Detox Is The New Word For Diet

There are times in the evolution of a culture when a word or expression no longer defines something it once strongly represented. Gradually it slips from the people’s vocabulary to be replaced by a more relevant phenomenon that basically says the same thing. In this instance the word “diet,” as in “I am going on a diet,” has been replaced with “detox,” as in “I am detoxing my body.” Why the change and what does it really mean for you and the rest of the world?

As a young woman I experienced the dieting craze beginning in the 1960′s when returning home from boarding school, with a few extra pounds on my young derriere, was met with the disapproving eye of my mother. “What happened to you?” was all she needed to say to plunge me into a lifestyle of chronic dieting. At the time there was a huge surge of publicity for the “lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks” diet books and really not much has changed to this day.

What I hated most about dieting was the sudden plunge into a strict regimen of deprivation with nothing to eat except carrot sticks and cottage cheese. All I really wanted was to feel better in my body, about my body and about myself. And for those few magical days after losing those same reappearing 10 pounds I was one with the rest of dieting America. In those days I was escaping the effects of Wonder bread, refined sugar, Velveeta cheese and Cream of Campbell’s soups. Hell, what did I know or any of us know about how the new processed foods could affect our bodies and our health.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

KS G.

12:35AM PST on Jan 8, 2011

Thanks for the article.

send a green star

nora b.

10:48AM PDT on Oct 18, 2010

I find that when I go through a detox, I lose my appetite and a few unwanted pounds drop off.

Patti V.

5:00AM PDT on Oct 18, 2010

thank you this was very informative

Susan L.

6:21AM PDT on Oct 15, 2010

We need to STOP the MADNESS of the poisons they are trying to FEED US! Join MAPS - Mothers Against Poisons and convo me to open up your STATE. We have someone who changed the laws for his town in Florida and he wants us to do the same thing NATIONALLY! We don't have to take their CRAP either:) (biosludge) Let's STAND UP AND BAN THE BULL on our FOOD!!
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=151638114849949

Pat T.

6:31PM PDT on Oct 13, 2010

Detoxing is an important health practice on a regular basis and it does clear out any junk food that so many people eat. You do not need to buy anything expensive,just stop eating what you generally eat and drink organic veggie juices for several days and see how you feel... Full of energy and light weight.
If you don't eat Organic food you are full of pesticides,herbisides and you do not get all the needed nutrients that keep you healthy and free from many diseases. There is a HUGE amount of documentation showing the benefits of Organic foods and millions of disease and deaths from non organic .
pat

Lynn Marie M.

2:44PM PDT on Oct 8, 2010

Thanks!

Rachel R.

10:17PM PDT on Oct 6, 2010

Thank you! So far I have resisted clicking on those "loose 10 pounds in 2 weeks" ads that appear even on our beloved Care2 site, but I can't say they make me feel good about myself...

jennifer l.

9:44AM PDT on Oct 1, 2010

Thank you for this article. I believe it is vital to eliminate processed foods, pesticides, chemicals, etc from our bodies in order to maintain health and fight disease. While it's not always easy to do that every day, to make it as much a part of one's natural way of life reduces the need for a "detox." And to deprive one's body of nutrients needed by the very organs whose job it is to cleanse our bodies is counterintuitive...it's like running a car on empty. Instead of focusing on "detoxing" (esp with extreme juice or water fasts) we should all focus on nourishing our bodies so that they can cleanse and rejuvenate themselves.

Kirsten B.

11:27AM PDT on Sep 27, 2010

I too was surprised and alarmed to read that, in some corners of our world at least, detox is equated with diet. What's happened? I do know of a few extreme people here who use fasting as a method of weight loss, but they are a huge minority.

I liked the end of the article - urging us to eat natural food to give us maximal health benefits and help the body cure itself naturally and gently.

Jane H.

9:34PM PDT on Sep 25, 2010

In defense of the author I just heard former President Clinton talk with Wolf Blitzer on CNN tonight that he is, for all, practical purposes, now a vegan (he eats a little fish every once in a while), suggested by a Cleveland Clinic doctor, b ecause of his heart. It natually rids his body of calcium deposits and cholesterol he is hoping. He also lost 24 pounds!!