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You have been bombarded with a thousand ways to lose fat, get skinny, and get rid of all the weight you’ve put on during a pandemic, quarantine, end of holiday season.
It sounds appealing, doesn’t it? But there is a reason that these quick fixes come and go so often…because they don’t stick. They don’t last, they aren’t long standing results, and they leave you high and dry looking for the next quick fix to come along.
So why don’t these things ACTUALLY work?
Well, because they aren’t sustainable, and typically require extreme measures to complete. Cutting out an entire food group, excessive amounts of cardio, liquid only diets, you name it. Detox is a buzz word we hear oh too often, but why do we really not need to do a detox (that likely will just leave you in the bathroom for much longer than you actually wanted)? Because your body was made to rid itself of toxins naturally, keep you alive, and keep you able to continue reproducing.
Let's talk about the role of the liver in the detox process!
The liver is an organ located in the upper right-hand part of the abdominal cavity under the diaphragm, and on top of your stomach, right kidney, and intestines. It weighs around 3lbs! It also has some very important jobs to keep your body functioning well. It’s why kidney failure is so severe and life threatening-ya need it!
The liver is essential for regulating chemical levels in your blood and excretes bile. This bile is what helps carry waste products away from the liver and out of your body. They are carried out in stool or in urine depending on what they are, but your body is highly capable of processing harmful substances for you, extreme or not.
The liver also is responsible for creating nutrients from processing the blood that passes through it, as well as over 500 vital functions to your body.
Talk about a powerhouse!
The amount of things your liver is responsible for is massive, and it truly helps make sure you don’t have too much or too little of anything that could result in a detriment to your health.
While it sounds fun and flashy to do a “detox”, what you really should focus on is putting nutrient dense food in to be processed and used by your body, which might in itself be a “detox” from the previous lifestyle you were living.
MORE water, LESS alcohol.
MORE fruits and veggies, LESS processed food.
This allows your body to not have to work so hard to get rid of the waste and toxins these detoxes talk about. But your body is capable, and will do what it can to get rid of these things on it’s own, without you having to take supplements to do it, or drink only liquids for 3 days.
Are there benefits to actual fasts, cleanses, and detoxes?
Some research does show that these things can have a positive effect on your health if done right and under medical supervision.
But—this isn’t what is needed to “kickstart” any health and fitness journey. What you need is to re-evaluate your diet, your exercise, your sleep, and your stress. Addressing these things can take you from trying every trick in the book to long lasting habits and better quality of life. No more extremes, no more detoxes.
So as you navigate your way through the fitness space -BE SKEPTICAL.
Does this seem extreme? Does this seem like something I can do long term? Is it sustainable?
If you answered no to any of those questions, run the other way.
Your liver will continue detoxing for you, now you just need to put the right kind of fuel back in the tank.
To learn more about creating a healthy lifestyle personalized specifically for you, click here!
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