Let's ban the term "detox" in relation to diet

"Drink this juice to detox your body. Lose weight without effort!"

Yeah, for the low price of $19.99 per bottle, right?

We've all seen these kinds of claims. Some have even tried them out for whatever reason.

But, they're pretty much bogus, and I'm of the opinion most of us are at least subconsciously aware of that.

Doing a juice cleanse or detox is not going to miraculously fix or somehow counteract habitually poor nutrition choices. And the people selling these programs are counting on customers to go right back to their old ways, resulting in feeling awful again, and probably doing another detox program.

The only organs that function in a way that remove toxins from our bodies are the liver and kidneys. That's why overdoses of things like Tylenol lead to liver damage or failure.

So, let's stop using the term "detox" in the same way that we do things like "beach body" or "booty boot camp" or "summer ready"- temporary changes in the short term with no intention of addressing the root cause.

Now, if you're someone that generally eats in a healthy way and is moderately active, but the holidays or other significant life event had you over indulge a bit more than you'd planned, then look at detox in a different way. Return to your normally healthful eating and activity levels, but try to incorporate things that help support the liver and kidneys so they can return to normal more quickly. Hydrate well, eat more easily digestible foods, try to forgo taxing foods like caffeine, use appropriate herbal supplements (if you're into that), etc.

(Another reminder of my total lack of medical credentials and that you should seek the opinion of your own actually credentialed medical professional. ktnx)

Just like when we get sick (cold, flu, stomach virus, etc.) over indulging needs time to recover from. After a sickness, we have to eat in a supportive way, or the recovery time slows down and we feel awful for longer than is necessary. Same with over indulging.

There are no quick fixes.

So, no more juice cleanses or detox programs. Okay? Okay.