Detox on the Telegraph

The Telegraph UK had a really interesting article on Detoxing last week. It begins with a question: 

“Everyone around me seems to be on some sort of fashionable new-year detox. I don’t need to lose weight, but I do feel a bit sluggish and my skin’s not great, so I was thinking of giving it a go. Is a detox really necessary and, if so, what’s a user-friendly approach?” 

The above question is then answered by a registered Dietician, a General Practitioner (M.D.), and a Facialist.  

I found the Dietician’s and the GP’s response the most compelling.  The dietician begins by saying that: “the body detoxes naturally via the liver and through the respiratory tract and urinary system, but after a period of indulgence it doesn’t do any harm to be kind and nurturing to your body for a few days.”  

The GP agrees and remarks that: “Detox is not a medical treatment, but a lot of patients enjoy the pampering aspect or even the harshness of the ‘treatment’, as it empowers them, making them feel they are doing something positive to look after themselves. If you think you might enjoy a day drinking tisanes and having mud baths, why not?”

I always find it refreshing when professionals agree on something.   A cleanse/detox) will not ‘fix’ health problems, nor should they be used solely as weight loss tools, but if they help kick start healthy change or even assist with motivation, then so much the better.

I found the GP’s observation that some patients enjoy the ‘harshness’ of the treatment interesting.  When I was cleansing, I noticed the same thing.  I sensed that for some people, pleading ‘cleanse’ was the easiest way to maintain a very strict diet while masquerading as something healthy.  Cleanses are great for people who appreciate the power and control experienced with exercising will power and deprivation.  Note that I am not suggesting that everyone on cleanses has disordered eating or is even dieting, but I do think that cleansing can provide a sense of accomplishment.  I noticed it within myself.  My relationship with food was dramatically different when I was cleansing–I didn’t worry too much about calories or fat because I knew that everything I was eating was quite healthy.  Now, without the confines of my cleanse, I’m already starting to feel a loss of control.  Without the rules, I feel like I’m on the brink of over eating.  On the one hand, I don’t want to “cleanse” forever, but I think I will have to retain some of Meghan’s guidelines because I feel safer being bound by them–I feel like I have more will power.  

So, yes, cleanses are a bit trendy right now and while they’re not strictly necessary, in moderation they won’t do any harm and may just be an impetus for change in your life.  I have an amazing friend who is trying to make some changes in her life in terms of food and exercise.  She knows that she can’t ‘cleanse’ forever, but she thinks that starting one might just be what she needs to get going. I can’t agree more. And it doesn’t have to be eight weeks long–even a weekend of vegan meals and no caffeine/alcohol might be enough.

Again–I love hearing what you think.  Please share in the comments section.