The Diet for a New America
Diet for a New America is a book by John Robbins, advocating a "plant-based," vegan diet. Considered by many in the vegan and animal rights movements to be one of the most important books in recent times, Diet for a New America contains Robbins's opinions on the meat and dairy industries, world hunger and human health.
More About The Diet for a New America
Detox diets usually suggest that fruits and vegetables compose a majority
of one's food intake. Limiting this to unprocessed (and sometimes also
non-GM) foods is often advocated. Limiting or eliminating alcohol is also a
major factor, and drinking more water (which helps curb appetite) is
similarly recommended.
Some proponents of detox diets would emphasize it as a lifestyle, rather
than a diet. It has made some appearances in the media, such as the film
Super-Size Me. Literary references include "Ultimate Lifetime Diet" by Gary
Null advocating veganism as a (lifestyle) method of detoxification.
If there is a rapid shift in diet that results in toxin release into the
bloodstream faster than the body can eliminate it (such as burning fat that
stores toxins), the body can become polluted in what is called the
Herxheimer reaction.
Criticism
Critics point out that the human liver, kidneys, lungs and skin have evolved
to adequately expel environmental contaminants and are perfectly equipped to
continue to do so unassisted. It has been posited that some fruits and
vegetables may actually contain more natural toxins than animal substances
such as meat, fish, and milk. Some critics cite the high mercury content in
some fish as a risk factor. Additionally, sudden changes in diet have been
linked to fainting and other medical issues.
Body fat stores the toxins the body is unable to eliminate; if low blood
sugar levels force the body to begin rapidly metabolising large amounts of
fat, then these toxins will be released into the bloodstream. Symptoms often
mentioned are headaches, sore muscles, feelings of weakness, inability to
sleep soundly, and irritability. These side effects are not normally denied,
but are seen as a temporary discomfort well worth the cost of the health
benefits detox diets are said to cause.
Detox diets may not be the safest form of weight loss if they are one of the
restrictive ones (such as water fasting) that may result in nutrient
deficiencies. The lack of proteins in most detox diets (due to omitting
animal products and legumes) often results in diminishing muscle mass due to
insufficient amino acids for repair. With less lean muscle tissue, the
body's metabolic needs decrease, which hampers weight loss efforts unless
calories are lessened further in the diet.
While many people have provided testimonials to their health improvements in
following a detox diet lifestyle, some of these people may have started the
detox diet after coming off an unhealthy diet high in sugar and processed
food that may lack nutrients. Any improvements cited from such people would
only prove the effectiveness of a detox diet over an average diet, and not
that it is the ideal diet that doesn't carry its own unique health risks.