No, because your body is naturally detoxing daily. That’s what our kidneys and liver are for. We are constantly exposed to toxins and there are ways to support your body’s natural ability to cleanse itself but you don’t need to do a 24 hour juice cleanse or get a colonic to detox. The truth about the multi-billion dollar detox industry is, that its not worth it.

Lets start with some anatomy and physiology. When we eat food it goes into our stomach to broken down into a slurry which passes through our small intestine. Here is where nutrients and any potential toxins, like pesticides,  are absorbed and passed into our blood stream. Our blood then circulates through our body and is filtered in our kidneys and liver.

Our kidneys and livers are fantastic at being able to tell the difference between minerals we need and toxins we don’t need. However if you have a nutrient deficient diet, it is possible for your body to substitute certain compounds like lead for iron and calcium. If you want to “detox” your kidneys stay well hydrated and eat nutrient rich foods.

The liver also filters out alcohol by breaking it down into acetaldehyde, which damages the liver and is quickly converted into carbon dioxide and water. Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol can lead to a build up of acetaldehyde, which can lead to liver damage. The best way to “detox” your liver is to drink in moderation.

If you want detox your body eat lots of vegetables and drink lots of water.

There is a common misconception floating around the internet that you should only eat fruit in the morning or on an empty stomach. The myth tellers report that for proper nutrient absorption, the enzymes in your stomach need to focus on just breaking down the fruit or it will halt digestion leading to fermentation or rotting. Frankly non of this is supported with scientific evidence.

Fruit is high in fiber so it was theorized that all the fiber would slow down your digestion. The truth is that fiber does slow down your digestion but not to the point where anything could “go bad” in your gut. Somewhat slowed digestion is good because it allows your body to release a steady flow of insulin into the bloodstream helping your blood sugar stabilize and prevent spiking. Also your stomach is a vat of acid that is supposed to hold food before it steadily releases it into the intestines where nutrients are actually absorbed.

So enjoy those berries on top of your parfait and that post-dinner fruit salad because fruit is fine all of the time.