Are Body Cleanses for Weight Loss Effective and Safe?

Body cleanses for weight loss have been around since the beginning of weight loss. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you can’t eat loads of junk food every day and not gain weight. In order to lose weight, you must eliminate those things from your daily diet. That in itself is a cleanse.

Imagine that all of your car’s life you put in the cheapest grade gas you could find, barely pure enough to be considered fuel. Then all of a sudden you start filling up with premium gas. Eventually, all of the old gunk you used to fill your tank with will be flushed out. Same goes for your body.

But which cleanse is ideal?

It really depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. I’ll mention detox diets here, too because they’re so close to what a cleanse is. And in fact, there’s quite a bit of overlap. Both last anywhere from 1-30 days. However, a detox focuses on eliminating harmful toxins from your body, such as heavy metals, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and other pollutants and allergens. Yes, all of those things are found in the foods we eat. Detox diets target a wide array of physical ailments, such as migraines, allergies, digestive issues, fatigue, skin problems, hormone imbalances, and yes…weight loss.

Cleanses are very similar to detox diets and involve strict dietary modifications. It focuses on eliminating unhealthy or highly allergenic foods and replacing them with nutrient dense, whole foods to support improved overall health. Some cleanses, like juice cleanses, eliminate all solid foods. Juicing specific fruits and vegetables provide all the nutrients you need and can be performed from 1-7 days. I’ve known of some who have stayed on their juice cleanse for much longer, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Generally, cleanses will focus on eliminating sugar, alcohol, processed foods, dairy, wheat, gluten, soy, and corn.

Consider the reason why you want to cleanse.

In my case, it wasn’t necessarily to lose weight, although I knew I’d be shedding a few pounds. My goal was to flush all the junk and toxins out of my body so I could start my weight loss journey with a clean slate, so to speak. I’m not really sure why. I guess it sounded like a good idea at the time. But really, I have very regular bathroom habits. Each and every day, several times a day. So, I’m not sure why I was worried.

Nevertheless, I did the lemonade cleanse (or master cleanse), which consisted of drinking a mixture of lemon juice, pure maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. You also had to drink upwards of 32-48 ounces of saltwater (with real sea salt) every morning. The saltwater basically flushes out your bowels because it’s too heavy to pass through to your bladder. Your kidneys won’t pull the water out and so it passes to your bowels. After about a week of not eating solid foods and flushing my gut out every morning, I lost a few pounds alright and my bowels were very clean. But when you start eating again, you can’t just jump in and have a nice big steak. You have to ease back into eating solid foods.

Was it worth having to chug saltwater every morning and the hassle and misery of making the juice and only being able to consume that while you smell the food that your family and coworkers are eating just to lose a few pounds? For me, not at all.

Health issues and cleanses can be very beneficial.

If, however, you’re trying to cleanse or detox in order to fight health issues, that’s another thing entirely and you should probably consult with your physician first. There are also other ways to approach such issues, like eliminating one thing at a time. You can also Google your ailment and you’ll probably find a list of foods to avoid. The process of elimination takes about 6 weeks. When you find that your ailment has cleared up, you’ve likely found the culprit that your body has issues with. Once you begin reintroducing those foods (again, under a doctor’s supervision), be aware of your symptoms. If your body reacts with skin irritation, bloating, nausea, constipation or diarrhea, to name a few, you’ll know to avoid that particular food item and simply eliminate it altogether.

Be aware that if you’re highly sensitive, reintroducing that food item can cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition.

The good thing about body cleanses for weight loss is that most of them consist of consuming things you can buy in the grocery store. The weight loss industry is one of the highest earning markets on the planet. The global weight management market was worth US$ 189.8 billion in 2018. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach a value of US$ 269.2 billion by 2024. The fact that you can do something without shelling out more money for another supplement with no guarantees is a bonus.

Lastly, think about this…if you’re trying to lose weight and keep it off permanently, you need to make a lifestyle change, not a temporary change. So, while body cleanses and detox diets might have a minor short-term benefit, what’s the point if you’re going to resume old habits and put the weight right back on?