In college, everyone is really busy and it’s easy to look for a quick fix to a lot of our problems. Sometimes, we do this with food. We binge on junk food most nights, or come home for break and eat the fattiest foods we’ve had all year. Nonetheless, we’ve all had a smoothie or tea that claims to cleanse our body and rid it of toxins and fats. Maybe it’s a drink you found at Walgreens, a recipe you saw on Pinterest, or a blend that your grandma and mother swear by. Maybe you’ve even gone on a detox diet for a day or two. Perhaps you feel your bowel movements working and even feel very refreshed.
The bad news: Most detox products don’t do anything to increase the amount of toxins you will get rid of.
The good news: The only forms of detox you’ll ever need are your kidneys.
So, what is it about detox that makes us feel so good?
The toxins you might be trying to get rid of when you detox may be environmental, things found in your food, air or water, or metabolic, things created as different processes occur in your body. Anything truly toxic in your body is rid of by your kidneys. You cannot sweat them out and a few days of a healthy drink won’t speed up this process or even keep them out for more than those few days.
The reason certain products that claim to detox you make you feel so great is because they are easier on your body to digest and they often have nutrients that you aren’t getting in your everyday diet. You can prevent feeling the need to “detox” by changing how you eat on a daily basis. Incorporate more foods like fruits, vegetables, salmon, whole grains, and spinach into your diet. Stay away from red meats, fatty foods, and vending machine drinks.
You might be wondering how you can afford to eat healthy while in college, or thinking that you don’t really have time, but eating healthy only requires a few small changes in what you already do. Substituting even just one part of each meal can increase your energy levels, help ease digestion, and prevent your risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Whether you’re on a meal plan, live at home, or have an apartment, here are some simple substitutions you can make each day and other tips you can follow so that you never have to rely on a detox recipe again!
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Trade your juices and sodas for water. If you don’t like water, add a no-calorie drink mix or fruit.
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Use hummus or avocado instead of mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip).
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Use spinach instead of lettuce. This is helpful if you love Subway!
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Opt for wheat bread, whole grain pasta, and whole grain rice instead of the white versions. The grains have so many nutrients!
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Sweet potatoes have much less starch than regular white potatoes.
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For snacks, eat fruit instead of chips. You will feel more energized and are less likely to break out.
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Walk to class instead of taking the bus. This will help keep your energy up during the day and can aid in post-meal digestion.
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Reduce your alcohol intake. Alcohol is very fatty, and it causes a lot of damage to your liver, making natural detox a little more difficult.
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Get more sleep each night. (Try to study in between classes instead of saving it all for after 10 PM!) Your body needs rest to do its job efficiently.
- Take time each day for yourself. This is more psychological, but stress actually produces a hormone called cortisol, which is extremely harmful for your body.