Detox is a process that, in my opinion, works. I have tried several detoxes. I have even detoxed with a juice fast ... did one for 21 days.

There is not much scientific evidence for the detox. In fact, a lot of nutritionists and doctors will tell you it's a bunch of nonsense and not to waste your time.

For me, however, it was fantastic. I have had two people I worked with start with a detox program and it did wonders. It is not the weight loss that is the key - it is the way the body breaks away from the cycle of carbohydrate addiction and cravings.

One was a woman who had 120 pounds to lose and kept hitting a wall trying to "eat healthy" and another was a man who was 350 and had been working with me off and on for 4 years trying to transform his lifestyle. In both cases, doing a detox helped them get on the path so when it came time to eat healthy, they were ready to embrace it and move on rather than clinging to the junk foods and cravings they had.

Why Detox?
My own detoxing was for a number of reasons. The first time - juice fasting - was spiritual. I used it to drown out the "noise" from training and eating and just focus on me. I went through some intense spiritual changes - fortunately I kept a diary that I share a little bit of in my book. It was an amazing time and taught me much about myself.

The second time was after a period of stress I had gone through and just couldn't seem to get back into the swing of things. So I did the same 5-day detox I had those other two I was talking about and it really jump-started me ... I also lost inches from my waist, so I know it wasn't just lean mass, which was cool. So far the woman I worked with has lost over 40 pounds and the man over 50, so I'd say it was a good experience for them regardless of what the nutritionists or scientists may say.