January is the month of the detox diet. From the Dry January devotees to the people who make it a New Year’s resolution to try one of the many cleanses and meal plans out there, however dubious they may be, the beginning of a new year seems to be a key moment to take stock of our bodies, our routines, and our overall well-being.
The timing makes sense: After a holiday season filled with cocktail parties and not-so-healthy meals, the idea of cleansing the body of excess seems attractive. It’s not the why that I’m curious about. It’s the how. As in, how many of those detox diets actually work?
While doing a cleanse or following a certain meal plan has become common for many around this time of year, the definition of a detox diet has become murky. So what does “detox” mean to the experts?
“It’s a plan that promises to ‘clean’ the body by eliminating toxins, usually through fasting, juices, or restrictive foods,” says Monica Herrero, a specialist in nutrition and dietetics at the Multiconsulta Medical Center and the Red Cross Medical Center in Spain, and a member of Top Doctors. “However, these diets have no scientific basis, are unnecessary, and can be harmful to health.”
Many people associate detoxing with weight loss—basically equating it to a traditional diet—but they have little to do with each other. “Detox diets are temporary, extreme, and lacking in essential nutrients,” says Herrero. “On the other hand, a diet focused on healthier eating should be a personalized plan that meets each person’s specific nutritional needs and promotes sustainable, healthy changes.”
When talking about detoxifying the body, we have to talk about toxins first. After consuming a lot of excess food or drink, how many toxins does the body accumulate? “The body does not need to detox, because it already has natural systems, such as the liver and kidneys, that eliminate harmful substances,” says Herrero. “What you really need after excesses is to resume healthy habits: balanced nutrition, hydration, and physical activity.”
For this reason, going on a detox diet, even for a week or two, makes little sense. In fact, it could even make things worse. “It’s useless and can be counterproductive,” says Herrero. “These diets are usually very low in calories and nutrients, which can cause imbalances and affect your metabolism.”
Instead, the expert says, the key to regaining wellness after a period of excess is to simply return to a balanced diet. Detoxing is not the solution, as they aren’t sustainable in the long term and ultimately don’t result in any lasting change. “On the contrary, it’s possible that after doing a detox you could have a worse relationship with food as they are restrictive and unbalanced diets,” she says. “Whether you want to lose weight or improve your eating habits, it’s best to see a dietician-nutritionist to make a personalized eating plan that fits your lifestyle and helps you maintain your health in the long term.”
“Lasting changes are not achieved in two weeks,” Herrero continues. “But it is with a dietary plan tailored to your needs and goals.”
The foundation on which a rich and healthy diet is built on are our daily habits. It’s normal to drop them while on vacation or over a holiday season, but you can always return to them when you’re back to normal. If you didn’t have good habits in the first place, there’s always time to start implementing them little by little.
According to the nutrition team at ENEA Clínica, when it comes to establishing a healthy diet, the key is never to eat less, but to eat better. They also warned us that reducing the amount you eat will only lead to the vicious cycle of restriction, a.k.a binge eating.
Instead, they’ve outlined below a few simple tricks you can do to make healthy changes to your daily habits.
- Take digestive breaks. Give yourself a pause between meals to digest, and avoid snacking before bedtime. “An overnight fast of at least 12 hours, as well as not continually snacking, will help cleanse the digestive tract and balance your blood glucose levels.”
- Don’t skip carbohydrates. Despite what other cleanses will tell you, it’s not good to eliminate carbs completely from your diet. The nutrition experts recommend prioritizing low-glycemic-index carbohydrates such as legumes, whole grains, and tubers. “Also, always accompany carbohydrates with vegetables, proteins, and fats.”
- Include vegetables of all colors in your dishes. “In the variety of colors lies the variety of vitamins and minerals.”
- Seek out foods rich in omega-3s. The experts say they consume foods rich in omega-3s, such as oily fish three times a week, and ground flax seeds and walnuts daily.
- Drink enough water, especially outside of meals. “Also be physically active on a daily basis— your best ally is physical exercise.”
A version of this article was previously published in Glamour Spain.
