Some people advocate cleansing for weight loss. I have mixed emotions about the safety and effectiveness of doing it. To complicate matters even more, there are all types of cleanses that are supposed to help you shed pounds. Each one works differently. For instance, a colon cleanse helps empty the colon of built up waste. There are several ways to cleanse the colon. Some people use it for weight loss. Other cleanses use detox diets and there’s a load of those too.
Is a cleanse really just another fad diet?
In some cases, the answer is an absolute YES! The Master Cleanse, has been around for ever using various other names. It consists of drinking only a concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days. You do lose weight, but most of it is water weight and anything else is lean muscle mass. That’s not what you want. It makes it even harder to lose weight the more muscle mass you lose.
I can back one type of weight loss cleanse.
While it isn’t necessary to do a cleanse, it can help point you in the right direction if you use a whole food cleanse. These types of cleanses are a way to start eating healthier and make you more aware of foods to choose. You eat only high nutrient fresh fruits and vegetables with whole grains and lean meat. There’s absolutely no processed grains, added sugar or any processed food in this type of diet. It involves drinking plenty of water, too. This type of cleanse works toward changing your eating habits and palate. It can be a good introduction to healthy eating, making you aware of what is healthy and what is not.
A weight loss cleanse is just stricter healthy eating with exercise added for extra benefits.
By now you probably recognize that this type of cleanse is sustainable. It’s healthy for your body. While some cleanse diets don’t include exercise and only allow vegetables, you’re far better off sticking with the healthy diet that offers a source of protein and a balanced, but extremely clean diet with a program of regular exercise. The combination of the two create a whole new you that’s missing a few extra pounds.
- Some people recommend nurturing yourself during a cleanse diet. They also highly recommend that during a cleanse you work hard to ensure you get at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep.
- During a cleanse, you should drink an 8 ounce glass of water or two before and during meals.
- When exercising during a cleanse, go for moderate exercise, rather than strenuous exercise. Get at least 150 to 250 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, per week.
- When you use a whole food healthy cleanse, there’s no need for additional supplements or special tea.