Ladies -- Cut The Detox

Here's a resolution for the new year: forget about master cleanses and detox diets. Opt to revive instead of deprive and make a grocery list which includes the 10 Foods Women Should Eat. Even if you are of the male persuasion, you'll be doing your body a favor.

While a cleanse might be tempting, it's often a quick fix embraced by a generation accustomed to immediate gratification. We're so eager to believe that our bodies are cesspools of evil toxins and undigested junk and that a cleanse is like hitting the reboot button. But take a moment to educate yourself and talk to your doctor. Harvard Med School, The Mayo Clinic, and many other reputable health organizations and professionals advise against it. It's a wonder that more women's magazines don't cover this story because it seems obvious that starving yourself on a liquid diet or sticking a hose up your bum in the effort to cleanse your colon may make you feel lighter but often only eliminates water weight, which is quickly gained back. Unfortunately, there are no lasting shortcuts in life (sigh). Even my friends who have had tummy tucks and liposuction on their bellies in the past few years have regained the bulge and are now going through a second round. They don't have time to exercise.

Here's sage advice from Rachel Rodriguez, triathlete and my personal trainer: clear your house of all junk food, layoff the booze, and start eating healthy again. Eventually your body will right itself. It's not as exciting or drastic as a cleanse--where we swallow vitamins and drink exotic liquids, only to go back to a binge-purge lifestyle ("corrected" by cleanses)--but in the long run you will develop healthy eating habits that will stay with you for a lifetime.