Last week on the treadmill, I was reading the latest issue of Self Magazine. In this issue, Janelle Brown wrote a wonderful piece on the danger of detox diets called, ‘The Scary New Skinny’.
Brown wrote about the latest diet trends that have L.A. women jumping on board. Unlike socially unacceptable trends like starvation diets, liposuction, or dangerous diet pills, these new diet trends are portrayed in a socially acceptable and healthy manner.
Women have always had a huge amount of pressure to be thin, only now, women have this pressure AND we have a new pressure to be healthy while we do it! Many of the previous extreme weight loss methods are frowned upon so women have been seeking healthier ways to lose weight.
But are some of these new trends really healthy?
Brown calls this the ‘healthy skinny’ movement where friends no longer have to admit in shame that they are on a diet, but can be proud to say that they are following a ‘health regime’ instead.
Is it really any different?
So what are some of these diet trends?
- Spiritual Cleanses
While Spiritual Cleanses have been around for ever, they are a growing trend in LA. Many women are claiming that they are on a vision quest or are connecting with their spirit by fasting. These cleanses involve often sustaining on nothing but liquids such as the master cleanse.
- Raw vegetable cleanses
Izo Cleanze and BluePrintCleanse deliver juices to their customer’s doors each day. For many, this is the only thing that touches their lips for 3 weeks or longer.
- Colonics
Colonics have become quite popular in recent years with more and more people getting them done to ‘flush’ out their body of toxins. If performed regularly, colonics can kill the good bacteria in our intestinal tract that protect us from infection. They can also disrupt nerve and muscle function in the bowel, leaving some patients unable to go to the washroom without a colonic.
- Extreme Calorie restriction diets
Howard Flaks (M.D.) from Beverly Hills advises his patients to consume only 800-1000 calories a day, under medical supervision. Personally, I am quite shocked that a doctor would advise his patients to consume such a low number of calories. Many of us know how badly restrictive diets can backfire too- they can slow our metabolism and make our body cling to every calorie we consume. Not to mention, feeling extremely lethargic, moody, and lackluster hair, skin, and nails. That is so not hot!
- Raw Food Diets
Aimee Popovich, a 39-year old mom and homemaker residing in LA, went on a raw food diet where everything she ate was raw. She said she felt great for the first year and a half, but after that time period she started to notice strange things happening to her body. For instance, she had to urinate often and she had a lot of anxiety. Five months later, she woke up in bed very dizzy and she had a seizure, stopped breathing, and passed out. When she finally came to in the hospital 2 days later, she was told that she was undernourished, devoid of vital minerals, and suffering from kidney failure and brain swelling due to a severe electrolyte imbalance. She also suffered from hyponatremia which is having excess water in the blood and can result in dangerously low blood levels of sodium.
There is even a medical term to classify individuals that have an obsession with health. Steven Bratman, an alternative medicine specialist coined the term "Orthorexia" for such a condition. Orthorexia denotes an eating disorder classified by an excessive focus on eating healthy foods. In rare cases, this focus may turn into a fixation so extreme that it can lead to severe malnutrition or even death.
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MY TAKE:
I absolutely loved this article in Self Magazine because I think it touches on a central issue that many women are struggling with right now. As women, we are not only expected to be thin, beautiful, and successful, but we are now expected to be healthy while we do it. Like anything else, it can get taken too far. No matter how healthy someone eats, if they are underweight and/or suffering medical consequences, then it is not healthy. In my nutrition courses, I was told time and time again that our bodies are experts at riding our body of toxins and we don’t need detox diets and cleanses.
I have never had a colonic, done a cleanse, or ate a raw food diet. For me, these things just seem too extreme. That is not to say that they don’t work for others and they can be done in a safe manner with proper education and supervision. I think this is what was lacking in the article, it failed to mention that some of these things can be done safely.
However, I do love how I feel when when I drink a green monster or when I eat a mostly unprocessed diet. I don’t see this as an extreme thing in my life, because I feel better than I ever have, my skin and hair glows, and my doctor tells me that my medical tests come back with flying colours. On the other hand, if I was noticing ill-effects from my diet, I would definitely re-evaluate it. For me, balance is key. I like to eat chips or sweet treats like the rest of ‘em, and I know that keeping a balanced approach keeps me feeling my best.
What are your thoughts?
Are you or someone you know obsessed with eating healthy or do you think that orthorexia is the new ‘socially acceptable’ eating disorder?
Have you or would you ever do a detox? Are detoxes and cleanses ok for a short amount of time?
Thank you for posting this! I know some women think the world of raw food diets, but I look at pictures of them on their blog or other people’s blogs and they look like any other woman with ED: unattractively thin, even skeletal. Not for me, thanks!
Hey Ange!
Interesting that you wrote about that article: I did a post on it, too! Here’s the link:
http://www.choosingraw.com/being-wary-of-a-detox/
I’m glad the Self article brought attention to the stupidity of certain herbal flushes and the master cleanse, though I did not think it gave a balanced perspective on the raw diet.
G xoxo
I have to comment because this article made me kind of angry. Women’s magazines tend to sensationalize everything, and this article is no exception. Of course they will feature the stories with the worst outcome!
I’m not advocating or condemning any of these things for anybody. Just because I do something does not mean someone else should. But I do get a bit defensive when people portray my choices in a negative way. If people ask me questions or for advice, I’ll tell it like I see it. However, just because I am mostly raw vegan doesn’t mean that when I see someone eating meat or chocolate cake or pork steak, I tell them “ooh, don’t eat that, you have an eating disorder…”
I agree that people must be educated about any type of fasting, but I don’t believe that our bodies can just “take care of themselves” anymore. Sure, the body is built to detox itself, if we take care of it. But most of us aren’t, and with the hormones and pesticides in foods, the pollution in the air, the tendency to overmedicate everything, and the chlorine and fluoride added to water, the body isn’t able to do it all by itself anymore. This doesn’t necessarily mean living on lemon juice and maple syrup (which I think most educated raw foodists would NOT recommend anyway), but making more conscious choices.
I’m of the opinion that humans aren’t meant to eat things that come in boxes and cartons. Am I perfect? No. But eating raw organic food (or being vegan, or not eating wheat, or any other food choice that may be attacked) is not an eating disorder.
I’ve been there in a severe way, and it’s a polar opposite.
Just my two cents (or two dollars…practically a novel.)
PS — Cecilia! Hey lady. Thanks for the shout — you beat me to it :)
Ahhhh! Angela! You just keep coming up with more and more interesting, pertinent hot topics! I love it.
I can definitely connect with this topic. So much of what we deem to be “healthy” is influenced by what is currently socially acceptable. If we all lived completely free of media influence (as well as the influence of peers, although that would be a lonely life to live), what would our images of health look like? One can only guess.
I truly believe that balance is at the center of true health, as I’m sure most of us in this blog world do!
That being said, I actually did try a detox diet 2 years ago, mostly did it out of sheer curiosity. I currently don’t believe that they’re a wise idea, but I AM very glad I did it because I feel like it really taught me a lot.
I went to visit my aunt and cousin, who were in the middle of the Fast Track Detox Diet, a 8-day plan by Anne Louise Gittleman. Intrigued, my mom and I decided to give it a go because neither of us had done anything like that before. (see, social acceptability at work! They were doing it, and they’re not crazy dieters, so we didn’t feel weird about it). The plan isn’t actually just for weight-loss- it billed itself as a way to rid your body of toxins, etc (basically everything that the SELF article talks about). It involved eating “detoxifying foods” for 7 days, basically unlimited amounts of fresh produce and lean meat and no refined flour, gluten, sugar, etc etc. Then on the 8th day, you only drank this cranberry-flax drink all day.
The upshot? Yea, my jeans were loose and my skin was glowing. But was it sustainable? Hell no. I soon reverted back to my former habits. Furthermore, I felt deprived the entire time. BUT- I’m glad I did it because it really showed me that deprivation and strict rules just don’t work for me. I guess I sort of agree with the old “don’t knock it till you’ve tried it” adage. I tried a detox, and it indeed did suck. I really didn’t like it because it was impossible to focus on anything else besides what your next meal would be. And that is certainly not a healthy mindset!
So, all in all: I’ll take a diet based on balance and freedom over deprivation and “perfection” ANY day!
holy crap that was long. apologies!
If I’m going to “detox” that just means more fruits and veggies and less processed foods! Our bodies are designed to get rid of toxins.. we don’t need any help! I actually did a post on colonics and detoxes coming from a medical perspective.. it was actually a book review! If you want to check it out: http://ajangel25.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/review-the-raw-food-detox-diet-by-natalia-rose/
I am glad Self brought attention to this. Starvation-type diets seem to be all the rage now and I definitely think they fall under the eating disorder category. (Some people do detoxes or follow a raw diet for reasons other than weight loss, I accept that and am not talking about those people.) There are lots of women out there who use these kinds of diets as an excuse to restrict their eating. For some reason it’s more accepted by our society to restrict one’s food intake because you are on a diet, but if you are anorexic it’s frowned upon. People need to wake up and realize that in some cases, strict diets and anorexia are the same thing. You are still restricting your caloric intake and are depriving your body of what it needs to function. Call it what you want- a cleanse, a detox, anorexia- they’re the same thing.
“just because you have an eating disorder, doesn’t mean that everyone does. I think people need to learn and respect that there are individuals out there who are perfectly CONTENT and HAPPY with their high raw diet.”
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand the logic behind this statement. Yes, I criticized raw food diets. No, I don’t have an eating disorder. But a person only eats raw foods and has an eating disorder, then it’s an eating disorder – but if a person only eats raw food for the “right” reasons it’s not? Plenty of anorexics are perfectly CONTENT and HAPPY with their diet, too. Does that make it right?
I’m sorry if this is confrontational, but I felt that your comment was insensitive and inflammatory.
Yikes! Someone mentioned to me that it may sound like I am attacking Ange–I’m NOT!!
I love the post about the article–it’s the article itself I am not thrilled with. I’m with Gena on that one.
i read that article and gena’s review of it a little while ago – it was an interesting take. i agree with some of the other commenters that you cannot expect to begin a high raw lifestyle without first knowing many things about nutrition and the science behind it. that’s why there are raw food coaches!
dieting under the guise of health is a scary trend – i think people honestly don’t realize the damage they are doing. we live in a society where less food always seems better. i remember being shocked by how much i was supposed to eat when all of it was “healthy,” because the concept of eating a lot and often is certainly not mainstream. one of the things that drives me crazy is this constant need to chase perfection in our society. if we’re thin, we could eat healthy. if we eat healthy, we could eat healthier. it’s a slippery slope with seemingly no end.
I know this is NOT my blog. However, I just want to say “Ladies..and gents PLEASE keep your coments friendly and don’t talk down on someone else. Remember that everyone is different and you should respect that!” I think you can answer Angie’s question without giving someone else a NEGATIVE discription. I think this blog is VERY positive and the comments should be too. Please and thank you!
(Just for the record, no one said anything to offend me. Honestly, I just care about other people and read an unfriendly comment that made me write this.)
Thanks for posting this Angela! I am against detoxes & cleanses as there isn’t really anything to clean out…your body’s innate digestive system will do that for you. The raw food diet isn’t for me either – I won’t knock anyone who is on it and I have a close family friend who has written books on raw diets (although isn’t completely raw at all) and have learned a bit about it. My main concern with it is that for some bloggers it is easy to tell that they aren’t getting enough calories in each day. I know it can be done on a raw diet with more nuts, avocados, etc but it is more difficult with not as many raw foods being high in fat.
I’ve been having a lot of things about this, too, lately!
I think most people agree that different “diets” work for different people. But I’ve had friends who are recovering anorexics claim to go on trend “diets,” which did not prove to be any healthier for their bodies. They convinced themselves that it was healthy because of this or that, but it was still a restrictive diet.
I would never, ever accuse another person of having an ED, but sometimes I do wonder when I see how little these women are eating…ya know?
*I mean having a lot of thoughts about this too, lol
I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that some “diets”, “lifestyles”, whatever you want to call them – whether you are veggie, raw, follow the SAD diet, whatever – everyone’s body requires something different. It drives me bonkers when my in-laws call me out on being “too healthy” because I don’t WANT to eat store bought cookies (gag me), and that instead I make homemade, delicious vegan cookies. Or that I “restrict” myself from eating cheese or meat – I could eat these things if I truly wanted to, but since I don’t feel good when I eat these products, why would I want to? Of course some people take this to the extreme with the detox diets that you mentioned, but let’s keep in mind that back in the day, even the now-normal vegetarian diet was considered to be “extreme” and unhealthy!
Coming from a different ‘mom’ perspective…
Reading what you refered to in the article makes me think about what my daughter will have to deal with someday and it makes my heart break:( As a mom, I cook the meals for my family. We all eat the same, healthy meals with a few changes here and there (ie. my little ones don’t like typical salads, but get veggies daily)
I hope that if moms are doing these types of diet/cleanses, they are checking with a pediatrician before having their children follow along. I also hope that women who are pregnant and or nursing are also checking with doctors and not just getting magazine/internet info and following it like it is the healthiest and or only way to eat.
My kids never have, nor will see me on a diet. We are active and eat healthy foods with a little bit of not so healthy sprinkled in here and there:) Being healthy and FIT are our main focus. Thin, skinny, and waiflike are not the ideal for our household. I hope that philosophy carries over to our precious little kids:)
I read this article and also found it very thought-provoking. I have never, and probably will never, tried a detox, cleanse, or raw food diet – but far be it for me to judge others for doing that. My reasons for not doing these is personal preference, plus a past that was filled with disordered eating. I know that if I were to give myself a strict regimen to follow, I would take it too far.
I believe that eating healthy can be taken too far. I think that it ultimately has to do with the person’s mentality, not just their actions. My disordered eating, though never “full blown” anorexia, just looked like extreme healthy eating. It became unhealthy because I literally feared my “off limits” foods. If I found out that whole milk went into my latte instead of skim, I was near tears.
All in all, every case is completely different. Some people follow certain food regimens, enjoy it, and it works for them. But when it becomes obsessive or disrupts your normal life so much that it is no longer making you BETTER, I think there’s an issue at hand.
I hadn’t heard the term Orthorexia until I read your post. I have to admit, I think there quite a few food blogs that I read that promote Orthorexia. Is it a good thing…bad thing…who knows. But I do think there are certain food blogs that really push an excessive focus on eating healthy foods…to an obsessive nature. I have also seen around in the blog world people stating that they are now obsessed with being healthy because of food blogs, because it makes them feel like they have to be perfect and clean.
I believe in detox but only in the normal, I am going to try to eat clean and healthy for the next few days because of XYZ (overate last weekend, have an event, etc.). I do not think consuming any cleanses, having colonics or severely restricting calories is safe at all.
The body is built to flush itself out and to keep itself clean. As long as you feed the body healthy things and take care of it, these things will be taken care of on their own.
Happiness Awaits
Wow–I just read through all the comments. Who knew this would be such a trigger subject?
Happiness Awaits