The Cleanse

I am an avid reader of People Magazine. Read it every morning while I do my hair and brush my teeth. I was somewhat dismayed this past week to discover they had done a spread on celebrities and what they do to get "red carpet ready" and focused on the cleansing and detoxification processes.

Shortcuts.

Now, to People's credit, there was a small, and not nearly as glamorous as the photo spread, box with the medical doctors' opinions of these methods. I wish that it had been given equal space. There is really nothing good about most of these "quick fixes". The doctors pointed out the lack of nutrients and proteins in the potions that you drink for a weekend or whatever. One of them is maple syrup, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. I don't even know how you'd take the first sip that concoction, much less live on it for a few days!

I was happy to see that several of the celebrities admitted that they felt horrible when they do these - no energy, cranky, hard to be around.

Maybe it is just their body's way of letting them know that feeding it with junk and then trying to hurry and "clean house" comes with consequences. It may sound enticing - lose 7 pounds overnight! - but what are you really losing? And what are you gaining? Another bad habit, maybe.

Just remember, your body will respond to what you give it - be it healthy foods, exercise, a day of rest. In the long run - that's what we're aiming for here, a long, healthy life - and your body will be better off to just make the right choices up front.

And if you need to be "red carpet ready" for some reason and you don't think you've quite gotten there, there's always Spanx.