Detox?? - Minneapolis,MN

Don't do it. There is absolutely no medical science behind them. They will do you no good, and could possibly be harmful.

I am curious to know what a detox does. Is it for weight loss or just for anyone? I don't need to lose any weight but if it's to cleanse your insides of toxins, I'd love to hear more.

I think cleanses are exhausting and they provide temporary relief. Then you go back to your old life and it all happens again. They are stressful. I am a nutritional consultant and I don't find that people get long term results. I also know that physicians have very little training in nutrition - and the good ones will admit that. In my experience, the chain health food stores don't have a lot of knowledgeable employees - their job is to move a lot of products and they carry such a huge variety that it's impossible for them to know what's in all of them. And you have no guarantee on those products - there's no follow-up by the company that sells them, and the company most likely doesn't manufacture the products themselves. Look around the shelves there or in the vitamin aisle of any supermarket (including whole food places) - you will see many different brands that look awfully similar. That's because they are manufactured somewhere else (not necessarily even in the US, and maybe someplace with few regulations). Then the vitamin company just slaps their label on it!

Shakes are better than pills, because pills are only absorbed about 15-25%, and the rest is eliminated. Big waste of money. But you want comprehensive shakes, not just something with a few ingredients. Your doctor is correct to worry about sugar, but it's also important to note what the source of the sugar is. For example, if it's fructose (not high fructose corn syrup), then it's no different from eating an apple. Also, there is a form of chromium that can be added to keep the sugar level regulated (so there are no spikes and no burst of insulin production by your body).

So I recommend a comprehensive powder supplement that is mixed in water at the time you drink it. Anything pre-mixed will break down over time if it contains protein. I recommend you look for a US government patent (very difficult to get on food products) that guarantees that the product is safe, effective and unique, and that the manufacturer has been inspected and has proven that what's on the label is in the product and in the correct amounts. The product should be subjected to quality controls and testing by independent labs. And for cleansing, you should be looking at a supplement that does this on an ongoing basis to put less stress on your body and also prevent the problem from occurring again.

Any company that has a huge product line is not providing comprehensive nutrition - they are asking YOU to buy a lot of things and try to mix & match them yourself. That makes no sense. And a lot of people get in trouble doing that.

If you want more info or recommendations, let me know.

There are many different detoxes. It's best to get a good recommendation from an alternative doctor.

I did a colon cleanse and it helped me to become more "regular" and I did feel more energetic.

I also did a candida cleanse, and it helped me temporarily.

I will say that GNC is horrible stuff, they are not a good company. See if you can find a better health food or vitamin store. The people that work there should also be able to help you choose one.

I do not know much about shakes, there are people who highly recommend them but we've had wonderful results just going organic and eating more whole foods. We've also gotten rid of all MSG, HFCS, preservatives and artificial colors and flavors. That in itself has helped me to feel the most healthy! And it didn't take any cleanse or fancy shake to do it!

If you want to "detox" you can do so yourself, without any extra money spent. Eliminate caffiene, processed foods, alcohol, fatty foods and add plenty of water.

Better yet, slowly and surely, work on increasing the amount of non processed foods you eat a day, and increase the amount of water you drink. You will begin to feel better, and you will actually be achieving a lifestyle change, which is the only way to have long term benefits.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

My husband and I are on day 78 of a "90 Day Challenge" using Visalus shakes - commonly called Body By Vi. I want to say that we are NOT promoters in any way and we are also two of the most skeptical people you'll ever meet. :-) We initially ordered because I was having stomach issues with gluten and they're gluten free so it was something that made me feel full without pain. We also wanted to help our friend who had just started selling them. My hubby is amazing and started drinking them with me for support so he wouldn't be making all this yummy breakfast food that I couldn't have!

Anyway, imagine our surprise when we felt full, had tons of energy, and started dropping pounds! I'll be honest - I had about 45 pounds to lose and he had about 35-40. We kept going with it drinking a shake for breakfast, shake for lunch, and eating healthy snacks between plus a regular dinner (we didn't really change what we ate for dinner, just ate LESS of it!) and it's just been really easy. I've lost 25 pounds and three pant sizes and he's lost 30 pounds and three pant sizes so far. I personally will keep going after the 90 days to get down to my final goal.

One last thing - there are tons of shakes out there that I never would have tried even to help a friend because they are terrible for you. The reasons I agreed to this one: It's gluten-free, the soy protein is non-GMO (genetically modified), the nutrients are natural (not synthetic) and therefore more easily absorbed, and there's only 1 gram of sugar per serving of shake mix making these the ONLY shake that is safe for diabetics.

Like I said - I'm not a promoter and you won't see a link to a website in my response, I'm just a fan and a success story. :-)

I had severe heavy metal toxicity four years ago and used drnatura.com's detoxification program a couple times. I thought the system was very good and the price reasonable. It's all natural/organic herbs, etc. and there isn't any hidden sugars, etc.

However, they've changed the formula on a couple of them since I've used it and there is now gluten in the mixture, so if that's something you can't have, you might want to check and see if they have a GF version.

And I agree wholeheartedly with fanged bunny. The best way to cleanse your body is to totally rework what you eat/put into it. I had to do that, due to illness, heavy metals, malabsorption, Leaky Gut, etc. Cut out processed foods, eat organic/free-range/grass-fed meat, eat organic veges, fruits, whatever else you eat, drink green or rooibus tea instead of caffeine, ditch the soda pop, COMPLETELY eliminate any pop or food with any artificial sweeteners whatsoever, quit eating at fast food places, cut down (or cut out) grains, particularly wheat/gluten, drastically up your intake of all kinds of vegetables, drink lots and lots of water (reverse osmosis is the best, but any filtered water is good), get plenty of exercise and make sure you get the right amount of sleep (no skimping!).

If you're looking for a drink or shake to make, blend up (a Vitamixer is great for this) a bunch of fruit (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry) and veges (carrot, kale, green and purple cabbage, zucchini, yellow squash)--use organic--with a little water and a bit of Stevia and you'll have yourself a powerhouse shake full of natural ingredients that will give you lots and lots of energy while helping your body eliminate/cleanse through the fiber you'll be ingesting. I love these!

Only by completely revamping/modifying how/what you eat will you have long-term, lasting effects. I've been following the above plan as much as possible, and it definitely does help.

I personally love Advocare products and their 10 day cleanse is gentle and effective. It helps remove the toxins and excess 'junk' that stays in your body after eating processed foods. Fanged Bunny is right....the best way to achieve success is through a whole lifestyle change. Cleansing out your body will make you feel good, but if you're going to turn around and put all of those processed foods back in your body, a Cleanse isn't going to help you long-term. Message me if you want to know more about Advocare. I've tried lots of other cleanses and health progrmas and the Advocare line of products was the easist transition into a complete lifestyle change that I've found.

I have tried a lot of things. I used to do Herbalife, I've done Arbonne, Slim Fast, Full Bars, Green Tea, drastically cutting calories, pretty much anything to try to lose weight and be healthy. Then I discovered Shakeology and Beachbody. I loved it so much and had such great results, I became an Independent Team Beachbody coach. If you're looking for a cleanse, I highly recommend the 3 day shakeology cleanse. The cost is $50 and you will eat 5 times per day on the cleanse (each day you will have a shakeology shake, 1 peice of fruit, a shakeology shake, a shakeology shake and then a salad with chicken or fish for dinner). Results of people who follow the cleanse exactly are between 5 and 10 lb weight loss in only 3 days. FOR REAL! I just did one a couple weeks ago and lost 6.6 lbs. I do one about every 3 months and I drink 1 Shakeology shake per day otherwise to keep it off and keep moving towards my goal. I absolutely love it! Shakeology can help you lose weight, gain energy, reduce cravings, be more regular, lower cholesterol and more! It has made my skin exceptionally healthy and clear and helped curb my cravings for junk food. For more information on the cleanse, and to order shakeology packets for the cleanse, email me at ____@____.com To check out other Beachbody products or to order a 30 day supply of Shakeology my beachbody websites are www.getfitgainlife.com and www.myshakeology.com/leannasmith There is a new 21 day cleanse from Beachbody called The Ultimate Reset. I have heard great things about it, but have not tried it. Sounds like people lose 8-10 lbs avg in 3 weeks and you're not supposed to work out while doing the reset. I am an endorphin junkie and love exercising, so I don't know if it's for me. Let me know if you have any questions!

Hi M.
I'm biased here (hbl wellness coach)- yet wanted to just provide some facts so you can decide as you look.
The herbalife 21 days cleanse is $33. It's also very gentle- most don't even know they are taking it unless they have a nasty colon (one gent had crayons coming out he ate as a kid..haha) And they provide a $ back guarantee which is nice too.
As you decide- target what your end goal is. Hbl also has an inexpensive product called florafiber- helps cleanse/fiber and gets GI tract in the healthy bacteria state. They also have a product called cell activator- again inexpensive- that helps cleanse and heal your Intestinal lining so the villi stand up so they can absorb nutrition more readily rather than flatten unhealthy and matted.
The shakes- can send you a pdf if you want to see ingred- only 9 gr sugar. I never miss- and the reason I'm biased is that I have restless leg- and for whatever reason the shake takes that away. Honestly- that's what sold me on the company and products.....as a big proponent of supplements and protein shakes, I used them all without noticing results- and yep-initially I went on them to reshape after having twins at 41 and that worked too- but it's not why I stick with them. My kids love the kids ones too- great breakfast.
I'm local if you'd ever want to chat- feel free to email me for more info at ____@____.com

GNC- they have several comparable pure products like hbl- pharmaceutical grade (within 2% of what the label lists via fda qualifier). There are other great companies that are similar- that's really the key to using a trusted product. Supplemental grade can be off by 35%!!

As a med professional myself- I work with Docs- most sadly aren't trained in nutrition. The instruction is based on treating with meds/pharmaceuticals and rarely will you find a physician who practices using both. Don't get me started. I choose my physician based on both. All pharmaceuticals have side effects. Some supplements do too.

Cleansing is great- a natural exercise to assist that is yoga- in particular hot yoga. Eating your 5 servings of fruits and veggies helps, healthy grain, and at least 20 gm of fiber per day- soluble and insoluble mixed is best so you don't get gassy. Our food sources - unless you go strictly organic- are packed with additives and over the years.. well......it's a fast paced processed world now.

Have a dynamic day- to your health!!

About me: 51 yo perfusionist, wellness coach, mom with 10yo fraternal twin girls.

B. J