Nutritionists Are Slamming Kelly and Ryan's iZO Superfood Juice Cleanse Diet

From Woman's Day

• Celebrities like Kelly Ripa, Ryan Seacrest, and Gwyneth Paltrow have tried the iZO Superfood Cleanse as a way to lose weight.
  

• The trendy detox diet consists of adding $267 worth of expensive powders to juice and water.
  

• Nutritionists say that there's not a lot of science behind it, and it may even lead to weight gain.

Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest have spent the last few weeks prepping for summer. To some people that may mean pulling beach gear out of the closet, but the television cohosts' plans include something a little more extreme: A seven-day diet called the iZO Superfood Cleanse, popular with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow.

"I'm going to be honest, I'm not going to make it," Kelly said recently during an episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan. "I don't think I'm going to make it."

"You can do it; you have more strength than anybody," Ryan told her. "You're going to be just fine, and you're going to thank me for this."

The iZO cleanse has you drinking $267 worth of powder and added water or juice in place of actual, chewable food. The iZO site claims that cleansing helps your "physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health" and that there is "a serious need for EVERYONE to detox cleanse."

In truth, that couldn't be farther from the truth.

You Don't Need to "Cleanse"

So long as you have a functioning gut, liver, and kidneys, you're always detoxing - ridding your body of the gunk you don't need - every minute of every day.

Your GI tract begins in your mouth, and from there enzymes in your stomach and intestine absorb the nutrients you need and excrete what you don't.

The liver essentially takes any "toxin" (something consumed in excess of what your body can use) and converts it into other helpful compounds or makes it into bile. Your metabolic "waste" still has a very important purpose: It helps absorb the nutrients you do need from the foods you eat.

Trying a supplement for the purpose of giving your liver a "break" is both a) antithetical to what the liver actually does and b) a bit like telling someone how to do their job - albeit, incorrectly.

When it comes to your diet, the terms "detox" and "cleanse" get misused everywhere these days. Periods of extreme eating (or not eating, in this case) do not expedite the functions that your gut, kidneys, and liver already do.

It's Unclear What You're Actually Drinking

The iZO cleanse also claims that its powders and supplements provide an "incredible amount of nutrient at a fraction of the calories." Meanwhile, one of the powders you'll use is in pill form and provides a mere 10% of your daily value for vitamin C, iron, and calcium - all nutrients identified by the latest U.S. Dietary Guidelines as under-consumed.

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't regulate dietary supplements, there's far less rigor when it comes to claims made by a brand and the ingredients used. Contamination by other substances that you may not particularly want or need can prove especially dangerous in some rare cases.

There's also no mention of potential drug-nutrient interactions, so please, pretty please: Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement regimen!

You'll Have to "Go" More

Despite the iZO cleanse's claim otherwise, it's more than likely that drinking lots of powders, sugar water, and herbs keep you from living your life - simply because you now permanently reside on the toilet!

Kelly even copped to this on Live! "It really makes your system - it really goes into overdrive," she said, pointing at her bowel area.

In many cases, this means that the non-food you've purchased for $267 may contain certain herbal plants, but this (or what it actually does) can't be verified by the manufacturer.

There's Not a Whole Lot of Science Behind It

In case any question of safety doesn't deter you: There's a lack of evidence supporting the health benefits of herbs beyond cooking actual meals. In other words, there's a difference between data that supports flavoring veggie-heavy meals with ginger and turmeric versus their supplement versions. Research has linked concentrated sources with negligible absorption (and therefore zero benefit to your body).

You Could Actually Gain Weight

Assuming that iZO cleanse is the picture of scientific rigor and safe ingredient-sourcing, there's another reason why cleanses and detoxes can backfire, big time.

If you're adding these powders to juices, you won't feel full, but you've just consumed a ton of calories from sugar. That can sometimes make you gain weight if it's more than what you'd normally eat in a day!

If you're adding these supplements to water, then you're simply surviving on a few hundred calories per day. Yes, you'll lose weight quickly. But even if you're able to endure seven days of expensive torture, you'll feel tempted to eat absolutely everything on day eight. Again, this ultimately results in weight gain and renders the cleanse a big ole waste of time and money.

What You Should Be Doing Instead if You Want to Lose Weight

So what can you do right now to make more nutritious choices all summer long? (KELLY AND RYAN: CALL ME!)

1. Eat your food - don't drink it.

That means no juicing or other forms of sugar water-induced torture! Triple up on the veggies and fruit and make those the star of every meal. Where you might want to cut down? Anything that feels heavy to you, like red meat, fried foods, and baked goods.

2. Break a sweat.

Start moving, get your heart rate up, and set aside time for those workouts at least three days a week.

3. Cut back on the booze.

Scaling back on alcohol is an efficient way to feel better and cut calories without doing too much work. When you do indulge, stick to clear cocktails (like spirits with club soda) or a glass of wine or beer.

Don't forget to keep hydrating either. Most us need a minimum eight cups of water per day.

4. Get some shut-eye.

Ready to crash after a holiday weekend? Take care of yourself and rest more. Yes - you can also indulge in a few naps too.

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