If you're emerging from the holiday season feeling stuffed and sluggish, the thought of a detox plan that whips you back into prime health can be mighty appealing. Unfortunately, it's about as much of a fantasy as zero-calorie ice cream. Here, four detox myths debunked, along with five healthy ways to bounce back from overindulging.
Before getting into the mechanics of why it doesn't, a brief note on toxins, that bandied-about term that's so rarely defined. "Toxins are substances that are found in your food, environment, air, and water that contribute to disease," Lara Metz, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., owner of the New York-based Lara Metz Nutrition, tells SELF. So, yeah, no surprise that there's some intrigue to the idea of looping in help to get those suckers out of your system. In truth, your body is capable of handling toxin removal all on its own.
Your kidneys, liver, and intestines are real superstars in this process. "The kidneys are small, bean-shaped organs that are 'trash collectors.' They work to remove toxins and waste from your body in the form of urine," says Metz. Your liver deals with your bloodstream to do pretty much the same thing, albeit in the form of feces. As for your intestines, the small one breaks food down, then helps your bloodstream absorb the resulting nutrients. After that, your large intestine processes any leftover waste and helps transform it into stool, says Metz. While it's true that things like a regular habit of drinking too much can eventually hurt your body's ability to maximize these operations, even the shiniest detox plan probably won't mitigate that effect.
The seeds of "I must detox" thoughts are usually sown between Thanksgiving and New Year's. While Thanksgiving often marks the start of a food and drink free-for-all, the arrival of a brand new year—and pressure to finally stick to those resolutions this time around—prompts people to swing wildly in the opposite direction. "After end-of-year binges on unhealthy and often processed foods, the post-New Year's detox can feel right," says Metz. "People love a quick fix." The issue is that they're just not sustainable.
Sure, when you try one, you may lose pounds faster than you would on a more measured plan. But what happens after that? True health is about making long-lasting changes that you can stick to, and that's the opposite of what a detox really is. "You're putting a bandage on the real issue. Most people don’t have a healthy and sensible plan after the detox is complete, so they go back to their previous eating habits and poor behavior," says Metz. Plus, intense cleanses or other methods of deprivation often prime you for yo-yo dieting, which can be a hard cycle to break, she says.
Carbs, protein, and fat are the trifecta of perfection for keeping your body healthy. "They play essential roles including aiding the absorption of vitamins and minerals, providing energy, and helping brain function," says Metz. Carbs offer both physical and mental fuel, protein helps keep you full and is the building block of muscle, and fat is satiating, prettifying (it often has skin-improving antioxidants), and usually freaking delicious. "When you eliminate these important nutrients, you may see slowed metabolism from drastically decreasing calories, dry skin, decreased energy, and crankiness," says Metz. In short, all things you want to avoid. Each one of the three macronutrients can be part of a healthy diet, including carbohydrates!
This one hurts, because green juice really does seem like it should be the epitome of health. It's vegetable water! But pre-packaged ones are often sneakily loaded with fruit, which drives up their sugar content. And even if you have a green juice that follows Metz' recommendation of being mostly veggies and one serving of fruit, you still won't get the full benefit that would result from eating that produce instead. That's primarily because super-satiating fiber is mainly located in the skin of fruits and vegetables. Plus, eating whole vegetables tends to be way more satisfying than sipping on a juice—taste, texture, plating, it's a whole experience. That's not to say you can never have green juice, but be vigilant about reading nutrition labels, and consider swapping some of them for filling green smoothies instead.
The good news is that you can hit the refresh button in a way that sets you up to feel way better in the long-term, and maybe even lose some weight in the process. Here's how.
"When you set unrealistic goals, you may feel discouraged and fall off track quickly," says Metz. Are you going to drop 10 pounds and suddenly have flawless skin after seven days of eating well? Probably not. Will you feel a heck of a lot better, with more energy and pride in yourself for being good to your body? All signs point to yes. Instead of creating general benchmarks for yourself, like losing X amount of pounds in an unrealistic timeframe, focus more on setting mini-goals that are about boosting how you feel in addition to how you look, like adding more vegetables to each meal.
Once you've committed to living a healthy lifestyle, overhaul your food stores. "Nothing says 'eat well' like an organized and healthy refrigerator," says Metz. She recommends throwing away processed junk and instead stocking up on fresh fruit and vegetables along with healthy fats like nuts, nut butters, and seeds. In terms of protein, aim for lean sources like chicken breast, salmon, and grass-fed beef in addition to beans and legumes. Add in some organic dairy products like Greek yogurt and whole milk (the fat is filling!). When it comes to carbs, try to get them from whole-grain sources. Their complex carbohydrates make them more satisfying than their refined counterparts.
"Purchasing your food is only half the battle," says Metz. Letting all those supermarket dollars go to waste will just make both your heart and wallet sad. To ensure you make use of the healthy items instead of defaulting to takeout because it's more convenient, do meal prep on weekends. Here are a few meal prep hacks to help make it easier.
Start by pinpointing something you do so often it doesn't quite count as a once in a while indulgence. "It may be grabbing a morning doughnut from a street vendor or splurging on not-so healthy coffees that are the equivalent of drinking an ice cream sundae," says Metz. After identifying the weakness, you're better able to stop it in its tracks in a way that makes sense, whether that's whipping up a protein-packed breakfast or substituting black coffee with a few splashes of skim for sugary lattes. Once you've got that down, you can move onto the next one instead of trying to tackle too many at once.
You can even mentally cheer yourself on with "chug, chug!" as you do it, because it's an effort worthy of some celebration. "Your body needs water to stay hydrated, flush out toxins, maintain skin health, and a myriad of other reasons," says Metz. She recommends adding in lemon because it puts you in "spa mode," which will help you feel fancy as all get-out. Here are other easy ways to drink more water, aka nature's natural detoxifier, and start feeling like the best possible version of yourself.
