How can I detox, have you ever asked yourself this question? Gwyneth Paltrow’s detox diet and Gwyneth Paltrow’s detox plan are popular and getting a lot of attention in the media, so you probably think that it is a healthy thing to do, or is it?

It is true that not all detoxes are the same – some are better than others – but all of them a fundamentally flawed. In short, detox diets are generally not balanced, high in sugar, low in protein and calories. That said, I am not here to lecture you on which diet you should or should not follow. My job is to provide you with different points of view, which hopefully will help you decide what works for you.

So let’s get back to the “How can I detox?” question. How can you detox? You cannot! Dr. Alejandro Junger, author of Clean and the man behind Paltrow’s detox, explains that you cannot call a detox a diet. “It’s a cleanse,” he stresses.

But some programs do not even include food. You can go as extreme as a water-only cleanse or choose a food-elimination menu – where you omit potentially harmful ingredients – which is what Gwyneth is doing,

Either form is intended to aid the body in eliminating the toxins that we absorb in our everyday lives. Although our bodies are built to flush out poisons on a regular basis, our liver, kidneys and skin cannot keep up with how much the world has been polluted, says Dr. Junger.

Who should try it? “Everybody is inevitably exposed to daily toxins, which will take their toll sooner or later,” says Dr. Junger. It’s important to check with your doctor before starting a detox program, but if you’re looking for energy, clarity or even to lose a few pounds, a detox could be a way to go about it. “The benefits reach far beyond losing weight,” he assures. [source: OK!]