The Lemon Detox Diet

The Lemon Detox Diet, a detox diet that has gained momentum and now a well known phrase is basically a diet aimed at cleansing the body of accumulated toxins and normalizing weight.

Cleansing the body is certainly a selling point that many find attractive but it would be fair to assume that the weight loss aspect of the diet is what draws much attention to it. Let’s face it; weight loss is a pretty high on the list of money making industries.

But is this just another fat diet on the conveyer belt of many diets that have graced our televisions, radios and magazines in the past? Is this diet actually healthy for the body and something that can be maintained? Well unfortunately, you’ll just have to decide that for yourself. Here, theory supporting the diet will be presented as well as the opposing views, so let’s get these brain cogs turning.

Basis behind the Lemon Detox Diet

Detox
First let’s take a look at the Detox aspect of this diet. People have become more and more aware and conscious of the effects our diets and environments have on our bodies, from the air we breathe, to the chemicals used to get food from farms to our tables. The general understanding is that all these chemicals are slowly building up in our bodies all day everyday and this can lead to an overall decrease in the quality of our lives, from feeling tired and lacking in energy, to developing a range of diseases and conditions.

There are a range of foods that are recognized as foods which contribute to the release of toxins from our body. Lemons, cayenne pepper and natural tree syrup are three ingredients that fall under this category and in addition to sea water and laxative teas; they are the 3 ingredients that this diet is restricted to.

The Food
The bulk of the Lemon detox diet is made up of the detox drink. This is made with hot or cold water, tree syrup, freshly squeezed lemon juice and cayenne pepper or ginger. This is taken as a meal replacement and it’s recommended you drink between 6 and 9 glasses a day, but it’s also noted that you can drink as much as you want of it. It’s also suggested to increase normal water intake and that if you like you can also drink the occasional laxative tea such as peppermint tea.

Ingredients and their role

Lemon Juice: Acidity - In addition to being conducive to the flushing of waste from our body, the idea behind the drink is that it is absorbed directly into the blood stream putting less pressure on the digestive system to process it.

Cayenne Pepper\Ginger - The purpose of the cayenne pepper or ginger is to speed up metabolism which in turn promotes cleansing.

Salt Water\herbal laxative tea - A bowel movement a day is necessary for the cleansing of the system. Whilst on the lemon detox diet, salt water or herbal laxative teas such as peppermint are highly recommended in order for this to happen.

Water - We all know that water has massive health benefits – you must drink at least 8 glasses a day. It keeps you hydrated, aids in cleansing and basically - keeps you alive.

Natural Tree Syrup - Contains the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your body needs in order for you to function normally and sustain the detox diet without being at risk of not being sufficiently fueled. The full list of benefits and information of Natural Tree Syrup is discussed by those promoting the lemon detox diet – it also claimed that the quality and nature of the specific syrup promoted by the lemon detox diet is crucial and conducive to the diet to justify it’s somewhat hefty price.

Criticizing the Lemon Detox Diet

Despite the claims of the lemon detox diet it has its fair share critics and slammers.

Starvation
It has been argued that the lemon detox diet is just another fad diet aimed at the masses of people who are desperate to lose weight. In turn it is seen as simply another starvation diet. The basis of any starvation diet is that you take in less then the daily recommended amount of calories. However, there are a few things that can happen when someone enters such a diet that is not conducive to healthy weight loss.

When taking part in liquid only diet with an extremely low protein and calorie content it can be said that the body isn’t provided with sufficient nutrients to rebuild lost muscle tissue. Therefore there is a good chance that those who report rapid weight loss are losing muscle rather than fat. This is a possibility if any fat loss has occurred at all. The other danger is that the body will sense the sudden loss in calorie intake and go into starvation mode where it maintains stores of fat for emergencies given the reduced intake.

Post Diet – Fat Gain
After going through a process of starvation\rapid weight loss, many say it is extremely likely that the weight gain will occur quickly and any muscle that has been lost will be more likely replaced with fat. If this were to happen, not only can a person be back to their original weight or heavier, but their fat content may be much higher also.

FAD
Skeptics have spoken about the lemon detox diet as being just another fad that will eventually pass. The ingredient in the lemon detox drink that is expensive is the maple syrup and some say that since it’s role is mainly to provide the body with enough calories to function that any other ingredient like honey etc would suffice. The remaining ingredients such as lemon and water along with the fact that you are not eating solids are already considered good for cleansing and healthy for us so this is nothing new.

Healthy Weight Loss
Whether you choose to take part in the lemon detox diet may depend ultimately on your short or long term goals. If you are desperate to lose weight in a short amount of time for a specific reason it may be something that you consider. You also must take into account any pre-existing conditions and consider speaking to your doctor first to ensure that undertaking such a diet isn’t dangerous for you.
As far as long term weight loss goes, a combination of a healthy diet and exercise is a method of weight loss that will always be here with us while diets like this one continue to pass us by.