detox?

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PattyCakez
PattyCakez Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
I would like to get rid of some water weight by detoxing but I am not exactly sure how to do it. I don't want to buy any expensive pills or drinks. I would rather do it naturally as well. Any tips, advice, or recipes? I know I am carrying a lot of water weight because I get bloated easily even though I eat healthy and exercise almost daily.

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  • PattyCakez
    PattyCakez Posts: 8
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    nothing??? bump
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    My personal opinion is that detoxes don't do anything except make you hungry. If you lose water weight, the loss will only be temporary. It will not stick with you. It will not register as a real weight lose. Your body will replenish it's glycogen (and thus water) stores the moment you start eating again normally.

    BUT if you really really have to do this... my suggestion is a short 24 hour fast (drink water!!) and then from there start eating a healthy diet filled with lots of wholesome veggies and fruits, lean protein, and grains. A short fast is safe. Just don't take it to extremes.

    Alternatively... actually, I don't really have an alternative. I was going to tell you to drink cranberry juice and add lemon and/or pepper to your water because someone who believes in detoxes once told me they work, but since I believe that's all a bunch of voodoo... I can't in good conscience tell you to do it even though it wouldn't hurt you at all.

    As for the bloating... I mean no offense, but how can you tell? How do you know you're not just experiencing the normal swelling that accompanies a hard workout when muscle tissue is pushed to the limit? How do you know that you haven't actually gained real weight (fat)? I assume you are experiencing tight fitting jeans or something similar that's making you think you're retain water. Is that correct?

    At any rate, regardless of what you choose, good luck with your weight loss.
  • PattyCakez
    PattyCakez Posts: 8
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    Well i also want to detox to get rid of some toxins and whatever waste I have in my body. I know that I wont lose a lot of weight by doing this, that wasn't really my goal. I just want to feel better. As far as the bloating I get bloated every night and I know because I feel discomfort in my abdomen and my stomach pops out. I am losing weight and toning muscle all over my body. My stomach is getting flatter but I experience gas and bloating every night.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    Well i also want to detox to get rid of some toxins and whatever waste I have in my body. I know that I wont lose a lot of weight by doing this, that wasn't really my goal. I just want to feel better. As far as the bloating I get bloated every night and I know because I feel discomfort in my abdomen and my stomach pops out. I am losing weight and toning muscle all over my body. My stomach is getting flatter but I experience gas and bloating every night.

    Well... again... I don't think detoxes do anything to get rid of toxins and waste. I think detoxes are a gimmick and that the exist only to make money for people who cell detox programs or master cleanses and what not. I get pretty annoyed at the industry, to be honest, because I feel they prey on the less educated.

    But I am a pharmacologist by training and a skeptic by nature, so I don't believe in much unless it can be proven effective in clinical trials.

    Your liver and kidneys do an excellent job of eliminating any 'toxins' that make it into your blood stream. The rest of the 'toxins' are excreted as solid waste from your digestive tract (poop).

    The bloating you're experiencing is not a sign of toxins... you've just got gas. Gas is a byproduct of digestion. Everyone produces gas... but it shouldn't be making you feel bloated and uncomfortable every night. That's just no good!

    So my suggestion is take a look at your fiber content. Are you eating more or less than you're used to? Are you eating foods that your body isn't used to? Do you eat dairy? Is there a chance you may be developing an allergy to it or becoming lactose intolerant?

    Try reading up about gas on the mayo clinic website. (www.mayoclinic.com) I did a quick search and it had some fantastic info about the types of food that can cause gas. I'll paraphrase, but carbohydrates, beans, and broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, apples, peaches, and pears are all common causes of gas.

    If you still believe a detox is the way to go, be careful about anything that deprives your body of nutrients long terms. I'm especially leery of this new juicing craze. A few days on nothing but juice is probably fine... more than that... ugh. I just don't think that's a good idea.

    Good luck.
  • StatutoryGrape
    StatutoryGrape Posts: 365
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    Your body does a pretty good job of "detoxing" itself. Anything you could buy to "detox" is just a gimmick that won't benefit you in the long run.
  • gconz
    gconz Posts: 4
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    Drink peppermint tea for bloating! Wouldnt buy into the detox pills. Just do a natural detox for approx. 5 days by staying away from dairy, wheat and sugars, but eat loaaaaaddss of fruit and veg etc...
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
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    Well i also want to detox to get rid of some toxins and whatever waste I have in my body

    Were you born without a liver or kidneys?
  • nicehormones
    nicehormones Posts: 503 Member
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    Drink lots of water so that you do not retain it. Humans have lived many many years without "detoxing."
  • chaitrex
    chaitrex Posts: 94 Member
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    I have done detox a couple of times and I found it really helps. The term "detox" can be very extreme, which is why a lot of people have adverse reactions to it. But it can be a very balanced, filling, natural process. Your body WILL naturally detox, but sometimes you might feel like it would be nice to speed that up a little.

    I did one after the holidays because I felt disgusting. I felt heavy, bloated, and was always tired. I did a five day detox. Don't buy any ridiculous cleanse kit, just eat the healthiest you've ever eaten in your life for a few days. Here's what I did:

    What I could have: vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruit, seeds and nuts. I basically was vegan for five days, which is really not difficult at all. Focus on eating lots of leafy greens for tons of nutrients, and cruciferous vegetables(cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brusell sprouts), peppers and onions as these foods are very beneficial to your liver and kidneys.
    What I couldn't have: alcohol, dairy, meat, eggs, fish, processed foods (made an exception for a little bit of almond milk in coffee). I also tried to curb my intake of salts and caffeine.
    What I ended up eating: I made two enormous pots of vegetable soup over the course of the detox and ate them happily. I had a lot of green smoothies. Bought a fresh loaf of whole wheat bread from an organic bakery, ate it with hummus or peanut or avocado. Lots of salad, sandwiches with grilled vegetables. Ate a lot of fresh fruit, a lot of broccoli with olive, garlic and onions. Had sorbet twice. I drank a lot of herbal tea, too. A lot! And obviously, water was of the utmost importance.

    Before anyone yells at me for this, let me just say that this is really not an unhealthy thing to do at all. It was not extreme and I was never hungry, no calorie restriction. After day 3, I finally had my energy back to get up and exercise got rid of excess water weight (the holidays were so salty. gross). My skin cleared up, too.

    If you are interested in a longer one, Whole Living magazine outlines an amazing one, I'm sure their website has info.

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