To detox or not? Great question and a great answer would be yes and no. (Maybe I was a politician in my other life). There are so many detoxes and so many people,all of which are different. One detox does not fit all. A good place to start is why do you want to detox? People please, pretty please do not do a detox for strictly weight loss reasons. To lose weight you need to eat the right kind of food in the right amount at the right time of day. For the couple of pounds you might drop for a temporary time too, I might add, the effort exceeds the long term benifits. Well I guess I did add it didn't I. The risks are too great. Especially for a hard-core detox like The Master Cleanse for example.What it is is a strick diet of fresh lemons, Cayenne, water and maple syrup. Really you drink this several times a day for many days, no food. It is a liquid fast basically, that's all the rage with Hollywood stars. Don't get me wrong there are many benefits to detox and fasting if you know what you are doing and have a health care professional monitoring your progress along the way. Just because Betty-Lou and her hubby down the street are trying it does not make it good for everyone. Surely my mother was not the only mother singing the " If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?"song.

Detox can be great; rest for digestive organs, reduction of allergies, clearer skin, antiaging effects I could go on and on. Do you know what I really, really want, well I will tell you what I really really want, (that was just for you spice-girl fans- yes you.). I want you to be educated about the risks of fasting or detoxing; depletion and weakness in the body, muscle cramps, blood pressure may drop, hormone levels could fall, lean muscle mass maybe lost. I really could go on and on. Those people who should not do this detox are; people with cancer, weak heart, taking certain meds, under weight, severely over weight, pre/post surgery, nursing, peptic ulcers, need I go on?  If you want more information about different kinds of detoxes and if a detox is for you, do not call Betty-Lou to ask her what she's doing, call or email a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Hey are you in luck, I just happen to have an email address for an RHN now, susan@rachellewood.ca

At Rachelle Wood Nutrition we design customized dietary detoxification meal plans and are educated to recommend the right  foods and/or cleansing products for you. Again detoxification is a challenge not all body types are up to. If you feel the need to take the challenge we're your educated and experienced choice on PEI and would  be happy to help you reach your personal detoxification goals. Susan Foster, RHN