Debunking Detoxing with Charlotte Mei
It’s that time of the year for the ‘New Year New Me’ plans! Our diets go through a major overhaul, we sign up for new gym passes, we sign up for a ‘detox’ plan and “I’m on my way to get fit and healthy!” It is great that the new year gets many people motivated to change some habits and improve their wellbeing. However, the long and short of it is that a ‘detox’ isn’t going to get us to good health, as there are no shortcuts when it comes to the human body.
‘Detox’ is short for detoxification – the process of clearing out toxins from our body. These days, there are many types of detox diets out there – the Fasting Detox, Juice Detox, Soup Detox, you name it. Our body has been detoxifying itself since the day we were born. Our body has its own sophisticated detoxification system – cue our kidneys, liver, sweat glands, urinary system – that are detoxifying your body just as you’re reading this! However, there is the idea today that we need to rid our organs of toxins and impurities so we can be ‘clean’, and that doing so through a special dietary regime would work better than our body’s natural capabilities.
Detox diets can be dangerous not only because it’s mostly pseudo-science and marketing, but it gives us the false sense of a health halo. It makes us think that it’s okay to live our lives however we want, not caring for our bodies, abusing our vices over the weekend, and all we have to do is get on a juice cleanse Monday-Friday to undo everything.
I understand the appeal of a quick fix, however it is important to remember that our body is not a switch, and things like weight loss, lowering one’s cholesterol levels, or improving blood sugar levels takes time and effort.
There are no rigorous human studies to show the effectiveness of a detox programme that beats the one you already have in your body (and that one comes free of charge!).
You may continue to start your day with a warm glass of lemon water or celery juice if you enjoy it, but you can skip it if you’re only doing it because of ‘detox’. The ultimate lifestyle ‘detox’ is to exercise regularly, get enough sleep, drink in moderation, not smoke, and enjoy a nutritious and balanced diet that includes vegetables, complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats.
I’ll be sharing some nutrition tips and delicious recipes over the next few months, so keep an eye out! In the meantime check out my vitamin-rich Lychee Mint Cooler Recipe below to get you started and Happy New Year!
Lychee Mint Cooler
Ingredients (Serves 1)
Cooler
– 1 bag of your preferred green tea*
– ½ cup water
– ½ cup sparkling water
– 2 tsp lime juice
– 10 lychees, peeled and de-seeded
– 10 fresh mint leaves, torn
– Sugar (optional)
Garnish
– Extra 2 lychees per serve, peeled and de-seeded
– Crushed ice
Directions
– Make green tea: infuse 1 bag of green tea in ½ cup of water and leave in the fridge overnight to steep
– Make lychee juice: Blend or muddle 10 lychees and strain. This should yield about 90ml of lychee juice. Set aside
– In a pitcher, mix the lychee juice with the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine
– Serve each glass with 2 whole lychees, crushed ice, and a sprig of mint
Notes
*Should you wish to make this caffeine-free, feel free to change up the green tea to mint tea
Charlotte Mei
A Nutritionist by training, Charlotte Mei is a media personality, a self-taught cook, and an all-round advocate of sustainable living. Her mission is simple: to get more people into the kitchen and get them interested in what they eat!
Her content channel TheCharlotteMei shares fuss-free recipes, city food tours, and nuggets of tips for living and eating more mindfully. She has hosted food programmes such as ‘Crave’ on Channel 5, and helmed the evening drive time radio show ‘Your Evening Escape’ and food podcast ‘Crave’ on 938NOW (now known as CNA 938).
Today, she continues to create content on her social media platforms on food, health, and sustainability, and will be contributing to Breathe’s community too. She enjoys Pilates, especially when it challenges her core and upper-body strength. Her favourite moves include rows on the Reformer and inversions on the Cadillac! Catch her latest news on www.thecharlottemei.com and Instagram (@thecharlottemei).
