Danger in Detox Tea?

Hello Angels!

We all know I’ve been trying to get healthier and to tone up a lot more, and I’m happy to say that it is definitely working: my once slightly too small yoga pants are now too big, I’m noticing some definition in my stomach and my thighs are toned as hell (my bum is also better than it was, but that wasn’t the area I was targeting, that’s just a happy addition).

But, what quite often happens is bloggers will announce a health kick, and if they have any major sort of following, they end up being contacted for diet teas and detox teas: it’s a pretty, aesthetic thing to add to a blog. We’ve all see the ‘Boo-tea’ and the ‘Tea-tox’ tea. I actually very nearly bought it with my own money to see if I would notice a difference, and in the future, I still might: if I buy it myself, I can be brutally 100% honest about it, without worrying about damaging a professional relationship.

That being said though, I am actually here to talk about the dangers of diet tea. On seekwellness.com, I found the hilarious but worrying quote of a quick summary of what a diet tea is, the general ingredients, and the side effects it may have:

“Herbal teas containing senna, aloe, buckthorn, and other plant-derived laxatives that, when consumed in excessive amounts, can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, chronic constipation, fainting, and perhaps death.”

I just found the fact that they could cause death funny; imagine finding out the cause of death for somebody was tea, it’s incredibly British and how casual the phrasing is makes it even better. Jokes aside, it is disturbing. Diet teas work by having ingredients that ‘flush out’ the system (basically, you shit out all the rubbish). This means that there’s less likely to be bloating as no food is being stored, and therefore you look less bloated and therefore slimmer.

On top of that, many suggest having the tea instead of a meal: the less you eat, the less weight you gain. From personal experience though, I know this backfires; you look bigger as your body is taking stored away nutrients and the like in order to give you energy. It’s why you’ll find people that under eat or eat the wrong foods to be overtired; their body isn’t getting the right fats so when it needs the energy, the body cannot give it. This basically means that they’re ripping you off and could cause serious damage to your body.

I’m not a dietitian, I know fuck all about the more science-y side of this stuff. I was better at physics than biology: I could tell you how to program things and how to power things and stuff about electricity (thank you engineering) but I can’t tell you much about the body. But, I do know this from other dietitians who speak about these kinds of teas: natural doesn’t always mean good, and when you’re having 2/3 cups of these teas a day- as many recommend- you’re putting yourself in serious danger.

So, I actually do have some advice for you. I’ve tried out some of the ‘detox’ teas out there, and I know which ones work FOR ME. I drink one cup a day, usually an hour or so before I go to bed, and then nothing more. I eat healthily, and drink lots of water, but I will only have ONE cup a day, and it is AFTER a meal, not before. I suggest the Twinings Citrus Detox Tea: it’s got the best ingredients, it didn’t have any negative effects on my body, and it didn’t taste like shit, like most detox teas do. If that’s not your cup of *detox* tea (please laugh at me) I can say that the Doctor Stewart Detox Tea is also pretty good, although I have to hold my nose while I drink it or put honey in it because otherwise there is no way in hell I’m putting myself through that. It tastes disgusting, but it’s alright, it’s not actually harmful, aslong as you don’t overdrink it, which goes for any diet/ detox tea.

FINALLY, we have my favourite. The one I would recommend to anyone and everyone, because this is magic AND it has none of the ingredients which would make you weary. Peppermint tea. It’s not the best tasting thing in the world, but it tastes better than most actual detox teas I’ve tasted. It’s good for digestion, but due to it being peppermint, it also calms the stomach, so it’s actually good for while you travel too, if you get car sick (I do and it saves my life at times). Because it soothes and calms the stomach, it means that it can also improve digestion, reduce pain (period pains are less crippling, and believe me, I suffer them on an extreme level) while also eliminating inflammation (bloating) and aiding in weight loss, done by its calming effect on the intestines and smooth muscles of the digestive tract. It is also found to move the gas through the body stopping or at least aiding bloating, cramping, and stomach discomfort. Unless I feel awful, I have stopped drinking the special made detox teas and instead drink peppermint tea before I go to bed, and I wake up feeling more alive and my body feels better than it did before I started this.

After seeing all the fuss about detox teas, I felt as if I needed to throw my hat in the ring and say my bit, as somebody who has tried some, even if they’re not the ‘Instagram approved’ ones. I can speak from the point of view of somebody who has read up on the benefits and the issues with diet teas, and somebody who thought they might be worth a go. Though I can only speak from the point of view of my own body and what is best for me, I hope I did help you out slightly and give some good advice.

Also, an update to those concerned: I still eat a pizza to myself at least once a week and eat chocolate near enough every day, and will skip days of exercise and not feel guilty. I’m losing weight healthily, but I love you for your concern ❤

Stay safe and stay happy, Angels ❤