Candace Cameron Bure Defends 5-Day Cleanse

Full House star and Dancing with the Stars contestant Candace Cameron Bure has been getting quite a bit of flack after this Facebook post:

“After a very indulgent week in Napa, I’m excited to kick off my 5 day cleanse with @eatpaleta today!! Shakes for breakfast & lunch, sensible snacks & a light veggie dinner!”

Many responded that it was an inappropriate message to be sending, especially for a celebrity who has publicly revealed her battles with bulimia.

But Candice is not backing down, taking to Facebook again to say that she was not doing the cleanse to lose weight, but as a way to detoxify herself:

“After reading your comments, let me expand! I’m excited to start my 5 day cleanse not to lose weight but to get my body back on track, ridding all the toxins and unhealthy stuff I’ve put in it the last few months. Since being off Dancing With The Stars, my body has struggled to find its balance after having danced up to 8 hours a day and eating so clean. After going back to my normal eating habits as well as extended over indulgent summertime vacation eating and normal exercise routine, my body has endured some confusion causing some minor health issues.That is private, so I will not going into detail, but this cleanse is just a step to getting it back on track because I know that food is a key source to healthy living.”

She went on to say that she is using Paleta for her cleanse because “they are great” and it “includes real food.” According to Paleta’s website:

“Toxins are everywhere - air, food, water, soil, dust, and everyday products. When your body becomes overloaded with toxins, it functions less effectively, causing fatigue, joint pain, headaches, and weight gain. While you may have limited control over your environment, you have a great deal of control over your own mind and body.

The CLEANSE eliminates potentially allergenic or heavily processed foods that may impair your body’s natural ability to detoxify and replaces them with low-allergy-potential “clean” foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.”

Paleta’s website claims the following benefits:
- Weight Loss. An average between 5-10 lbs
- Higher Energy
- Improved Skin and Hair
- Sharper Cognition
- Reduced Sensitivity To Allergens
- Better Moods

They also claim that their cleanse is not a colon cleanse, but “a liver and fat cell detox.” I believe this implies that you will not be running to the bathroom all day long.

The cleanse consists of 4 shakes a day made from PURIFYPLUS POWDER mixed with water. The powder “is medically designed with a unique blend of vitamins, minerals, and macro- and micronutrients that may be difficult to obtain through dietary means.” The full cleanse includes lunch and dinner, although a version is available where users prepare their own meals with provided recipes. Reviewers say the meals taste very good, but the lunches are very small (one consists of celery sticks and a tiny bit of almond butter). Snacks are also provided. The cost is $345 (plus shipping if you don’t live in LA) for the complete 5-day version and $199 (plus shipping) for the smaller kit.

Bure is only one of several celebrities who are featured on the Paleta website. Other include Jessica Biel, Wayne Brady, Kendra Wilkerson, Scott Wolf, and Michelle Monaghan. AND as we all know ;), if a celebrity does it- it must be right!

What is a cleanse?

“The Master Cleanse” was originally created in the 1940’s by a nutrition guru named Stanley Burroughs who thought it would treat ulcers and other internal ailments, the fast enjoyed a vogue in the late ’70s with the publication of his book “The Master Cleanser.” The master cleanse has recently had a resurgence of interest, especially by those looking to lose weight quickly. Several celebrities, including Beyoncé Knowles, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, and Gerard Butler have touted the diet, which consists of two weeks worth of a mixture lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Gwyneth Paltrow is also a detox fan, although she prefers a three week-long ‘Clean’ detox program. The program, designed by detox specialist, Dr. Alejandro Junger, consists of two liquid, and one solid meal a day. The solid meal must be without processed foods, dairy and sugar.

Detox diets claim that they can help chronic conditions that occur when the body become victim to a build up of “toxins.” As Dr. Junger puts it: “When our systems are overtaxed, they begin to break down in a multitude of ways. Allergies, headaches, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, weight gain and insomnia are just a few of the symptoms that can result. The majority of these common ailments are the direct result of toxin build-up in our systems that has accumulated during the course of our daily lives.” Dr. Junger’s book currently is number 13 in Amazon sales rankings.

Do Detox diets work? Is there any scientific evidence to recommend them?

Detox (short for detoxification) diets usually consist of a variable period of altered diet. This diet is high in fluids, high in fruits and vegetables, and eliminates alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods. Colonic cleansing (enemas to remove fecal material from the colon) are frequently included as well. Some diets also include special herbs or supplements which are supposed to enhance toxin removal.

“But the science behind the detox theory is deeply flawed“, says Peter Pressman, MD, an internal medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. “The body already has multiple systems in place — including the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract — that do a perfectly good job of eliminating toxins from the body within hours of consumption.”

Detox dieters often report a variety of benefits, but most of these improvements may be due to changes in the diet unrelated to any change in “toxin levels.” For instance, a decrease in headaches could be related to elimination of caffeine or alcohol in the diet. Decreased bloating just from eating less. Clearer skin may be related to better hydration.

Many individuals will have weight loss from these diets (mostly because they are low in calories), but it is usually due to a loss of fluids and some muscle, and not fat loss, and therefore the weight loss is temporary. Dr. Adrienne Youdim, the medical director of the Weight Loss Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, says “You may be losing lean mass, and when that comes back it comes back as fat. If these are done recurrently, the long term would be changing your body composition for a higher percent of body fat.”

Colonic cleansing, in general, is unnecessary except in preparation for colonoscopy. Colonic enemas can tamper with the body’s normal fluid and electrolyte balance and can lead to infection, irregularity, and dehydration. A high fiber diet works better for improving bowel irregularity.

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