Are detox diets overrated in obesity, disease fight?
A detox smoothie. PHOTO | OG-VISION
What you need to know:
Components of an effective detox regime
•Effective diet: Eat a balanced diet comprising of whole grain carbohydrates such as brown rice and ugali, which are low in calories. Opt for lean proteins such as fish, organic chicken, beans and legumes, which are low fat sources of proteins. A huge portion of all meals should comprise of a myriad of vegetables (both cooked and raw) and fruits. Fruits such as lemons and oranges should be eaten daily as they are good sources of citric acid that help to dissolve excess toxins in the body. Indigenous vegetables such as amaranth, spider plant, African nightshade and jute mallow are rich in anti-oxidants that cleanse the body well.
•Physical fitness Indulge in moderate to high intensity exercises for about 150 minutes weekly. Exercise causes you to sweat, which is one of the ways excess toxins leave the body.
• Feeding habits: Eat healthy food portion sizes. Take time to chew and savour each mouthful. A quarter of the plate should be filled with lean protein and the other with whole grain carbohydrates. The remaining half should comprise of vegetable salad or cooked vegetables. Eat at least two to three hours before going to bed.
•Fluids Take two to three litres of water every day. The more water you drink, the more toxins will be flushed out of your body. Consider incorporating herbal teas (like green tea), which are great sources of antioxidants to help cleanse body
•Stress free environment:: Take time to meditate, reflect and basically just relax the mind and body each day. Stress is an underlying cause of toxin build up and excess body fat, which causes obesity.
•Avoid tobacco, too much alcohol, processed food and soft drinks.
Are detox diets as effective as marketed? From celebrities starving themselves to Kenyans going extreme with diets, many are making deprivation of food seem attractive. But do overweight people really need to go off solids to lose weight or rid the body of toxins?
Jane Wairimu, 37, who has been battling weight problems for over four years, knows too well the mysteries of detoxification (detox) programmes.
“I had heard many people talk about its miraculous benefits. So I wanted to experience its wonders,” she said.
Early this year, she cut off solids and was put on fluids only in a detox programme, which required her to take water and vegetable and fruit juices for 10 days.
“That’s basically like taking different flavours of water for two weeks since I wasn’t allowed to eat anything solid. It was tough. I battled cravings and weakness, but took it all in stride.”
At the end of the programme, Ms Wairimu said she felt “somewhat” rejuvenated and a bit lighter. She weighed herself and noticed that she had indeed lost some weight.
However, after going back to her normal diet she piled the lost kilogrammes.
“I went back to my normal weight, which is so annoying considering the amount of money that I had paid,” she said.
Ms Wairimu is among the thousands of Kenyans who have been hit by the detox craze as many seek to tame obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cancers risks.
The recently launched 2015 Kenya Stepwise survey for non-communicable diseases (NCD) risk factors shows that close to 25 per cent of Kenyans have elevated blood pressure while about 30 per cent are overweight.
As the numbers soar, entrepreneurs are cashing on the demand to lose weight and rid the body of toxins that elevate cancer risks.
From food, beverage, nutrition and fitness marketers, the social media is awash with quick fixes. Most fresh juice outlets now have detox programmes that they encourage customers to enrol for at least twice a year.
During the detox period, which usually takes between five to 10 days, one solely takes special kinds of vegetable or fruit juices prepared by the restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner costing up to Sh3,000 a day.
Some restaurants sell special food varieties at premium prices classifying them as “detox foods”. Others sell soaps, tablets, stones or volcanic ash which they market as ideal for detoxifying the body and preventing cancer.
Gyms have also improvised detox exercises and aerobics.
Others do colon cleansing where they insert pipes inside the body and “scrub” the large intestines clean. As the craze continues, health experts warn that ignorance is making consumers vulnerable as some of the detox foods and programmes pose health risks.
For instance, some agents sell zinc supplements and urge buyers to consume them all the time yet this can lead to adverse health effects.
“People don’t know that high concentrations of zinc can be very toxic and harmful to the body,” said Gladys Mugambi, the Head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Unit at the Health ministry.
Aside from the lack of awareness on what detoxification is, she said that most Kenyans are clueless on who to consult.
Most people first hear about the term from hawkers selling detox concoctions in buses or sales agents promoting foods, beverages and services. With all these different players in the market, consumers find it hard to determine trustworthy individuals.
So what is detoxification? Is it a bad or good thing? Ms Mugambi said detoxification is the process through which the body rids itself of toxins or harmful substances which lead to ill health.
‘‘Most Kenyans think that detox is a complex and sophisticated procedure that someone has to pay for,’’ she said.
Detoxification occurs naturally since the body is able to continuously remove toxins or waste from its system through the skin (sweat), bladder (urine) and large intestines (faecal matter).
“This is a natural process that everyone benefits from freely. You can’t buy nor sell it. It just happens in all of us,” Ms Mugambi said.
She, however, notes that for the detox process to take place effectively, one has to eat a well-balanced diet rich in carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables and fruits.
She adds that people should also exercises regularly and drink enough water; activities that promote the optimal functioning of body organs such as the kidney and liver that are responsible for detoxification.
Dr Miriti Kiraitu, a gastroenterologist at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), said that an effective detox regime should comprise all aspects that promote a healthy lifestyle with minimal stress.
“When this happens, all internal biological processes work well as they should to remove toxins from the body. Your internal system becomes less acidic and attains an alkaline stable environment, which is ideal for chronic disease prevention. You also release feel-good hormones that boost immunity and energy levels,” he said.
Dr Kiraitu adds that Kenyans should be aware that the use of products that induce vomiting or diarrhoea is by no means a form of detoxification.
“You could actually be causing harm to yourself without knowing,” he said, adding that contrary to popular belief, colon cleansing does not also qualify as a detox technique.
“It is a medical procedure that should only be prescribed by doctors to treat certain bowel conditions,” he said.
Colon cleansing is often used in preparation for colonoscopy that doctors perform to diagnose or treat diseases in the colon.
If handled carelessly, it can increase the risk of dehydration, infections, kidney disease and heart problems.
Harmful
Ms Mugambi said most people tend to adhere to healthy habits only during the timeframe of a detox programme, which is once or twice a year.
But if one reverts to a dormant lifestyle with insufficient sleep, this breeds stress, which affects the body’s natural detoxification process.
Ms Mugambi urges Kenyans to seek advice on healthy detox regimes from professionals to avoid indulging in harmful practices. They should also cut intake of processed foods, sugary drinks and fatty foods which increase weight.
“There are many people out there claiming to be experts on nutrition yet they are clueless. You need to be sure about the person you’re dealing with. Scrutinise their qualification and professional background.”
She said trained nutrition specialists take a holistic approach to healthy living which then makes the body’s detoxification system effective at all times.
They first conduct tests to rule out medical complications before coming up with nutrition interventions adapted to the needs of each person.
This is especially important since certain conditions need to be managed effectively through both medical and nutritional approaches such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
Fasting is usually recommended in most detox regimes to provide rest to body organs so as to enhance their detoxification capacity.
“Instead of waiting to do this once or twice a year, you can do it daily by just ensuring that you eat early so digestion can take place before sleep. This means that your organs will take a break and rest during the night until the following morning,” said Ms Mugambi.
