Every Monday you think about starting a diet. This time, you think you’re ready for a full-body cleanse. Not so fast. That three-day, all-juice binge may not battle the bulge after all. While shortcuts are great for long road trips, they don’t do much good for your overall health. Plus, a detox diet is only temporary, so results are superficial at best. What you need is a long-term plan. Lucky for you, this registered dietitian has one…
DAVID: Hello everyone! Welcome back to VitaVibes Live! Today, we’re chatting with a very special guest, and our good dietitian friend, Sam Kramer. He’s here to share his expertise on detoxes and cleanses.
SAM: Hey guys!
DAVID: Sam is our R&D Nutritionist at Vitacost. He’s a Registered Dietitian and Certified Sports Nutritionist. You may recognize him from our most recent edition of VitaVibes magazine, where he offered helpful nutrition tips. Sam knows ALL when it comes to specialty diets, supplements and pretty much anything we consume.
SAM: Well, I wouldn’t say I know ALL, but I do know a thing or two about nutrition. And since it’s a new year, it’s the perfect time to evaluate what we’re putting into our bodies and consider making improvements.
DAVID: Which is exactly why you’re here!
SAM: Exactly.
DAVID: (snickers)…YOU GUYS are about to get schooled.
SAM: (laughs) Hopefully, you learn a thing or two. I’ll do my best to explain things.
DAVID: I know you’re a great teacher, so work your magic.
SAM: So first, I want to stress that “cleansing” or “detox” diets have been a controversial topic over the past few decades.
To date, there are no peer-reviewed clinical trials, demonstrating beneficial effects of detox programs in regards to weight loss or actually ridding the body of toxins.
DAVID: Now when you say detox programs or “cleanses,” does that include the popular lemon water with cayenne pepper detox I’ve seen all over the Internet?
SAM: It sure does These sorts of “diets” are paired with promises of fast results and total body restoration. But they generally promote extreme calorie restriction with deficiencies in micronutrients and electrolytes. These methods can have some pretty serious side effects.
That is not to say ALL detox diets are bad, as some of these programs have elements of sound nutrition. Overall, though, these types of programs often lack wholesome nutrition.
DAVID: So what’s the safe way to cleanse my body?
SAM: Well, believe it or not, if you’re a healthy person, your body is naturally designed to “detox” itself. Our organ systems actually work together to fight foreign invaders and clear the body of toxins.
DAVID: You probably don’t mean space invaders, so what exactly are you referring to?
SAM: Well, the body comes in contact with many stressors, or “invaders,” throughout the day, whether it be from the environment, physical activity, mental stress or even from the food we eat.
DAVID: So you’re saying we want to destroy these not-from-space invaders?
SAM: Exactly! Our liver, kidneys, digestive tract, lungs and skin all play a role in the excretion of these unwanted substances. In fact, your body has a three-step process to eliminate what it doesn’t need:
- Detoxification
- Conjugation
- Transport/elimination
DAVID: I’m already learning so much. I feel like I should be taking notes.
SAM: It’s quite a bit of information; but once you have the basics down, it’ll be easier to determine what your body can handle and how to choose a cleansing regimen that works for you.
DAVID: I’m excited to learn more. Folks, if you tuned in to our last episode, we discussed 2017 resolutions. Many of you asked about supplements and how to incorporate them into your diets. Sam, are there specific supplements that can help my body clear out the bad? I sometimes get a little snack-happy on the weekends and instantly regret it.
SAM: Yeah, you’re probably not alone in that. While our body is designed to keep us healthy, there are helpful nutrients we can consume that may support the elimination process I described earlier and keep the body working like a well-oiled machine.
At the macronutrient level, we have energy (aka calories), which comes from carbohydrates, fats and protein. These are all necessary to provide the fuel that our body needs to survive. You have to think of your body as a car; and if there is not enough fuel in the tank, your body will not perform optimally.
The other nutrients our bodies need to support the natural elimination process are called micronutrients. These are vitamins and minerals you get from fruits and vegetables. Micronutrients do not provide energy themselves but complement the macronutrients in supporting many cellular and metabolic processes.
As a dietitian, I’m a promoter of eating whole foods, first. However, if you look at research, the Western diet is typically deficient in micronutrients. So if you aren’t getting all of your nutrients from foods like fruits and vegetables, supplementation may be the way to go. A daily multivitamin like Synergy Once Daily may be a good solution to fill in those nutritional gaps.
DAVID: Sam, I eat oatmeal every morning for breakfast like clockwork. Is that a good choice?
SAM: Yeah! I actually do the same thing. Fiber from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, serves a number of purposes. One of its many important functions is to support digestive regularity, so your body is naturally and consistently pushing out waste.
DAVID: Supplements can be a good source of fiber, too, right?
SAM: Definitely. Taking a fiber supplement is a convenient way to increase daily fiber intake if you’re not consuming enough plants, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
I also wanted to mention gut health, because it’s the new frontier in nutrition research and probiotics are an important factor in how well your body digests food. Probiotics have also shown a link to immune support, so you have that overall feeling of wellness.†
DAVID: Ah, yes. Gut health—it’s all I hear and read about these days.
SAM: Ha! Yeah, gut health and probiotics are buzzworthy, for sure.
So one of the last things I want to talk about is water. While everyone knows they should drink water, it can sometimes fall to the wayside – especially when you’re sipping on coffee or sodas during the workday. But water, among many functions, helps with the transport of materials and waste throughout the body.
DAVID: So ALWAYS drink your water, folks—no matter what type of diet you’re following!
Sam, is there anything else we need to know?
SAM: Oh, I could go for hours, but I’ll just leave you with some specialty nutrients you may not be aware of. These aren’t necessarily required like water and macronutrients. However, they may certainly help your body’s natural cleansing process run smoothly.
Milk Thistle: This is a powerful antioxidant that helps scavenge free radicals. Free radicals have a tendency to destroy the integrity of cells’ membranes, which can interfere with your body’s normal processes. Milk thistle also helps support healthy liver function.
DAVID: You mentioned earlier that the liver has a big role in getting rid of those invaders.
SAM: That’s right! You remembered – gold star for you! Another powerful antioxidant is glutathione.
DAVID: Glu-ta-thigh-own (David trying to pronounce glutathione)
SAM: Your body produces glutathione on its own, but levels decrease with age and can be affected by extreme exercise. So you may want to supplement it.
And, finally, we have N-Acetyl Cysteine.
DAVID: En-a-sit-ul-sis-teen (David trying to pronounce N-Acetyl Cysteine)
SAM: You can also call it NAC for short This is actually the precursor to glutathione. N-Acetyl Cysteine is an amino acid that also supports your immune system and lung health.†
DAVID: Isn’t it convenient that all of these supplements are available on Vitacost.com, Sam?
SAM: Ha, extremely!
DAVID: But, seriously, you guys know that you can find all your healthy favorites at Vitacost.com. I learned a lot more about some of the products we carry – and learned a few new words! So thank you, Sam, for being here and giving us a good lesson in detoxing and cleansing.
SAM: It was a pleasure being here. Thanks for having me!
DAVID: If you have ANY questions for Sam, please leave them in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.
Don’t forget for healthy recipes and meal plans, head over to our Vitacost blog. We have a great 3-day vegan meal plan to help you reset and restart!
That’s it for today. See you next time!
SAM & DAVID: Bye!