Kombuchat

Detox diet myth busted

Devotees of “detox” diets claim that they can lose a large amount of weight in a short amount of time, and then eat how they want the rest of the week.

However, detox diets are not always what’s best for your body.

For instance, there’s the famous “Hollywood detox diet”:

If you have lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and a few days worth of laxatives, you could be ready for a detox treatment.

Sure, it may help you fit in a dress for an awards show, but it’s not a healthy way to live.

Those pounds don’t stay off either, they will return as you return to your normal diet.

Also, any diet that requires laxatives is not a diet, it’s unnecessary stress you’re putting on your system.

Nature has a laxative–it’s called fiber. It’s in whole fruit as well as grains.

True detox is infusing your diet with healthy foods that are rich in vitamins and good for you. It’s not a quickie diet to lose 5 lbs.

Coconut oil: cooking ingredient, coffee additive, …mouthwash?

Coconut oil is one of the hottest products on the market now.

Similar to kombucha, coconut oil has made a meteoric rise from health food store item to savvy household staple.

Its uses in cuisine are unmatched as an alternative to highly-refined and processed oils like canola oil.

It’s even being touted as a healthy coffee additive to milk or cream.

But the newest use for coconut oil is a surprising one: mouthwash.

The technique is called “oil pulling”, and it’s being touted as an Ayurvedic treatment for a variety of maladies:

• Migraine headache relief
• Correcting hormone imbalances
• Reducing inflammation of arthritis
• May help with gastro-enteritis
• Aids in the reduction of eczema
• May reduce symptoms of bronchitis
• Helps support normal kidney function
• May help reduce sinus congestion
• Some people report improved vision
• Helps reduce insomnia
• Reduced hangover after alcohol consumption
• Aids in reducing pain
• Reduces the symptoms of allergies
• Helps detoxify the body of harmful metals and organisms

The idea is that the oil “pulls” toxins out of the body, which are disposed of when you spit out the oil.

The practice is not new, either. According to Dr. Amala Guha of the University of Connecticut:

using liquids in the mouth for health purposes is mentioned in two ancient Indian Ayurvedic texts (one written in 800 B.C. and the other in 700 B.C.), and the practice is part of one of the oldest health systems in the world.

Dr. Guha outlines the two techniques:

With kavala, you fill your mouth with liquid and hold it there for a couple of minutes before swirling it around the mouth and spitting it out. The process shouldn’t exceed more than three or four minutes; it’s repeated at least two or three times.

Gandusa is the technique of holding the liquid still in the mouth for three to five minutes. The liquid is then spit out and the process is repeated.

So what about the science?

While the American Dental Association has not endorsed oil pulling as a replacement for mouthwash, oil pulling’s benefits have been scientifically shown to improve oral health:

studies showed an overall reduction of bacteria from 10 to 33.4% in participants, and after 40 days of oil-pulling, participants were found to show 20% in average reduction in oral bacteria. Moreover, half of all participants in this case study showed a drastic reduction in susceptibility to dental caries.

Oil pulling was shown specifically to reduce strep bacteria and gingivitis.

Oral plaque and gum disease are known as a cause of heart disease.

The next study should see if oil pulling has any effect on preventing heart disease.

I’ve tried oil pulling, and to be honest, it feels a bit…unusual at first. Coconut oil in particular has a strange texture, managing to be both oily and chunky.

But if you can get past the initial feel and paste-like taste, it actually feels kind of neat, like a massage for your gums.

And afterwards?

Neutralized bad breath and an overall clean feeling, without the alcohol burn of mouthwash or aftertaste.

I tried it for 20 minutes, but Dr. Guha recommends “two sessions of four minutes” for maximum effect.

Since you already have coconut oil in your pantry, grab a teaspoon-full and give it a try!

Dr. Oz pushes detox diet, does it work?

Dr. Mehmet Oz is a TV doctor who is quite accomplished in his own right as a heart surgeon.

Frequently, he asks guests on his show who offer unique types of diets and cleanses.

Dr. Alejandro Junger was a recent guest, and featured the following “detox diet”:

Only liquid meals for three days (no solid food allowed).
Your diet will be three liquid meals and one liquid snack per day.
You should consume 14 to 20 grams of protein a day.
Your diet must include healthy fats.

However, detoxes are more than crash diets, they’re a lifestyle.

Too often, a detox is an excuse to eat terribly for 6 days and then clean up on 1.

That’s simply not how the body works. Your body thrives off of consistency. Implementing healthy, “detox” foods into your diet like ginger and apples are far better for your system than quick “shocks” like the above.

Also, your body needs fiber. That’s why eating a whole apple is better for you than simply drinking apple juice. Detox “crash” diets like the above imbalance your body’s normal supply of fiber, which can cause gastrointestinal issues and discomfort.

Instead of trying a detox weight-loss crash diet, you’re better off eating healthier every day–like replacing one unhealthy snack with a healthy juice.

This advice on detoxing is powerful

The market has been saturated by quick-fix, weight-loss detoxes that do little for the body.

Usually these come in the form of crash diets, juice cleanses, or replacing all your food with a liquid for an extended period of time.

While occasional liquid meal replacement is fine, many people take it a step too far to fit into a dress, look good for a party, or overcome a hangover, while neglecting an important fact:

The body’s own detoxification systems are remarkably sophisticated and versatile. They have to be, as the natural environment that we evolved in is hostile. It is remarkable that people are prepared to risk seriously disrupting these systems with unproven ‘detox’ diets, which could well do more harm than good.

That’s from Alan Boobis, professor and toxicologist from Imperial College in London.

Your body is the most savvy detox machine on earth.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care to feed it the best food and drink possible.

In the same way that a car drives a certain way on basic fuel, premium fuel makes a car run smoother, quicker, and last longer.

The bottom line: Rather than cleanse your life for a few days, focus on a lifetime of healthy habits.

If you want to lose weight, feel better and have more energy — and who doesn’t? — do yourself a favor and focus on the next 12 months, not the next 12 hours.

Detox is a lifestyle, not an overnight diet to lose a few pounds for that special dinner.

Can indoor air be more polluted than outside air?

I once got into a heated (to say the least) discussion with a roommate over keeping the A/C on during the winter.

I felt it would be best to leave it off and leave the windows open to the cool evening, allowing some refreshing air flow.

My roommate preferred to keep the window shut around the clock and the A/C on, even when it was the same temp outside as the A/C inside. The claim was that the outside air was too polluted, so it was better to leave the A/C on and window closed.

For once, I feel vindicated:

Indoor air can be five times as polluted as outdoor air, so open the windows whenever the weather—and your AC or heating budget—permit.

Indoor air allows chemicals to concentrate in a smaller location. It’s a small-scale version of what happens in the Central Valley of California: polluted air is trapped in the bowl-shaped Valley and isn’t allowed to dissipate due to the mountains surrounding the Valley. This geographical feature leaves the area with some of the worst air quality in the country.

If you’re an A/C addict, start small. Open the windows before 7AM on a Saturday morning and let the cool breeze come in.

Can yoga detox the body?

As exercise, yoga is unmatched in the potential for it to increase flexibility, athleticism, and cardiovascular strength,

But can yoga detox too?

Apparently, there’s a special yoga position called Ardha Matsyendrasna which is supposed to detox the body:

When performed correctly, after a proper warm-up and with attention to alignment, this humble but adaptable twist both strengthens and releases a host of muscles from your rhomboids (associated with the scapula) to your hamstrings, with a lot in between including both internal and external obliques and spinal extensors.

Despite the fact that this yoga position can increase blood flow throughout the body, it does not detox the body.

Detox comes from the liver, and yoga will not directly affect liver function.

Your liver is a truly amazing filter, and anything that increases blood flow and exercise can help your liver run more efficiently.

In fact, exercise is the most effective “detox”:

To quote Sir Liam Donaldson, former Chief Medical Officer, in his 2009 report on the state of public health: “The potential benefits of physical activity to health are huge. If a medication existed which had a similar effect, it would be regarded as a ‘wonder drug’ or ‘miracle cure’.”

Try these natural New Year’s detoxes

Detoxing is becoming the new “gym membership” for New Year’s resolutions, and many companies are capitalizing on this trend by issuing “detox” products.

However, you don’t need to buy a fancy juice cleanse to detox. Here are some ways you can keep your resolution without breaking the bank:

First things first: water. If you find yourself to be constantly fatigued, headachey, and irritable, you’re likely not getting enough water. Water flushes your body out and keeps your cells firm and hydrated.

Next might surprise you: cut out all the sweets—including replacements for sweets:

Skip sugar – and low-calorie sweeteners. You want to ground zero your sweet taste buds with more limited intake of sweet of all kinds. Cut out sugary drinks, snacks, and treats, and you’ll be surprised how fruit will satisfy your sweet tooth. And taking a break from all low-calorie sweeteners helps you learn to tamp down your perception of sweetness.

Artificial sweeteners are designed to be sweet, and reinforce your body’s desire for sweet things, keeping you on a cycle of cravings. The whole point of detox is to calm your body down, so cut out the diet sodas and the Stevia and find yourself craving sweet things less.

Last: sweating is your friend.

Skin is the body’s largest organ, and sweating helps you eliminate excess body salts and other metabolites of body processes. Breaking a sweat every day is a good way to support your body’s healthy elimination of metabolic breakdown products.

Lululemon has a quote printed on their bags that says something to the effect of: “sweat every day, it regenerates your skin”.

This goes to show: you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on an official “Detox” from some marketing company.

It may be time to detox your wallet, too.