Fitness Myth Busting: Detoxes and Gluten and Fasted Cardio, Oh My!
Alright, let’s be honest: in the world of health and fitness, everyone is looking for a quick fix, and unfortunately, those quick fixes sometimes result in some fitness fibs that we’ve all heard a time or two. From the importance of detoxes to the fear around carbs and gluten to fasted cardio… let’s just say these well-meaning myths need to be busted.
Do detoxes really cleanse your body?
If I had 50 cents for every time I got told about the miracles of juice cleanses... Well, let's just say I'd be writing this from a yacht right now. Cleanses and detoxes are super popular for their ability to 'cleanse the body of toxins'- whatever that's supposed to mean. Some people also love them because of their ability to help you lose weight- But today, we're going to establish one thing: The only thing you need to detox from your life is detoxes themselves.
While there are many ways that people try to detox their bodies, the usual methods can include...
Drinking only liquids, like juice or water
Taking herbs or supplements
Fasting for multiple days
Using things to 'cleanse your colon' like laxatives, enemas, etc.
Completely avoiding coffee, alcohol, sugar, etc.
These methods are often combined for a 'cleansing period'- such as fasting for several days, followed by just drinking juice for several days. These interventions are supposed to be short-term attempts to 'cleanse your body of toxins' and re-start your system by jump-starting your liver to get rid of toxins, promoting the elimination of toxins through bodily functions, improving circulation and improving organ function, and resting and rejuvenating your organs through a fasting period. But do they really work?
The short answer: NO. The long answer? HELL NO. Seriously, though. Your body doesn't need some sort of cleanse or detox to function like it should. Not only do they not target specific 'toxins'- there is absolutely no evidence that says they remove anything harmful from your body. In fact, there are several compounds that claim to be removed by cleanses and detoxes- like heavy metals, BPA, etc.- that are EXTREMELY difficult to remove and take years to do so. These compounds are pretty uncommon in products these days, so chances are you don't have much of them in your body. But even if you do, cleanses and detoxes are absolutely not going to do the trick. Luckily, I've got some good news for you- you don't need to worry about cleansing your body! Okay, well, your innards...Please still wash your body in the shower. But lucky for you, your organs are working overtime to keep toxins and harmful substances out of your body. Your liver is working right now to make toxins harmless, which are then released from your body. Each time you pee, poop, or sweat (I know, gross, sorry), you are cleansing your body of toxins! Congrats, your organs are doing better than any juice cleanse I know of.
Now, you might’ve also heard that juice cleanses will help you lose weight FAST, so let’s do some math. Let's say you're only consuming 200 calories a day in juices... and you're burning about 2000 calories overall. That's a calorie deficit of 1800 calories- of COURSE cleanses make you lose weight. However... You're also probably starving and miserable for those days, and when the cleanse is over, you'll probably go to Taco Bell, eat 3000 calories in one sitting, and gain it all back. Say it with me: the BEST diet is a SUSTAINABLE diet. Cleanses and detoxes do not help you lose weight. They do not detox your body. They just give you short-term results and make you feel gross. Just say NO to cleanses and detoxes!
Okay, but surely gluten and carbs must be bad for me?
Before we get into this myth, let’s talk about what carbs and gluten really are. Simply put, carbs are sugar molecules that provide your body with energy; they break down into glucose, or blood sugar, which is then used as your body’s main source of energy. Aside from acting as energy, carbs assist in intestinal processes, fuel your brain, make sure your kidneys are functioning smoothly, and keep your blood cholesterol levels in check.
Now, to be clear, not all carbs are created equally; carbohydrates can be categorized into three types: sugar, starch, and fiber. Sugars are the simplest form of carb- aka why they’re often called simple carbohydrates. Yes, I know, I’m a genius. Sugars are easily broken down into glucose in the body and don’t keep you full for long. While natural sugars are found in foods like milk and some fruits and vegetables, it can also be added to foods such as candy, processed snacks, soda, and desserts. This added sugar can be troublesome, seeing as it’s easy to overconsume; in addition, simple sugars can spike blood sugar levels, which often leave you craving more.
Also a complex carb, starches are basically the combination of a bunch of simple sugars joined together. While they’re not as difficult to break down as fiber, your body has to meticulously break them down into sugars before using them as energy. Starches are the most common form of carbohydrates we consume, and they can be found in bread, pasta, cereal, potatoes, corn, peas, and many other foods.
Fiber, on the other hand, is a complex carbohydrate, which means it is almost impossible to break down and is difficult to overconsume. Because of this, fiber can help you feel full for longer, make it easier to lower caloric consumption, and provide a number of health benefits. Fiber can also help prevent stomach issues and lower cholesterol and blood sugar, and it’s found in many plants, such as veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, and fruit.
Alright, now let’s talk about gluten. While carbs and gluten are often lumped together, they are actually in completely different categories. Whereas carbohydrates are a macronutrient, gluten is the name of the storage proteins we find in barley, wheat, rye, and triticale, which is a cross between wheat and rye. Gluten more or less acts as a 'glue' for your food and holds it together, which makes the pliable, chewy texture of dough. Gluten is found in a wide variety of whole and processed foods, including pastas, breads, baked goods, beers, cereals, etc. Foods with gluten should be avoided by those with Celiac's Disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, seeing as eating foods with gluten could lead to major negative health outcomes.
Now we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about one of the major fears surrounding carbs and gluten: do they cause inflammation? Let’s look into it. One of the (many) reasons carbohydrates have gotten a bad rep recently is because of their link to inflammation, and honestly, there might be some truth to this. Several animal studies have linked excessive added sugar to low-grade chronic inflammation, and sugary drinks have been known to leaded to increases in inflammatory markers. In addition, it’s been found that diets lower in carbohydrates and higher in fat and protein are linked to lower levels of inflammation and lower amounts of visceral fat. While it’s important to note that carbohydrates are likely not the sole culprit behind inflammation, added sugars and simple carbohydrates are often included in foods that are consumed in excess, which can lead to excess body fat and increase overall inflammation.
Gluten, however, is a completely different story. As mentioned previously, those with Celiac's Disease and forms of gluten sensitivies should avoid gluten and adhere to the nutritional recommendations of their healthcare providers, but does gluten cause inflammation in everyone else? The answer is simple: no. Gluten has not been shown to cause inflammation in non-Celiac individuals. In fact, a 2017 study actually demonstrated that long-term gluten-free diets could pose risks for heart health and strongly encouraged avoidance of gluten-free diets among people without Celiac's disease. If you think you might have a gluten sensitivity, consult with your primary care provider or dietitian; otherwise, it's probably not a great idea to avoid gluten.
I think we can all agree that, outside of certain dietary restrictions for medical reasons, most foods are perfectly fine... as long as they're not eaten in excess. Carbohydrates are excellent sources of energy- until they're eaten in excess or only simple carb sources are eaten. And outside of gluten sensitivities, gluten is perfectly healthy- as long as it's a part of a balanced diet.
Remember: focus on whole food sources of carbs, don't eat too much sugar, and avoid gluten-free diets unless you HAVE to!
Is fasted cardio really necessary?
I’m sure we’ve all been told about how amazing fasted cardio is for burning fat, and if you haven’t… well, you’re a very lucky duck. Many in the fitness industry, especially fans of fasting, swear that fasted cardio burns more fat than normal cardio. And while there are certainly plenty of benefits to intermittent fasting, we have yet to get evidence that fasted cardio actually does anything it’s supposed to do.
First and foremost, let’s look into why people think that fasted cardio burns more fat in the first place. It’s not hard to deduce that, since you’re exercising on an empty stomach, your body has to rely on stored fat for energy, not food you’ve eaten recently. This is unsurprising and a pretty well-established concept, but as ideal as that might seem for fat burning… fasted cardio doesn’t actually translate to more body fat lost!
See, a study performed in 2014 found that both fasted cardio and normal cardio resulted in fat loss, but there was not a considerable difference in total fat loss between the groups. That’s right: you can eat before doing cardio and still lose weight! Our bodies are a lot smarter than we give them credit for, so it seems as though your body recognizes the increased fat burn from the fasted cardio and evens it out by decreasing the fat burn later in the day. All in all, you do not have to do fasted cardio to burn fat. However, fasted cardio might have its own benefits for individuals with blood sugar regulation issues related to type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, etc., so if you fall into one of these categories, you’ll probably want to talk to your primary care provider about potential benefits. Otherwise, keep on trucking; if you like doing cardio without eating, do it! But if you don’t, just know that you aren’t missing out on much.
To sum it all up…
Thus concludes our first saga of fitness myth busting. If we didn’t cover a myth you’re interested in hearing about, no worries- there will probably be another blog post later on to cover it! There are certainly fitness fibs to muddle through, so we’ll try to cover them all over time. Just remember, ladies and gentlemen and all others: just say no to detoxes, gluten isn’t going to kill you, and fasted cardio is not the key to weight loss. That’s all for now!