Cleanses - A Scam? Unhealthy?

I had another topic planned for today but someone asked if I would cover this one instead. Since more and more people have been asking me about cleanses lately I thought I might as well cover this topic now. But first I need to ask you a few questions.

How you ever done a cleanse? What were your reasons for doing so?

Was it drop some weight quickly to get ready for a beach vacation?

To fit into an outfit?

To rid your body of toxins?

Because Oprah said so? (just kidding, I don't want to get sued by O)

You might laugh at the last one but it's unfortunate what our rationales are for doing a cleanse. And they are rarely due to the advice of a medical professional. Instead they seem to be based on the anecdotal evidence of friends and family. What do I mean by that?

Well the benefits of cleanses aren't front page news on the cover of JAMA or other medical journals. Instead it is usually a friend that has done this exact cleanse before, lost 7 lbs and feels great. And oh yeah, this friend is usually a distributor for a supplement you need to take during the cleanse.

(what a cynic I am, right?)

But seriously if weight loss is your goal, what would you expect to happen if you stopped eating food for a week or longer? Some cleanses last as long as 45 days.

And when you stop eating for this much time, what do you think happens to your metabolism? It comes to a screeching halt. And with a slower metabolism body fat will increase over time.

Doesn't seem worth it to me.

But what about the benefits of all the toxins you are removing from your body?

Well first of all there hasn't been a study published in the primary literature that provides evidence for the removal of these 'toxins' from the body. Add to that the fact your body is aptly equipped with a liver and kidneys to flush, metabolize and detoxify many of the toxins that pass through us.

What about the side effects? If it weren't enough that the claims have not been substantiated in the literature there are a number of side effects and risks to cleansing. These may include:

* Malnutrition - Many of the nutrients we require for health are only supplied in the diet. When we stop eating them we run into other health problems.

* Dehydration - Much of the water we get during the day we get from the foods we eat. Eliminating them from the diet removes a larger source of water. Add to that the strictness of some of the cleanses, which tell you exactly what you may eat or drink and when, may leave a person lacking hydration.

* Fatigue - Not only will we be depriving our bodies energy by eliminating food we will also be disrupting our exercise and sleep rituals which are influenced by our nutrition.

* Removes healthy bacteria from the intestinal tract. Not all bacteria are bad. Some are actually necessary and helpful for optimal health. Many cleanses are not able to distinguish good from bad bacteria and eliminate both leaving the gastro-intestinal tract in a much unhealthier condition.

So whay do so many people swear by cleanses? Well there is the initial weight loss that occurs that is uplifting for those seeking that goal. As well, if you've forked over any amount of money to follow a cleanse you'd want to believe you made a wise investment. And lastly it has a little to do with the placebo effect. Tell someone they will lose weight and feel better. And after they drop some it may be logical to assume the second part as well.

Is there a better alternative? I think so. Many of the steps of a cleanse can be replicated without eliminating food or buying any supplements to flush out your bacteria. These steps include:

* elimination of sugar

* cessation of smoking

* elimination of alcohol

* elimination of processed foods

* elimination of gluten

* drink only water

There's my version of a cleanse. You can do this one for 14 days.

The interesting things about my version of a cleanse is that it can be continued indefinitely, doesn't cost you anything, won't flush away healthy bacteria and won't slow down your metabolism.

All the best,

Chris                                                                                                                                                                                                                               okanaganpeakperformance.com 'always moving forward'