So what are these new popular diets that have so many women constricting their daily food and drink intake? And how are they different from good old-fashioned fasting or deliberate starvation? Our experts say there isn't much difference. "Fasting is willingly abstaining from some or all food for a period of time. It is generally medically necessary or used for cultural, religious or ethical purposes," says Albovias. Most detox and cleansing regimens "urge dieters to consume supplements, concoctions, and/or restrict their diets to water and raw fruits [or] vegetables" accompanied sometimes with "laxatives or enemas to speed up the detox process," she continues. "They are similar in that they restrict calories and eliminate some or all food groups from the diet," says Albovias.
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Popular body cleansing and detox diets
If you walk into any pharmacy, health food or vitamin store, you'll find shelves devoted to detox and cleansing diets, says Albovias. Or, if you search online or peruse the bookstore, you'll find everything from "complete fasting, to juicing, to dietary manipulation or supplementation," says Simpson. All of these particular "diets" are designed to help rid the body of toxins that can result from a diet heavy in artificial ingredients, overly processed foods, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, junk food, and the like which can "impact one's overall quality of life by causing lethargy, a sluggish metabolism, poor digestive function, edema and dull or blemished skin," says Simpson.
Next: See some of the most popular cleansing diets
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The Master Cleanse
Also sometimes referred to as "the lemonade diet," this juice fast was created by alternative medicine promoter Stanley Burroughs. It gained a significant following in the '70s and continues to come in and out of vogue -- especially when celebrities like Beyonce and Denzel Washington proudly proclaim its weight loss effects.
The diet consists of only water, lemon, cayenne pepper and maple syrup and is touted to aid in the removal of toxins, excess weight and has been said to help clear acne. It is recommended that you drink six to 12 glasses of the concoction a day for up to two weeks at a time while also consuming salt water in the morning and herbal laxative tea at night to speed up the removal of waste in the body.
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The Fruit Flush Diet
This three-day program promises to relieve your body of harmful toxins by using "nature's perfect cleansing food," according to Jay Robb, author of the "Fruit Flush 3 Day Detox." He claims on his website that this simple cleanse will help you lose nine pounds in only three days. How does it work? The book outlines that you are to "consume fresh fruit only from morning until evening and then for dinner consume a meal that focuses on a large vegetable salad, starchy vegetables and a protein shake."
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The Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet
This cleansing diet promises that you will lose 21 pounds in 21 days and was created by naturopathic doctor and registered nurse, Roni DeLuz. Dieters drink water, juices made from fruits and vegetables, powdered supplement drinks, and eat homemade soups.
You aren't alone in your never-ending quest for the magic diet that will melt body fat and give you perfect skin. You also aren't alone in wanting that diet to be as quick and effortless as possible. Celebrities like Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Anne Hathaway (to name drop a few) have been known to try temporary fasting or detox diets in order to clear up skin, rid their body of toxins and lose weight. But before you jump on the trendy bandwagon by swearing off solid foods or downing large quantities of lemon water, you should know what short-term body starvation actually does to you.
It's common knowledge that what you feed your body is going to affect your skin, hair, mood, weight and overall health. With Americans spending upwards of $60 billion a year on weight management products, books and services according to "The New York Times," it's safe to say dieting is a national pastime. Fasting or detox diets have gained relatively recent popularity with countless websites and books promoting quick starvation regimens as a fast way to drop pounds and rid the body of toxins.
Of course, not all body cleansing diets are alike, they vary in length of time, what can and can't be consumed, and the severity of calorie cutting; but they all have a similar end goal: To re-invigorate your health and beauty. To find out what these popular cleansing diets do and if they are actually beneficial to the body, we went to celebrity nutritionist and formulator, Paula Simpson and Wendy Albovias, a registered dietician specializing in Medical Nutrition Therapy. Together they share the most popular cleansing techniques and why these diets may or may not be helpful or even harmful in your quest for a healthier body.
