I am starting a diet this week, and I am just wondering if it could be a good idea to start off with a good colon cleanse. I have never tried this before, but I’ve heard a lot about it lately…I had a very sudden weight gain…about 50 pounds in the past 4 years or so, and all I eat is fast food, and pop, and processed food…seriously!!! I’m changing!!
Guess what? These people are trying to scam you! Big shocker, I know.
Here are a couple of facts:
Diets, in the modern sense, do not work.
Miracle cures are bogus.
You don’t need a colon cleanse. Your body rids itself of toxins naturally. This is what the liver and kidneys are for. You also don’t need to ‘go on a diet.’ What you do need to do is make a fundamental, permanent lifestyle change. Cut out the soda, even diet soda. Cut out drive thrus and never eat in your car. Eat food that you prepare yourself, from scratch, using fresh ingredients. Try not to eat meat every day. Eating meat is fine and healthy, but not in the quantities that we typically consume it. Try two new vegetables every week. Some you will hate, some you will like. Keep the ones you like in your diet. I recommend parsnips. They make a great replacement for potatoes. You don’t need a colon cleanse, you just need more fiber in your diet. Eat a couple of apples every day, skin included. Hunt around for some good salad recipes that use mixed greens, arugula, fresh spinach, or leaf lettuce. Stay away from iceberg, it is nothing but water. Look for nutrient dense, calorie light foods. I am not going to lie to you, you are going to probably end up spending more on food than you do now, for less food, but the food you eat will be a lot healthier, and it will taste a lot better. Don’t 100 percent cut out the things you like. Allow yourself dessert, although no more than once a week. Allow yourself a soft drink, but no more than once a week, and get one that is made with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.
Here comes the difficult part: never stop doing this. Diets fail because they are finite. People start them and stop them. True change comes with permanence.
Eating right is only half of the equation. You also need to increase your level of physical activity. A great way to do this is to get a good, comfortable bicycle and use it for any trip that is three to five miles each way or less instead of your car. You don’t have to wear stupid looking lycra clothes, there are plenty of bikes that are designed so you can ride them in your normal every day clothes. You can get bikes with baskets, racks, and bags so you can even carry a week’s worth of groceries on your bike. The other advantage to this is that even though you will be spending more on food, you will be spending less on gasoline and car maintenance, so it will balance out.
It isn’t easy at first, but it becomes easier with time. If you can keep it up, you will never want to go back to your old ways.
Good luck!