What it is: A book promoting a detox diet regime – with no red meat, no dairy, no fruit, no wheat, no alcohol, no coffee, no sugar and no artificially processed foods.
Duration: Twenty-one days (recommended once or twice a year)
Claims: Removes toxins you ingest for a minimum of three weeks, giving your body a rest from struggling to digest and eliminate poisons.
The theory behind it: Rooted in ancient Ayurvedic medicine, the detox program alters your pH (acid/alkaline) balance to its ideal, slightly alkaline state by eliminating all acidic foods, so your body rids itself of toxins more easily.
Restrictions: As it happens, many acidic foods that are not allowed are also our naughty favourites: ice cream, chocolate bars, pizza, etc. But fruit isn't allowed either. Joshi says that fruits are normally alkaline, but because many are picked before they are ripe, they're too acidic. That leaves mainly dark-green leafy vegetables, eggs, tofu, white meat, fish, some cheeses, beans, peas, lentils, brown rice and olive oil.
Most outrageous claim: "So drastic are the effects of this rebalancing exercise that you may no longer need certain prescription medications because your elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels will have both dropped." This claim is dangerous: Do not quit medications without consulting your doctor.
What the experts say: The real plus of an alkaline diet, points out Khalili, is that we are effectively getting rid of all the high-fat, sugar- and sodium-laden processed foods from our diet. However, says Nelson, the acid/alkaline theory doesn't hold water: "Our body's pH is between 7.35 and 7.45, which is already slightly alkaline. And there's no evidence food can change pH levels beyond that narrow range."
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