What’s The Best Detox For Kids?
Let’s start with is there actually such thing as a detox for kids?
A quick google search suggests that whilst there are no actual ‘products’ designed specifically for detoxing children, and you can’t (as far as I can see), purchase a detox ‘package’ in same way that you can order a few day’s worth of a ‘juice cleanse’ for adults,
There are still many ‘wellness’ professional advocating putting children on a detox occasionally, while making other, more permanent lifestyle changes.
Most suggest a detox for kids involves switching to all organic, including personal care products, not eating anything out of plastic or a can, a list of various supplements you’ve never heard of, detox bath regimes, and one site even proposed a concoction of laxatives to flush everything out of the gut!
What is Detoxification?
While the term detox is used to describe expensive supplements and dietary regimes, detoxification is actually what your body does naturally to eliminate things it doesn’t want, via the liver, digestive system, skin and lungs.
It’s a completely natural process that it does very well. Otherwise every time you Mum had a glass of wine, you’d die from the alcohol!
The same is for sugary treats and junk food. While it’s obviously optimal to have children eating a highly nutritious and unprocessed diet, treats will not harm them, do not require a detox to ‘purge’ their bodies,
And perhaps more importantly long term, labelling foods ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and engaging in all or nothing yo-yo eating patterns is a sure fire path to distorted eating patterns and an unhealthy relationship with food which can lead to eating disorders, especially when they reach the impressionable and emotional teenage years.
The Daily Mail asked what I thought about putting children on a detox, and you can read the article here or on the links below.
My section is:
“Personal trainer and nutritionist Polly Hale, author of Eat, Drink And Be Slim, believes that modern parents panic about occasional treats. ‘Children and teenagers burn off a lot of energy and need a nutritious and balanced diet with plenty of protein to support their growth,’ she says.
‘Labelling foods ‘good’ or ‘bad’ sets children up for a distorted relationship with food. Detoxes pave the way for an all-or-nothing, yo-yo dieting approach to eating.
‘As long as they enjoy a healthy diet most of the time, they can indulge in treats now and then without the need for detox.'”
Have you ever tried to put your kids on a detox?
Have YOU ever tried a detox yourself? How did it work for you?
I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below.
Click Here or on the image below to read the article in the Daily Mail.
