"A couple of months ago I went on a detox diet…"

These words conjure up an image of a lusciously healthy green or red juice drink that has done "wonders" for people. NOT!

We have recently seen a huge influx of "Detox Drinks" being promoted as miracle drinks, which will give us glowing skin, thick lavish hair and a figure that possibly matches the shape of a cola bottle. And the reason is that these detox drinks are a healthy combination of vegetables and fruits, cold pressed and juiced in combinations, which create the magic. They promote gut cleansing, getting rid of unnecessary bloating, skimming your belly fat and energizing your shriveled cells amongst other desirable actions.

Considering that our bodies are (already) constantly detoxifying the toxins from our systems, I do wonder how these magic drinks can possibly defeat the works of a healthy liver and a pair of functional kidneys? Breathing in and breathing out is also detoxification. And the fad of introducing drinks has been hugely misunderstood, I feel. Associating detox drinks with weight loss has been a royal achievement on the parts of the manufacturers, however, apologies are in order because these drinks have a high sugar content (albeit natural) which has long been associated with weight gain, more so than having full fat foods and healthy carbs.

As the juicing jargon increases from fresh-pressed to cold-pressed to fresh-squeezed, it is definitely headache and backache inducing, especially for a Punjabi gal like me who has grown up drinking nimbu and gannay ka rass. Guilty as charged - I have had these drinks myself, not to wake up to a skinny model but only to try out what a typical kale/apple/ginger combination would taste like. The soft hints of juicy apple, tart ginger and earthy kale was, no doubt, refreshing and energizing after slaving at the gym. They are definitely a decent replacement to the sugar-laden soft drinks and cell crushing sports drinks but please be known that they aren’t quite bereft of sugar themselves.

The toxins in our systems do not come only from food and polluted air, but also emotional noise, unhealthy relationships, work stress, anxiety and technology - only to name a few.

 "A couple of months ago I went on a detox diet….a digital detox."

This meant that I switched myself off from my ‘smart’ phone/tablet and laptop only to clear up the technological webs in my mind. I restrained myself from constantly replying to my ever-beeping text messages and emails and ‘unfacebooked’ so that I could look up, breathe, and appreciate nature.

My advice to the heavy consumers of detox drinks would be to limit these drinks and opt for intelligent and intentional food consumption. For instance, reducing caffeine, red meat and dairy intake for a week would have a more substantial and healthy influence on our body rather than slurping six bottles of these cold pressed fruit and vegetable combos.

Giving yourself a break from anything that seems to be burdening your system is detoxifying. And now that you have completed the article, you’re welcome to put the newspaper down, inhale, smile and go for a run!