A Closer Look at the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet

The Martha's Vineyard detox diet is based on the book 21 Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox by Roni DeLuz. In aims to clear toxins out of the body and, in so do, help the diet's follower lose weight. On the surface, it seems innocent enough: drink fruit and vegetable purees and exercise moderately. Look around, though, and you'll see that it's had some very negative reviews.

What is the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet?
Roni DeLuz, ND and author of 21 Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox is a licensed naturopathic working at Martha's Vineyard Holistic Retreat, an inn that offers natural treatments to support both physical and mental health. DeLuz's interest in detoxification came after her own struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. The Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet she now promotes is based primarily on fruit and vegetable juices and purees, vegetable broths, and herbal teas. It also includes vitamins, herbal supplements, and digestive enzymes meant to provide nourishment for the body during the cleaning. The 21 day period is based on the idea that it takes about 21 days for the body to flush all toxins from the major organs.

The Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet eating plan
Although the full cleansing program is 21 days, there are also two-day and seven-day "mini-cleanse" plans. On the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet, approximately every two hours, you have some type of drink made from freshly juiced fruits and/or vegetables and then some soup for dinner is soup. This means you'll need to have a good quality juicer at home. These meals are supplemented with water, herbal tea, herbal supplements and digestive enzymes. There's no coffee or alcohol allowed. There's also very little protein. A vegan diet is one thing, but vegans fulfill their protein needs by eating beans and legumes, which this diet lacks.

Other components of the detox plan
DeLuz also recommends those on the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet get colonics (colon cleansing), coffee enemas, cleansing body wraps, and lymphatic massages to help move the toxins from the body more efficiently. Needless to say, these are a sticking point with all lot of would-be followers of the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet. Colonics need to be done by a medical professional, so they run into money. Coffee enemas may be cheaper, few people would look forward to one. DeLuz recommends coffee enemas to help clean toxins from the liver. She does confirm, though, that if these aren't an option for you, there are alternatives. Drinking more water and using an herbal cleanse formula are some methods she suggests. The real problem here is that the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet is low in fiber and fiber is what helps the colon cleanse itself naturally. If you're not getting enough bulk fiber, you'll need another way to remove the waste.

On the more sensible side, moderate exercise is also part of the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet. Dieters are encouraged to either walk or bounce on a trampoline everyday. Another important factor DeLuz discusses are lifestyle changes dieters can make to start eating healthier, reducing stress, and achieving "spiritual healing."

Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet pros and cons
While this diet does have some major drawbacks for most people, there are some good points. If you opt for one of the shorter mini-cleanses, you probably will feel better afterwards because you'll be getting healthy doses of nutrients and be better hydrated. This is especially true if your diet tends to be full of processed foods, sugars, and caffeine. You should get some energy back, too. Eating every two hours helps keep your blood sugar level stable so you don't have the spikes and valleys that cause fatigue. Staying on the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet for the full 21 days, however, is another matter. Not only is the diet lacking in protein and fiber, it also require a number of dietary supplements that aren't affordable for many people.

The Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet may seem fine on the surface, but there are a number of things to consider before you start this eating plan. Because of the potentially negative health consequences of consuming nothing but juices, soups, and supplements for 21 days, check with your doctor about whether the full-time cleansing program is for you or not.