Martha's Vineyard 21 Day Detox Diet

The Martha's Vineyard 21 Day Diet Detox was created by Dr. Roni DeLuz, a naturopathic doctor who is also a registered nurse and colonic therapist. The premise behind this program is to lose 21 pounds in 21 days following the plan designed by Dr. DeLuz. This diet has become popular through its claim to shed unwanted pounds, increase your energy, lower your blood pressure and cleanse your body of toxins.

The Basics

• This is not your ordinary diet. The Martha's Vineyard 21 Day Diet Detox focuses on ridding your body of toxins to lose weight and maintain overall good health. This liquid diet is said to provide your body with the necessary nutrition it needs to stay healthy. By drinking nutritious drinks every two hours and cleansing the body of toxins, you are boosting your metabolism to drop those extra pounds. The premise behind this 21-day detox plan is rest, reduce and rebuild.

  Dr. DeLuz suggests that by consuming nutrients through liquids rather than chewing, you are providing your body with rest. You reduce the toxins in the body and restore health by flushing the system of harmful pollutants. Dr. DeLuz says this is not a starvation diet but rather a safe and natural way to detoxify the body and lose 21 pounds in 21 days. Liquid drinks recommended are fruit and vegetable juices, homemade soup, water and powdered drinks that can be purchased through the Martha's Vineyard detox website.

The Plan

• According to the Martha's Vineyard 21 Day Diet Detox plan, every two hours you should consume a specific liquid designated by the plan.

  Beginning at 8 a.m. with a daytime inner cleanser, you are instructed to consume a berry drink packed with antioxidants, a cup of hot herbal tea, an 8 oz. glass of water and a designated herbal cleansing formula. Two hours later, drink another 8 oz. glass of water along with another cup of herbal tea. Homemade vegetable juice or one of the powdered green drinks along with 8 oz. of water should be consumed midday. During this time it is recommended that you also take the herbal cleansing formula as well as one digestive enzyme caplet. In two hours you will again drink a cup of herbal tea along with 8 oz. of water, followed by an antioxidant berry drink two hours later.

  For "dinner," the menu includes a cup of homemade pureed soup, a cup of soup broth, 8 oz. each of herbal tea and water, the herbal cleansing formula and a digestive enzyme caplet. An hour after dinner you will take an Inner Cleansing nighttime formula. In addition to the above schedule, every hour between the two-hour feeding intervals, an 8 oz. glass of water should be consumed. If followed correctly, you will consume about 1,000 calories daily and receive 20 g of protein.

  You can buy the complete 21-day diet and nine-day maintenance package on the Martha's Vineyard 21-day detox website for $199. Additional optional products can be purchased at health food stores or nutritional stores such as GNC. Only certain fruits and vegetables for pureeing and making soups are in accordance with this plan. Some of these include carrots, celery, kale, cucumbers and sweet potatoes. Dr. DeLuz has written a book about the detox diet which outlines all of the necessary steps to be taken each day to properly complete the process.

  In addition to the above diet plan, coffee enemas are recommended at least once a week.

Expert Opinions

• Most nutritional experts agree that this 21-day diet detox lacks essential nutrients necessary for maintaining a healthy body. When following this diet, the body does not get enough fat, protein and fiber. Dr. Pamela Peeke, author of Fit to Live, suggests that you may lose weight on this plan but likely as the result of a low caloric intake. She said the majority of the weight loss you will notice will be from losing muscle and liquids, not fat. Since the diet plan lacks substantial protein, the body burns its own muscle mass.

  Other experts say the detox plan can do more harm than good. Dr. Michelle May points out that an external method for removing toxins from your body is not necessary. The body is designed to cleanse itself from these pollutants naturally. Dr. Holly Wyatt, an obesity expert from the University of Colorado, notes that there are several side effects possible with this type of diet such as dizziness, dehydration and lightheadedness. Dr. Wyatt suggests these symptoms are the result of improper nutrition, not from your body ridding itself of toxins as Dr. DeLuz claims.