Diet Teas - Helpful, or Givesyouconstantdiarrhea?

There are always new fads that come in and out of fashion when it comes to losing weight. Many of these come in tea form!

                                              

                                                                       Am I skinny yet?

Previously, the big one was Oolong tea, lately it's been a lovely fad called SkinnyMe tea. Just a quick google search will tell you that it was ripped of it's Instagram profile for being accused of being "pro-anorexia" saying that it was for "extreme dieting" and had a lot of unrealistic before and after photos. However, it has also had some people posting on various forums claiming that it has some good results. This could also be due to the fact that the site recommends a clean diet and exercise in addition to the tea.

Now before I get slammed for being "anti-detox" that is definitely not the message I'm sending home here. I am all for detoxes, sometimes your body needs them. In saying that, there are certain ways to do them healthily, which I will get to shortly. And if you want to use teas, that's fine. Just be careful what tea it is you are going to use for a detox.

You see the thing about SkinnyMe tea is that it's kinda shitty. Literally. The thing comes with a colon cleanse to be done as frequently as every two days and also contains Senna root which can be harmful in large doses. It will actually make you run the to toilet when you might not need to go and give you horrid cramps. It does recommend you take electrolytes such as hydrolyte or coconut water as you will get dehydrated, mostly from constantly evacuating your bowels.

It is also marketed as a mix of "natural health and weight loss nutrients". This is somewhat true in that it does contain all natural ingredients. This is not always a good thing. Lead is also all natural, but I don't really want to drink that either.

It also blatantly says that it will "naturally cleanse & detoxify system by removing built up toxins in the stomach and digestive tract".

Great! That's what you want right? Hmm, not quite. They go on to say that "elimination" (or as I like to call it, "project poopsville") is a key component of their detox as it helps to rid toxin build up which causes water retention. This is partially true, however what it is also doing is dragging out all your food with it, not giving your body the change to absorb the necessary nutrients, turning it all into waste.

The product is poorly marketed, as it definitely gets rid of a lot of water weight, leaving you very parched and dehydrated from all the shaking hands with your toilet. It doesn't actually get rid of any fat. Weight loss, sure. But not fat loss - which is ultimately what you want. This then means that as soon as you come off that tea, that weight will pile straight back on.

That's not to say all detox teas out there are bad. The purpose of a detox of course has it's benefits if it is only used as a detox - not as a permanent diet. Generally speaking, I wouldn't be using a detox for more than two weeks.

One tea I do recommend (that I am about to try myself) is a detox tea called "yourtea" which have a tiny teatox (props for the pun, guys). Yourtea does the complete opposite of SkinnyMe tea. Where SkinnyMe tea turns everything into waste and doesn't let your body absorb, well, anything, Yourtea removes the gunk and allows for your body to perform as it should by nourishing your digestive system, happily nomming up nutrients without clunky toxins getting in the way. There is zero laxative effect of the tea, especially as they seem to know what they're talking about in terms of how laxatives do nothing for you long term. It does help you go to the bathroom a little more, but more as a regulator than a laxative, similar to how fibre works.

It also has very little caffeine which gives you the option to add caffeine supplements as other aspects of your training. SkinnyMe tea is packed full of a variety of caffinated extracts such as green tea, which is a perfectly good detox and stimulant on it's own. Only thing is that you then lose the option to add other stimulants to your fitness/nutrition regime, unless heart attacks are your thing.

Yourtea also do other teas to help bulk and every day teas to help if you're feeling gluggy and sluggish.


Of course, other good detoxes include just drinking a lot of water and two days on a vegan, gluten-free, minimal acid (as in, little tomatoes) diet will also leave you feeling fresh and great.

Have you had any experiences with "diet" teas? Tell us in the comments!


-MM

Warrior Dash: Achievements and the overenthusiastic supporters

Given my outrageously neglectful attitude towards writing my blog (something I am working on rectifying) and being bogged down with a magnitude or research writing, I'm a little behind in my news.

I DID IT!

 I managed to successfully complete Warrior Dash, a 5km mud and obstacle event that only a year prior, I had said I would never, ever do.

Okay, so I might have walked the entire thing, bar about 200 metres at the start, but I still finished. I actually found it quite leisurely, walking with my partner while everyone else ran, then crawling, swimming, beating my way through obstacles. In saying that, I was outrageously sore the following week or so. I did it with a big group of friends which was great fun, although they are all far better at running, so I made sure I didn't hold them back and just kept at my own leisurely pace as they scooted off and kindly waited for me at obstacles. This was not aided by the death cold I had for a month which inhibited all training and carb loaded my already pudgy self.

Unlike my cohort, I was happy to just sit on my victory alone while they all eagerly signed up for Tough Mudder, a course that is four times as long with much tougher obstacles. Don't get me wrong, I greatly admire their enthusiasm, and striving for that next challenge is a fantastic way to keep someone motivated to adhere to their fitness goals. I also think it's very important to just sit back and admire the feat you have accomplished, take a moment to be really proud of what you have achieved. Sit on that glory for a while to really tell yourself "I did it". If you don't, you might find yourself chasing endless goals that don't actually give you any satisfaction or sense of accomplishment.

Here are a couple of images from the fun day (I'm in the pink shirt and tail/ears).

Turns out, not the right way to get across the car.

                                      

Actually the hardest obstacle for me - this gave me terrible vertigo and I nearly walked into a pole. True story.

 

Was quite good at these two, I thank my pole dancing arms for that. Although that second one was outrageously slippery.

 

Wringing out my tail, on the go.

 

The taste of sweet, sweet victory (which apparently, tastes like cheap beer).

 

 

So that was just some of the fun I got to have at Warrior Dash.

 

 

Here is what wasn't so fun.

The borderline patronising support from onlookers. Now wait, I can already hear you saying "But isn't it nice to get so much encouragement from people on the field who don't even know you but want you to succeed?" to which the normal answer is yes, yes I do. However, I'm a girl who carries a little extra weight and therefore, look like the little engine that could, trying extra hard to make it through the obstacle course. Inside people's heads, they think "oh wow, look at that bigger girl who's giving it a go, good for her!" which is great, fair, and accurate. I am great. Despite this being true, it also creates a lot of presumptions I didn't care for. Such as that I'm not fit, working harder or not as hard as aesthetically sculpted, fit human beings or that I need help getting through some obstacles. 

 

This is a great example of what's called positive discrimination. It falls under the same category as trying to help a disabled person or being extra nice to a black guy in your shop so you that you hope that he thinks, that you know, that he won't steal anything.

Don't get me wrong, to a degree, I really appreciated the encouragement and support from fellow racers and spectators. Although, when it gets to a point where they are actively targeting you and trying to make things easier for just you, it makes you feel much more like the special kid in the class rather than a racer, just trying to get through the course like everyone else.


All in all, I did definitely enjoy Warrior Dash and look forward to now focusing on my next target of the 7km Spartan Race - much harder obstacles, 2 more kilometres, 100 burpees if you can't do an obstacle.

Bring it.