Cleansing is trendy in the West, where proponents fast or limit themselves to special juice concoctions meant to expel toxins from the body. Does this sound like an eating disorder, or is it actually a healthy way to give your body a break? To find out, we spoke with Kimberly Ashton, a health coach with a nutrition background, and Dr. Margaret Keefe, a registered dietician with United Family Hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fasting seems like a quick road to anorexia, but both Ashton and Dr. Keefe say that, in moderation, it\u2019s safe. \u201cFasting really depends on the individual,\u201d says Ashton, who adds that she doesn\u2019t fast but instead sticks to a healthy diet. \u201cAnyone with a medical condition or pregnancy should not undertake a fast, nor would I recommend it to busy, energy-consuming, working professionals.\u201d Dr. Keefe does not recommend fasting for more than a day or two; if doing so, you should drink two liters per day of hydrating fluids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slightly less extreme than outright fasting are cleanses. These include all-juice cleanses, where you consume only fresh fruit and vegetable juice, green tea cleanses (easy enough in China) and the Master Cleanse, which was popular in the \u201970s and involves drinking a mix of water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup, as well as guzzling salt water and consuming laxative tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some use cleanses to lose weight, others to clean out their colons. Asked about the effectiveness of the Master Cleanse, which is often practiced for up to 10 days, Dr. Keefe says, \u201cAssuming you are healthy, it is never safe to stop eating and only have liquids. Existing on liquids for more than two days can lead to digestive problems due to lack of fiber. Liquid diets are too low in calories and deficient in many other nutrients. You do lose weight on this regime but only because the daily calorie intake is less than 800 calories a day. There is nothing magical about lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup. The maple syrup is added for calories so you don\u2019t faint after the first 24 hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n