Hello-

I see commercials for “master cleanse” or the “dual action cleanse” diets all the time promising super fast weight loss without doing much work.

Today, I wanted to address some of the pros and cons of these types of cleansing diets.

Cleansing or detoxification diets are becoming increasingly popular.  The diets operate under the assumption that toxins from food preservatives, pesticides and our body’s own natural waste are stored in our bodies, and that the right combination of food or elimination of food can eliminate these toxins from our bodies to give us a clean start.

Here are some of the pros and cons of cleansing diets:

Pros:

1.  Cleansed palate.  One of the most interesting but less thought of pros of a cleansing diet is the fact that when you don’t eat any processed foods for several days or weeks, you lose your taste for them.  Many cleansing diets require you to only drink teas or juices.  When you’ve finished with the diet, you no longer crave the processed foods you once did.  Twinkies and fast food burgers are no longer appealing.

2.  Cleaned out toxins.  While this isn’t scientifically proven, many believe that toxins are indeed cleaned out of your body when you go on a cleansing diet.  If this is true, then this is certainly a significant benefit to your overall health.

3.  Temporary weight loss.  Most cleansing diets result in weight loss.  The weight loss varies by type of diet and duration; a two day fast will not result in as much weight loss as you might imagine.  If you plan on incorporating very healthy eating habits after your cleansing diet is complete, then you may be able to maintain the weight loss.  However, the majority of weight loss will not be permanent.  Some people choose to go on a cleansing diet right before an important event where they want to look particularly good, like a class reunion.

4.  More energy.  The majority of people who are fans of cleansing diets will tell you that one of the major benefits of a cleansing diet is the increase in energy you feel.  This increase in energy can occur both during the diet and after the diet is completed.

Cons:

1.  Unpleasant symptoms.  There are a number of unpleasant side effects people feel when on a cleansing diet.  You may suffer from:

•    Fatigue
•    Insomnia
•    Feeling weak
•    Headaches
•    Digestive distress
•    Feeling dizzy
•    Feeling irritable

Proponents of cleansing diets will remind you that these side effects are only temporary and you’ll feel much better after.

2.  Temporary weight loss.  The weight loss you’re likely to see from a cleansing diet is most often temporary.  As soon as your diet ends, the weight is put back on.  The goal of these types of diets is not to lose weight but to eliminate toxins.

3.  Difficult to do correctly.  Cleansing diets can be difficult to do correctly and can be unsafe.  It is recommended that you do a lot of research on your chosen diet and see a doctor before undertaking any extreme changes in your diet.

Cleansing diets can be a good thing if they’re handled correctly and you’re prepared for all of the potential side effects.  Take the time to research, and visit your doctor before you make a decision.

To me, the master cleanse diet and dual action cleanse systems are not long term solutions to help you lose weight.  They may provide you with a temporary boost but may have too many negative consequences that outweigh their benefits.

-Adam

Technorati Tags: cleansing diet, diet program, dual action cleanse diet, fad diet, master cleanse diet, popular diet program, popular diet system

Hello-

I’m not one for fad dieting. I’ve seen all the commercials where the celebrities have lost 30 or more pounds in a short period of time and want you to do the same thing.

Here’s an article arguing against fad diets if you really want to have effective weight loss:

Why popular fad diets are bad for you

It is not surprising that many people wonder why fad diets are bad when they seem to get results. You will find many sites on the internet claiming significant weight loss in just a few days. That type of weight loss is always temporary. It is usually 90% water which will be put straight back on as soon as your body rehydrates, which it must do if you are not going to suffer severe health problems or die.

Other fad diets are not so obviously crash diets with outrageous claims but they are over hyped diet plans that tend to be fashionable for a while and usually make a lot of money for the inventor in associated product sales. In the best cases these are good nutrition plans which will help you lose weight, but which you could probably have gotten for free from your doctor. In the worst cases they will prove so difficult to follow that you will give up after a week.

The cons of fad diets

1. Diets that promise quick and easy weight loss are usually based on eating more of one food type and none of another. These do not give the benefits that you would get from a balanced diet. They may suggest you take supplements but many supplements are not absorbed by the body unless they are taken along with the foods that the diet has banned. After a few weeks, if you stick to it that long, you may begin to develop nutritional deficiencies.

2. Fad diets are often boring and over restrictive. After the novelty of the first day or two, you will not enjoy your meals. You will then start to crave food constantly and will break the diet. You may even feel guilty, thinking it is your fault that you did not lose weight.

3. Most fad diets do not follow recommendations of the American Heart Association and similar bodies for fat levels in the diet. Often the diet will recommend high fat foods and low carbs which if taken long term, could result in heart disease. The promoters may tell you that the diet is only intended to be followed for a short time. But you probably will not reach your goal weight in that time, and then what? You either continue with a plan that is not good for your health, or stop and probably gain back what you lost.

4. Many fad diets do not help you to incorporate enough servings of fruits and vegetables in your weight loss program, or give you the variety of foods that your body needs.

5. Quick weight loss diets are just a temporary solution and do not help you to make permanent changes to your eating habits. Permanent changes are the only way to remain at your target weight once you reach it. Fad diets encourage yo-yo diet-binge cycles of fast weight loss and equally fast weight gain. This is worse for your health and your self esteem than if you had stayed overweight all the time.

Whatever the publicity materials may say, these diets will not help you in the long term. The best way to sustain weight loss is to eat a varied and healthy diet, do not overeat, exercise regularly and avoid fad diets.

Have a great day and thanks for reading!

-Chris

Technorati Tags: cons of fad diets, crash diets, fad diet, popular fad diets