10 Myths About Detoxes and Dieting

1. Exercise isn’t necessary: Let’s just settle this for all of you hopefuls out there – if you want those lost pounds to stay lost, you’re going to have to exercise. Detoxes definitely will help you to shed the pounds quickly, but that is due to lack of calories. Once you decide it’s time to end your diet, the pounds will pile back on quickly without some form of regular exercise.

2. Drink more water: Nobody here is going to tell you that water isn’t healthy, but it can’t detoxify the body all by itself. Yes, water is necessary to cleanse the kidneys and the liver and you should drink it regularly, but excessive consumption can be dangerous for the body and cause a number of side effects.

3. Detoxes are the easiest way to drop weight: As mentioned previously, detoxing will help you lose excess weight because you are limiting your calorie intake. This means not only are you dropping excess fat, but losing muscle as well. Your body will actually begin to break down your muscles as a source of energy. So while you may be dropping weight, not all of it is unwanted fat.

4. Detoxing frequently is just as healthy as a balanced diet and exercise: Detoxing can be a great way to flush out unwanted toxins from your body, but there is no replacement for a healthy diet and exercise. In eating unprocessed foods, and hitting the gym regularly, you are accomplishing two things: You are limiting the amount of toxins that enter the body, and you are slowly but more regularly flushing them out.

5. Detox = Juice Cleanses: Often times when the topic of detoxing arises, we also hear the associated term, “juice cleanse.” This isn’t to say that juices are unhealthy or ineffective, but are they necessary – absolutely not. There are plenty of healthy diets that don’t require pricey bottled drinks. The contents of these drinks are what are important. Try preparing healthy, wholesome meals rather than shoving all of those ingredients into a juicer.

6. Hit the sauna: This common myth was made popular through the spread of misinformation. Saunas are helpful in detoxifying the body, but not in the same ways as dieting. Saunas are great for helping your body to push harmful toxins out of the skin and pores, but these aren’t the same toxins that your body holds on to after months of unhealthy dieting.



7. Supplements are your friend: Let’s get one thing straight – whether you are looking to gain weight, lose weight or even just maintain, there is almost no reason to add supplements to your diet. Any ingredient that your body needs to thrive can be found inside wholesome foods. Supplements can often be a waste of money, and are often unproductive.

8. Detox diets aren’t supposed to taste good: It’s likely that you may have to eliminate some of the foods that you enjoy, but that doesn’t mean that you’re forced to eat what tastes terrible. The Internet is full of healthy, delicious recipes that use whole ingredients that taste good and are good for your body.

9. You’ll be hungry all the time: You don’t have to starve yourself to accomplish what you’re looking to accomplish. Really, you may not have to monitor your intake much at all, actually. What’s crucial is monitoring the types of foods that you eat, rather than monitoring how much.

10. Detoxing doesn’t work: Just because of all the myths mentioned above aren’t true, doesn’t mean that detoxing is some sort of hoax. Detoxing is very much a real thing, and it does require some attention to detail and self control. Remember, it’s more important to monitor what you put into your body, than how much.