Cleanses and Detox Plans: Do They Work?

Healthy Ways to Cleanse Your Body

Follow a healthy, balanced diet at all times. Rather than trying a specific “detox” or “cleanse” diet, most doctors recommend simply following a healthy, balanced diet. This is the most successful plan for managing your health and is better than dieting or detoxing. In general, a balanced diet means at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, whole grains, lean proteins and fish, and low-fat dairy products. Also be sure to avoid sugary, fatty, fried, and processed foods as much as you can. If you have any health conditions, like heart disease or diabetes, make sure you follow the specific dietary restrictions that your doctor tells you to.

Exercise most days of the week. Staying active is an important part of any healthy lifestyle. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. You can do this all at once, or break it up throughout the day if you don’t have time.

Maintain a healthy body weight. Being overweight can put you at risk for many health issues, so do your best to stay in a healthy weight range. Talk to your doctor about the ideal diet and exercise program to reach your ideal body weight. The good news is that by following a healthy diet and staying active to cleanse your body, it’ll be much easier for you to maintain a healthy weight.

Drink plenty of water each day. Any healthy living program should include lots of water. In general, drinking 8 glasses of water each day is a good goal, so try to follow this as much as you can. It’s also good to let your body tell you when to drink. If your urine is dark and you feel thirsty, then you’re starting to get dehydrated. It’s overall best to have water instead of juices, and definitely better than soda. These drinks all add sugar and calories to your diet.

Try to sleep for 7-9 hours each night. Sleep is very important for your physical and mental health, and not getting enough sleep can cause health problems. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night, so do your best to stay in that range to support your health.

Drink alcohol in moderation. While you can drink occasionally if you’re trying to cleanse yourself, keep it under control. Stick to a moderate amount of drinking, or don’t drink at all. The CDC defines moderate drinking as 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men. Stay within this range to avoid drinking too much.

Quit smoking or don’t start at all. There is no healthy amount of smoking, so you shouldn’t do it at all. If you smoke, then try to quit as soon as you can. If you don’t smoke, then don’t start in the first place.

Visit your doctor if you have any health concerns. If you have any issues that are making you feel like you need to do a detox, then you might have an underlying health issue. If this is the case, it’s much better to handle that health issue with professional medical help. Don’t hesitate to visit your doctor for an exam if you think something might be wrong. This is the best choice to protect your health.

Cleanses to Avoid

Ask your doctor before trying any detox or cleansing regimens. There are lots of cleansing plans out there, ranging from diets to special drinks and juices. In almost all cases, these plans don’t work especially well, and some might even be dangerous. If you want to try one, always make sure you ask your doctor first.

Don't waste money on cleansing products. Cleansing is a big business, and some of these products can get very expensive. Pills, foot pads, juices, and professional treatments can easily be hundreds of dollars. Since doctors are in agreement that these treatments have no benefits, it's best to save your money for something else.

Skip juice cleanses or liquid diets. A popular cleansing regimen for losing weight involves drinking only juice or another type of liquid for a few days to a week. This is dangerous because you could end up without essential nutrients. These extreme cleanses are also counterproductive because most people just gain back any weight they lost when they go back to eating normal food again. Doctors don't recommend any sort of diet like this, and say following a healthy diet and exercise routine is much better for losing weight.

Avoid colon cleansing unless your doctor suggests it. Colon cleansing is a popular detox plan that involves cleaning out your colon with enemas. There is no proven benefit to doing a colon cleanse, and they might even be dangerous for some people. It’s best to skip this altogether. The biggest risk of colon cleansing is dehydration and mineral imbalances. You could also damage your colon by using enemas too much.