Detox diets and cleanses: What actually works?

What are your thoughts on detoxing the system—and which methods actually work? I have this nagging feeling that I need to flush out all the excess sugar and junk—I really need to get back in shape after months of total neglect 😉

Man, seriously... you should probably take this kind of question over to an alternative health forum instead. We don't really do that "detox" stuff here; it's more about sticking to a solid diet and hitting the gym. Those "cleansing" trends just seem to attract all those alternative wellness fanatics, and honestly, I'm not looking to deal with that whole philosophy in this group.🙂

I don't see why this would be considered an alternative—the question is actually quite straightforward. I maintain a high-protein diet and hit the gym regularly—about three or four times a week—but after letting things slide for a couple of months and overindulging in sweets, I'm looking to reset. I'm curious to see what others use to detox; my current thought is just a 24-hour fast with nothing but water and tea. What exactly makes that an alternative?

William Sanders5 said:I don't get why this would be considered an alternative. It’s a pretty straightforward question: I usually stick to a high-protein diet and hit the gym three or four times a week, but after letting things slide for a couple of months and overdoing it on the sweets, I'm curious about what people use to reset. Right now, my go-to thought is just doing a 24-hour fast with nothing but water and tea—so where's the alternative in that?

There is zero scientific evidence supporting anything that "cleanses" your system the way you're thinking about it.
As for the junk food and sugar, your body simply burns through it if you stay active. In that regard, what Scott Allen10 told you is spot on. Just eat better and keep moving.

William Sanders5 said:I don't get why people call this "alternative." It’s pretty straightforward. I usually stick to a high-protein diet and hit the gym 3 or 4 times a week. But I let things slide for a couple of months, went overboard on the sweets, and now I'm wondering what everyone else uses to detox. Right now, my go-to thought is just doing a 24-hour fast with nothing but water and tea. How is there anything "alternative" about that?

It’s not alternative, but there's zero proof it actually works.

If you really want to clean up your act, just eat more fruit, veggies, and broths. Swap out the coffee for some green tea or something. That’s basically it.

Fine then—I'll just fast and drink nothing but water for 24 hours tomorrow, followed by a week of nothing but greens, before I finally go back to eating meat and protein again.🙂

William Sanders5 said:Fine, let's do this then. I’m going on a 24-hour water fast tomorrow, followed by a week of nothing but greens, before I finally pivot back to a diet heavy on meat and protein. 🙂

Going on a water fast is definitely way more damaging than just sticking to a healthy diet. What I mean by that is... Look at this food pyramid.
A diet consisting solely of protein isn't just unbalanced—it’s actually dangerous, potentially spiking your risk for colon cancer.

Angela Wright said:Going on a water fast is definitely more damaging than just eating healthy—meaning following this food pyramid.
A diet consisting solely of protein isn't healthy either; it actually increases the risk of colon cancer.

That’s certainly true over the long term—but one day of fasting won't kill me. I consume high protein for other reasons, though it doesn't mean I've cut out carbs and everything else entirely.

William Sanders5 said:What are your thoughts on detoxing the system—and more importantly, which methods actually work? I’ve been having this nagging sensation that I desperately need to flush out all the excess sugar and junk I've been consuming lately. It feels like a necessary step if I want to get back into decent shape after months of being, well, somewhat neglectful regarding my diet. 😉

I suppose you could say this falls somewhere in that gray area between an alternative lifestyle and pure gastronomy.

I’m not entirely sure what your personal definition of "cleansing the system" entails—everyone seems to have their own peculiar theory these days—but if you ask me, true detoxification isn't some magic pill or a trendy juice fast. It is, I suppose, much more about discipline. A proper, moderate approach to nutrition—focusing heavily on whole, unprocessed foods, plenty of leafy greens, nuts, and perhaps some herbal infusions—combined with steady, moderate exercise, is likely the only realistic way to actually get back in shape.

Fasting for a few days and just chugging water isn't exactly going to do you any favors—not really. Sure, maybe you’ll feel like you're "detoxing," but you might just be flushing out the good stuff along with the bad. It doesn't quite work that simply, or as quickly as most people imagine it does. I suppose I should mention that I'm a pretty big advocate for a healthy lifestyle, so if your plan is to "cleanse" yourself with nothing but water for a couple of days, only to revert right back to your old habits immediately after—or even cycle in and out of these phases—then I guess it doesn't make much sense at all. 😉

Somewhere halfway between gourmet dining and an alternative lifestyle... hm... it all boils down to health 🙂. I’ve spent the entire day living on nothing but tea and water—so, just like you mentioned in your last post, I should be back in peak condition in a month or two 🙂

William Sanders5 said:It’s halfway between gourmet dining and an Alternative lifestyle... honestly, it’s all just part of staying healthy 🙂. I’ve spent the entire day strictly on teas and water, so if I follow what you laid out in your last post, I should be back in peak physical condition in about a month or two🙂

Good luck to you, kid, with your specific take on health and wellness.

Sophia Wells72 said:It’s somewhere right in the middle of Alternative and Gastronomy.

Did anyone even ask me? 😁

Fasting doesn't actually detox you. If you aren't doing enemas, you're just accumulating more toxins (sorry if that's a bit much).

Ayurvedic cleansing also involves enemas and induced vomiting (apologies again).

Scott Allen10 said:Man... please just take this kind of question over to Alternative... There's no "detox" happening here. It's just some dieting and exercise... Those "detox" claims are exactly what those alternative freaks love, and I don't want that philosophy in here...🙂

Oops 😳

That's what I get for reading a thread from the bottom up. 🙂

Kimberly White63 said:Did anyone even ask me? 😁

Fasting alone doesn't actually achieve any kind of detox; if anything, you're just accumulating more toxins unless you're doing enemas (apologies if that sounds a bit much).

Ayurvedic cleansing protocols involve enemas and inducing vomiting as well (sorry, once again).

Hmm, you've really made me wonder if it would be a good idea to catch a little bout of dysentery at the start of every season...

Silver said:Living on nothing but tea and water won't get you in peak shape—not that I need the guys at my local YMCA or even my doctor to tell me that. You’ll just end up losing a few pounds while becoming weaker and depleted of essential vitamins and minerals. Real fitness requires actual exercise—which, in turn, requires fuel—so it's really just a matter of discipline. Starving yourself hasn't ever led to lasting results; if it did, it was always temporary before things took a turn for the worse. Good luck.

Haha, as if I'd try hitting the gym fueled by nothing but chamomile and green tea 😁. I'm on a break right now—one day of fasting isn't going to kill me, but "cleansing" via some vague method probably will. Clearly, none of you actually know what you're talking about anyway

Angela Wright said:There isn't actually any scientific proof for anything that "cleanses" the way you're thinking about.
Basically, if you eat sweets or sugar, your body just burns it off through physical activity. In that sense, what that other guy wrote is right. Just eat healthier and move more.

Look, I’ve actually read up on this—specifically regarding 24-hour water fasts. I read that it’s scientifically proven that detoxification occurs and anabolic hormone secretion gets a boost during a 24-hour fast. Anything longer than that, though, starts having negative effects. So, my plan is to have my last meal tonight at 8 PM and then not eat a single thing until 8 PM tomorrow, sticking strictly to water.

Now, since you're claiming there's nothing scientifically backed here, I'd really appreciate it if you could provide a Reference or maybe just explain your reasoning a bit better. I've been practicing these 24-hour fasts specifically because of the research I've come across.

Edit: And honestly, what does this have to do with an Alternative? We aren't talking about some magic crystal that miraculously heals you; we're discussing what happens physiologically when a person goes without food for 24 hours, or whether there are scientifically validated methods and tools to speed up the removal of toxins from the body. What's this whole "Alternative" thing even supposed to mean here...

Jonathan Miller7 said:Since you just claimed there’s nothing scientifically proven, I’d love it if you could provide a Reference.

A Reference proving something doesn't exist? 🙏 🙏
Seriously, go ahead—give me a scientific Reference proving that love potions aren't real.

silverpuma542 said:A Reference saying something doesn't exist? 🙏🙏
Look, just give me one single scientific Reference proving that love potions aren't a thing.

Alright, look, I asked a legitimate question, so quit twisting my words with all this snark.

I want to find the actual studies where they tracked people who went 24 hours without eating versus people who ate normally for 24 hours. I want to see what the differences were—if there were any—and trust me, there definitely were.

Jonathan Miller7 said:I'm looking for the actual study that compares people who fasted for 24 hours against those who ate normally during that same window. I want to see what the measurable differences actually are, because there's gotta be some.

Look, if you're hunting for those specific stats, you're gonna have to go out and find them yourself. From what I can tell—unless my eyes are playing tricks on me from staring at this screen all day—you're actually the one who brought up that whole "fasting from 8 to 8" thing in the first place.
Bottom line is, we aren't really talking about nutrition science here, but we definitely haven't been diving into the specifics of 24-hour fasts either. Since you're the only one pushing this angle, you might as well do the legwork and dig up the data you're looking for.

Anyway, this whole "detox" talk? Total garbage.☕

Kimberly White63 said:Oops 😳

That's totally on me, honestly, since I was scrolling through this thread backwards from the bottom instead of reading it in order. 🙂

🙂....