This week marked the beginning of, I imagine, thousands of detox diets across North America. It's only natural, really, that after weeks of indulging in more sugar, fat, alcohol and laziness than we do all year that we're looking for ways to cleanse our bodies of our holiday sins and start 2009 off right. But before you rush to the drug store to pick up a detox kit to the tune of $30 or more, keep in mind that leading scientists have declared many so-called detoxes to be a waste of money.

You can save your hard-earned cash with a do-it-yourself detox. It won't be easy -- most experts believe that detoxing requires you to cut out sugar, salt, refined carbs, wheat, dairy, alcohol and caffeine, not to mention drinking lots of water and eating plenty of fruits and veggies -- but doing it yourself is healthier and more economical.

Click here for some more DIY-detoxing tips.

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While Americans are bagging leaves, Australians are bagging lemons. Bikini season is nearing in Australia, and the lemon detox diet is ramping up in popularity. Kilos are reportedly dropping like crazy Down Under, and Hollywood celebrities such as Beyonce Knowles and Mariah Carey have shed pounds on the diet, but is this detox healthy?

On the diet, you're drinking six to nine glasses per day -- for five to 14 days -- of a special concoction of Madal Bal Natural Tree Syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and pure water. No solids. Here are a few lemon detox dangers cited by nutrition experts:

• It's been labeled a starvation diet -- you know what that means -- dizzy, moody, hungry (there goes vigorous exercise). Also, like a squirrel gathering nuts, your body will start storing fat for emergency survival.
• Should you be solely nourishing yourself with a drink containing nearly zero protein, little fat and few vitamins/minerals?
  
• Be prepared to lose lean body mass, a real metabolism-slower, making future weight loss more difficult.
• Critics contend the diet puts you at risk for a quick re-gain of fat, not muscle.
• Detoxing for more than three days can rob your bod of vitamins/minerals.
  
  

Sounds like a bunch of unhealthy, sour lemons to me. I'd rather avoid the need to detox entirely by eating loads of fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking tons of water and keeping processed foods to a minimum.

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I know some people who swear by detoxing, and go on a major cleanse a few times each year. I've always been skeptical of these -- I think the human body is quite amazing and pretty effective at cleansing itself -- but the subject still interests me.

I think CNN hits the nail on the head with this article on detox diets. In short, they're unnecessary if you're healthy. Your liver can clean itself, and while a lot of stuff might come out with that colonic, keep in mind that you're losing all your good bacteria too. And colonics have been shown to lead to infection. As for those liquid fasts? They might seem like a good idea at the time, but they're just not good for you. But if you must, do a one-day juice fast.

What do you think of detoxing?

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