Most of the world’s oldest cultures have a tradition of ritual fasting – a cleansing of the body, mind and spirit. Today, alternative health specialists are also promoting temporary fasting or “body cleansing” as an antidote to a modern, industrialized lifestyle. But is it right for you?
First, a primer: the human body has a cleansing system of its own – the things we ingest are naturally filtered and excreted through the skin, liver, kidneys, and bowels. If our diets consisted solely of natural, organically grown produce, our filters would work fine, keeping what the body needs and excreting the rest. But the ingredients list on any packaged food tells a different story: we are ingesting synthetic chemicals and modified ingredients at an astonishing rate. Also consider the cocktail of fertilizers, pesticides, dyes and waxes that are sprayed onto food as it’s grown, harvested and sold. Add medications that we ingest on a regular basis, and it’s all much more than our bodies can handle. Just think of the lint screen on a clothes dryer – any filter needs periodic cleaning to function well. Body cleansing can take many forms: temporary all-juice diets (weekend, week-long, or longer), short-term water-only fasts, and many other low-calorie, natural-foods regimens. Some go even further, prescribing specific herbal treatments.
But the question remains: is it safe? There are few clinical studies on the efficacy of cleansing diets; therefore, most medical professionals are skeptical. But when done responsibly and for short periods, body cleansing is not dangerous in and of itself. Of course, it is strongly recommended to discuss the specifics with a doctor or other health provider before undertaking a cleansing. Severe diet changes can have unintended consequences, and need to be monitored carefully.
Body-cleansing advocates and critics both agree that people undergoing these regimens typically experience a range of uncomfortable side effects, including headaches, nausea, vomiting, low mood, and skin rashes. Called the Herxheimer Reaction, body-cleansing advocates believe this is caused by toxins being flushed out too rapidly, flooding the body with pent-up chemicals. This reaction, they say, is a difficult but necessary step on the way toward complete cleansing. Critics of body cleansing say that this is merely ketosis, a classic response when the body doesn’t have energy to burn. They say there’s no hard evidence that toxins are leaving. Whatever the cause, symptoms can be partially relieved by cutting back on the diet’s severity and taking the following steps: drinking plenty of water, doing light exercise daily, getting sunlight, reducing the dosage of herbal formulas, and sweating through exercise or saunas.
Both sides agree that whatever the outcome, the occasional body-cleansing diet is not a sustainable way of losing weight. Any weight lost will be water weight, and it will quickly return once a normal diet resumes. A long-term commitment to natural whole foods and a regular exercise routine are still the best ways to ensure a clean, healthy and lean body.