You've seen the commercials. You've heard of all the celebrities that swore by them. Do they really work? We are talking about detox diets and how they've taken over the weight loss industry by storm. There are literally hundreds of detox products claiming to be the best weight loss product of the century and we'd love it to be so, but is this claim of detox truth or fiction?

We'll examine three myths about detoxing and reveal the facts so you can judge for yourself whether the hype is really worth it.

Myth #1- We all carry too many toxins in our bodies.

The truth behind this statement is that if we had too many toxins, we'd be more than fat; we'd be deadly ill. No detox diets have even been proven to flush out toxins from your body. Your body does a very good job of that on its own. The liver and the kidneys are there especially for that job and if you go on a detox diet that severely restricts the nutrients being delivered to these organs, they won't be able to do their job properly. So the verdict: detox truth or fiction?  Without a doubt fiction.

Myth #2- Detox diets are the best way to lose fat fast.

Most detox diets expect you to eat in extremely restrictive ways. Whether it asks you to only drink liquids, or eat fruits and vegetables, or some special vegetable soup, it will have you starving on the very first day. You will start to shed pounds, there is no doubt, but probably very little of that will be fat. Severely cutting your body off from food will make it break down muscle tissue for fuel, not fat. Also, the weight loss has nothing to do with getting rid of toxins, it's because you've barely eaten anything for a week. Moreover, all the weight you lose quickly due to a detox diet will jump right back on after you stop the diet, and you will have to stop the diet at some point. So when it comes to losing fat what do you say? Detox truth or fiction? You have it, another fiction.

Myth #3- Cutting out sugar, alcohol, and caffeine is the answer.

All of these substances are harmful if abused. But it isn't some miracle cure when you cut them out entirely for a week or a few days and then return to your normal habits later. What would really be beneficial for your health is if you create healthy habits with these things. Good habits like one coffee a day, or drink alcohol only moderately, or reducing sugar intake by half will help you in the long run much more than cutting them out entirely for a short while. This is another fact revealed detox truth or fiction- definitely fiction.

Really the only detoxing we should be doing is cutting out processed foods and doing our best to eat “clean”. This will optimise our bodies for energy and weight loss, and improve our health overall. Also, whatever weight you lose, you'll more than likely keep it off. So are detox diets truth or fiction? FICTION!