Now that swimsuit season is in full swing; people are looking for a quick fix to get that body they should have been working on all winter long…so they wouldn’t be in this predicament. Well, the time—summer—is here, and many of us will resort to all sorts of shenanigans to get weight-loss results fast.
But, not so fast. This doesn’t mean we should, right?
Why Are Fad Diets all the Rage?
Everyone wants everything now! On-Demand movies? Lyft when you need a quick ride? Groceries delivered to your door within an hour? Amazon Prime? We’ve become accustomed to getting so many things immediately or soon thereafter, why should the body of our dreams be any different? Well, that’s because pressing play on a remote control is a lot easier than achieving top-tier fitness results by doing very little.
We see celebrities of all stripes endorsing so many different versions of the next great diet idea. Whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, late night infomercials or some miracle something being boasted about on a bus bench, it’s out there to tempt us into thinking there is an easy way out.
Before-and-after, photo-doctored pictures abound on social media feeds. Nine times out of 10, those ain’t real pictures, people! (Read: filters or Photoshop.) Don’t fall into the trap. Real results come from dedicating yourself to living a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular exercise and healthy eating habits.
Fad diets are a temporary solution at best (if they work) and a terrible pitfall for most. After trying a so-called fad diet, most people gain back more weight!
What Are Detox Teas and Do they Work?
One of the biggest—dare we say, culprits?— of this fad-diet phenomenon of late is so-called “skinny fit” teas which have all sorts of celebrity endorsements touting their wonders. But what’s the real skinny here? Detox teas are generally just one part of a weight-loss regimen.
These so-called “detox” teas have been around for years, of course, but they have become increasingly popular because of social media exposure. Detox teas have become big business because the before and after results can be dramatic—but (big BUT, not big butt) results are often short-lived. Those questions ricocheting around your brain probably include: Do they really work? Are they safe?
Well, before you start sipping the tea, here are a few things you should know. You still have to exercise for these teas to work. Take, for example, the detox tea that Amber Rose is raving about; she tells her Instagram followers that for “best results,” you should work out three to five times per week, drink plenty of water, and eat healthy. Kourtney Kardashian and Hilary Duff openly share the same sort of intel. It’s not the tea alone, my friends.
Some detox teas even offer up unwanted side effects. While they may rev up your metabolism, you could suffer from abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, gas, nausea, and diarrhea. Good times! There’s also nervousness, restlessness, sleeplessness, and more. Do your homework. The point is sipping detox tea alone will not allow you to skip the gym. Period.
What is the Answer?
Healthy living. This means eating right and exercising…and allowing yourself a cheat day so that you can stick to your healthy lifestyle plan the rest of the week.
You might lose water weight and not actual fat if you try detox teas alone, so the results can be deceiving as soon as you eat anything. Just two cups of water weighs one pound on a typical scale, so shedding water weight might make you look and feel lighter, but you may not have lost a single ounce of actual body fat. Yeah, that’s misleading and depressing.
Be smart. Be healthy. Live healthily.