maybe a walk in the park - and third, enjoy some nice home-cooked food. There's a lot of nonsense talked about 'detoxing' and most people seem to forget that we are born with a built-in detox mechanism. It's called the liver. So my advice would be to ditch the detox diets and supplements and buy yourself something nice with the money you've saved. "
So, all in all, I have to say that my scepticism is still firmly in place.
Sharon Walsh the HYPNOSIZE CEO has developed the HYPNOSIZE Programme, based on her own experience of many years struggling to control her size. After completing her hypnotherapy training in 2005, Sharon realised that it was the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle for her own size management issues and began working to develop a size management system that would work for everyone.
As a qualified master hypnotherapist and psychotherapist, Sharon has been working with individual clients at her clinic in Harley Street since 2007. This year she has developed the highly successful individual programme into a group programme and has published a series of online resources for people who are unable to book into her clinic.
The HYPNOSIZE blog is at http://hypno-zone.com/hypnozone
The HYPNOSIZE web site can be found at http://hypnosize.net
Author: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Walsh
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6519584
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