What is the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet?
The Martha’s Vineyard detox diet was designed by Dr. Roni Deluz, a registered nurse and lifestyle consultant. After years of helping others with chronic conditions, and dealing with her own health issues, she created the Martha’s Vineyard Holistic Retreat. It was here that she perfected her idea of the Martha’s Vineyard detox diet.
The idea behind the detox diet is that our bodies absorb toxins from our environments and from what we eat or drink. These toxins cause health problems and weight gain. By finding a way to flush the toxins from our bodies, it is possible to lose weight and regain health.
The Martha’s Vineyard detox diet advertises itself as a way to lose “21 pounds in 21 days.” It is not, however, to be considered a weight loss method. The weight loss happens because the detox process will speed up the metabolism. The pounds are shed naturally and safely. There are also plans for weekend detoxs, and fourteen or thirty day detoxes.
For the twenty-one days of the plan, the Martha’s Vineyard detox diet requires participants to restrict themselves to a liquid diet. The liquids allowed are water, herbal tea, fresh juice from a set list of fruits and vegetables, and soup. Users are also required to take an enzyme pill to add some protein to the diet. A drink plan, including most of the drinks needed, costs $199 United States Dollars (USD.) Participants also will need to buy a juicer if they do not already own one.
Another step to the Martha’s Vineyard detox diet is regular enemas. Very strong coffee is used instead of water to clean out the colon. The coffee should be brewed using fine-ground organic coffee beans, and cooled to room temperature before use. Coffee enemas have many benefits, one of the first being its ability to help the liver detoxify the body. Coffee is also cheap and easy to make. It is possible to get a caffeine buzz from a coffee enema, but other side effects are minimal.
The Martha’s Vineyard detox diet is not supported by medical fact. It is also not considered a healthy method of weight loss. The fluids available during the detox equal up to only about 1000 calories a day. The weight loss is mostly in fluids and muscle, which the body burns to get enough energy. There is also a severe shortage of protein and other necessary nutrients available when following this plan. Although enzyme pills are recommended, they will not provide all of the protein a body needs. The most positive aspect of the plan is that participants get their recommended daily doses of fruits and vegetables.
The biggest selling point of the Martha’s Vineyard detox diet is that it will cleanse toxins from the body, leaving it healthier and purified, but the human body does this naturally. Our bodies are built to be able to expel any substances that could be harmful to us. Although detoxing, in moderation, is not harmful, it is not necessary. A detox diet that lasts as long as this plan does is considered by many in the medical field to be potentially dangerous. There are not enough nutrients available to the body for it to function normally. Among other things, this could compromise the participants’ immune function.
If you are looking to lose weight, most experts agree that the best way to do so is through healthy eating and regular exercise. A healthier lifestyle has many benefits, including all of the benefits claimed by the detox diet. Finding a plan that you can stick with for life may be more difficult than using the Martha’s Vineyard detox diet for a week, but you will likely see better results.
Written by Margo Upson
