I recently read an article in a newspaper about detox diets and that has led me to write this post. And it is that everything detox is very fashionable, smoothies, green smoothies, revitalizing juices and endless synonyms that all they do is deceive us. It is only necessary to go to any supermarket and see the shelves full of these products, as well as the pharmacies selling weekly packs. We also find it on the radio, press, television … also promising us a weight loss that is not real. So I have decided to bring you the truth about this entire market of lies.

First of all, although they are very rich in vitamins and minerals, they are also rich in sugars, since all the sugar from the fruits and vegetables is concentrated in the juice, leaving out the fiber and causing the sugar to pass quickly and directly to the blood (you can read more about it here) .

It is also true that some of the nutrients in these juices help the liver in its absorption process and that this entails a laxative effect and hence the “purification” but it is an effect that we will achieve the same by consuming those whole foods. And the fact is that the nutrients in these foods help our liver, but they do not increase its “purification” function.

What really happens when we base our diet on these detox diets?

If you look at it or if you have ever informed yourself, they do not recommend doing the plan for more than a week, claiming that in a week enough body has already been purified. But friends the real reason is not that.

By following these detox plans, we base our diet on vegetable and fruit juices, but only juices, different and colorful juices, but nothing else is allowed. Well, in this way we are taking in less energy than the body needs, so the body minimizes vital functions to guarantee a small reserve of energy and thus adapt to the new situation. This means that the body manages to obtain energy, making it from fat and protein stores, which generates what we know as ketone bodies, a toxic waste that the liver must eliminate. Quite the opposite of what they sell us.

And, in addition, for a good functionality of the liver, many more nutrients are needed than those provided by vegetables and fruits of juices, such as vitamins of group B (B1, B6, B12), present in legumes, whole grains , meat, dairy, nuts and eggs, foods that do not appear in the latest generation detox plans.

Another consequence of these diets is the anxiety they generate. The fact of following such a restrictive diet gradually creates an internal anxiety that if you do not know how to control it, you can end up doing the odd dietary transgression and it will always be with fats and sweets. What will lead you to gain weight and not lose it as promised.

The problem is that with these plans we urinate much more and therefore we lose liquid that is reflected on the scale with the weight. That is why they make us believe that we are losing weight, but that weight is water and not fat and when you return to your diet you will regain it.

To conclude, eat healthy, varied, base your diet on whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and everything from the earth, as less processed as possible. Let your body and liver purify that the body is wise for that and do not be fooled by false and hopeful promises.