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Weight Loss Wednesday: detoxes and cleanses

Cynthia Sass, a nutritionist and author of the New York Times Bestseller "S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds, and Lose Inches," talked about detoxes and cleanses.

http://www.cynthiasass.com/

Cynthia's pro-and-con list:

PROS

• In my private practice, some of my clients need to see quick results in order to feel confident and successful, which allows them to gain the motivation and momentum they need to move forward with long-term lifestyle changes.
• Another key advantage of a detox or cleanse is that it can help you end a chaotic eating pattern by introducing some order, simplicity and repetition.
• Finally, when all of the decisions about exactly what to eat have been made for you, you can't act on emotional or social eating triggers, which can be the first step to identifying and breaking these patterns.

CONS

• Detoxes and cleanses tend to be very strict and extreme. As a result, the majority of the weight loss will be water, and glycogen (stored carbs), which you will likely regain when the detox or cleanse ends, depending on what you transition to.
• Also for some people, even short-term restriction can lead to intense cravings and rebound overeating, so you may regain more weight than you lose.
• Detoxes and cleanses don't teach you how to eat in a way that you can sustain every single day for the rest of your life. Because of this, I've seen some people just swing back and forth between overeating and going back on a detox or cleanse, rather than using the detox or cleanse as a transition to a long-term healthy lifestyle.
• If you follow a detox or cleanse for too long, you'll miss out on nutrients your body needs for maintenance and healing. Many don't include any protein, some include no protein or fat. That means the jobs these nutrients do don't get done, which can result in a weaker immune system, fatigue, digestive problems, mood swings, dull skin and hair, and the loss of muscle mass.