Quick detox solutions, such as laxatives, saltwater flushes and solutions of lemon water with cayenne pepper, are often not successful in the long run, doctors say.Common-sense eating tips
Choose lean cuts of meat.Choose fowl over beef and pork.Increase fruit and vegetable intake.Choose fruits with a lower glycemic index, such as berries.Eat healthy vegetarian one or two nights a week.Avoid processed foods.Avoid fried foods.Practice good portion control.Opt for complex carbohydrates over simple ones.Limit simple sugars.Source: Local nutrition experts.
Susan Rapp, a family practice physician at Erlanger Health Centers, balks at the notion of extreme detoxification diets.
“So interesting, the things out there,” she said of quick-fix plans that promise to help you shed pounds in days or to restore energy by ingesting nothing more than saltwater and lemonade solutions. Such diets, she said, are “not anything I’ve ever read in a medical text.”
In fact, Rapp said, the term “detox” does not exist in the medical world.
“So many of these terms are bogus — detox, cleansing, refreshing,” said Brian Jones, registered dietitian at Memorial Hospital. “There’s no function that’s associated with.”