It’s a man’s world – and it’s bad for our health
From drug tests to getting a diagnosis, here’s how women have it harder than men when it comes to our health. But when can being a woman actually work in your favour?
Other articles you might find interesting include our exploration of whether we're going backwards on body confidence, why we don't need to worry about testosterone in our diet, and 7 ways your diet can ease hormone symptoms. If you’ve not seen the viral video ‘Female Body’ by Canadian musical comic Farideh, go and watch it right now. It’s a hilarious, honest and heartbreaking look at how women are often dismissed by their doctors – and an absolute banger. Farideh says she was inspired to write it after struggling to get a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) for 10 years. “I was told I was making it up or I’d just put on a lot of weight because I was fat,” she says. But an incident with her husband in their local A&E made her even more determined to write the song. “He was struggling to lift up his hand or walk up the stairs, which was really weird, so I thought we should take him to the ER,” she says. “But I started to prepare for that trip like he was a woman – I was saying ‘They’re probably not going to believe you’ and ‘You’re going to have to assert yourself’ but the complete opposite happened. “He walked into that ER, and it was like he was Beyoncé! The nurses rushed over to help him. The doctors were like ‘We’re going to run this test, and we’re going to run that test’. No one thought he was making it up. No one thought he was being silly. No one told him he was just anxious because he was a busy dad. And it made me realise no woman on earth would get the same treatment.” The heart of the matter Luckily, Farideh’s husband was fine, and she ended up creating an anthem for all unheard women across the globe. And that’s a lot of women; even though it’s 2025 we are still getting the short end of the stick when it comes to our health. The publication of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Women-Exposing-World-Designed/dp/1784706280/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GVN5VKCEHMKM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rnVE971KQg8HvK2K3u_oRywHM9SxpMMVf35SM9FYrddQGwrWEQbLrEwkBQHdV9DVzPonChAsuCRsyFt9sUa0HH39ZqfDxjIHbIu6I1LVMoUcifoVGE_0zLbpMxk0pBru8CNIbDBf38Gk-1iSDxO8oS7eQpFUuIQKo4K7lgb6Wjn4ggxs_e_-TZw5j4xs_FFQ6wZSlgg5KgmkZjgy0GbRnnuUhFXbM4_E7PFa8RAx3dA.OHL25AeF3ZBvnn-aFYlwuk98cyFc4AngpHs0c432Iuw&dib_tag=se&keywords=Invisible+Women&qid=1764608214&sprefix=invisible+women%2Caps%2C233&sr=8-1&tag=olivemag-21&ascsubtag=olivemagazine-276032" rel="sponsored" target="_blank">Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez, six years ago, shocked people with its data-backed exposé of how medical research, doctors’ opinions, getting a diagnosis and a whole lot more are stacked against women’s health – it only become law that women must be included in clinical trials, including drug tests, in America in 1993. One of the most shocking realisations for many of us is that men and women have different symptoms during a heart attack. While men might show up with agonising chest and arm pain, women are more likely to have stomach pain, nausea, breathlessness and fatigue. Women do get chest pain but it’s not so obvious and may be just one of their symptoms. The result is we’re more likely to be misdiagnosed, so vital treatment is delayed and our chances of successful recovery are dramatically reduced. In fact, women are up to three times more likely to die following a heart attack thanks to unequal medical treatment. But since this research was revealed, things have got better – right? Melanie Evans*, a physiotherapist, says, “I work in a multidisciplinary practice. One day, a man came in to see the GP complaining of bad indigestion and arm pain. He got a full cardiac workup that day, which included blood tests, an ECG, X-rays and an ultrasound of his heart. “A week later, his wife came in complaining of indigestion, arm pain and generally feeling unwell, but she was also feeling quite anxious. The GP dismissed her symptoms as mental health issues and gave her antidepressants. She died three weeks later after suffering a massive heart attack.” Pain and pleasure Even getting a prescription for simple painkillers can be a problem if you’re a woman. A recent study found doctors and other healthcare staff frequently underestimate women’s pain, believing women are oversensitive to pain or will exaggerate how much pain they’re in. This means they often ‘under-treat’ it, either prescribing low-dose painkillers or offering women psychological treatments instead. But at least doctors are happy to prescribe us the contraceptive pill. The only downside to all that sexual freedom is the lone responsibility of taking it every day and a long list of potential side-effects including acne, weight gain, anxiety and depression. However, a male contraceptive pill may finally be on the horizon. Scientists say the new pill has just been declared safe in clinical trials. Safe, presumably, because it has no side-effects such as weight gain, mood swings and changes in libido. So, it was fine for women to suffer all those side-effects for decades – and to keep experiencing them – but men couldn’t possibly be expected to do the same? Or is our pill bad for our health? It’s an unsolvable mystery. If you’re not convinced that women’s health isn’t as thoroughly researched or well-funded as men’s, how about the fact there have been approximately 32,000 published studies about erectile dysfunction and, up until 2018, fewer than 3,000 on both premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)? Or that start-ups focusing on erectile dysfunction attracted around $1.24 billion of funding from 2019 to 2023, but those focused on endometriosis only received $44 million in the same time frame? FYI, it still takes nearly nine years for women in the UK to get a diagnosis of endometriosis. Erectile dysfunction can be traumatic, but the amount of time, money and effort devoted to studying something that only 19% of men will experience compared to PMS, which affects 90% of women at some point in their lives, feels laughably out of proportion. The fight for information One of the best ways to keep pushing for better medical treatment is to arm yourself with the facts and present them to your GP. But where do you find the facts? There are a huge number of resources available, but you might not even be aware they exist. Research by CensHERship, the campaign to tackle social media censorship of women’s health and sexual wellbeing content, found 95 per cent of women’s health creators experienced some form of censorship in the last year on sites including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn. Clio Wood, co-founder of CensHERship, explains that posts about vaginal cancer, for example, have been banned because they contain the word vagina, which is seen as explicit content by the platforms. “But you don’t see a lot of actual explicit content using the word vagina,” she says. “I know the word ‘pussy’ is used and pussy and vagina might refer to the same thing, but the context is absolutely key here.” In another example, a Spanish breast-feeding support app not only had their ads banned but their entire YouTube channel of advice and support taken down because it was deemed to be sexual content. But ads for Playboy, which did feature naked breasts in clearly sexual content, were approved. “The only difference we can see is that one is for a female audience and one is for the male gaze,” says Clio. Advantage women It’s not all bad news for women’s health, though. There are a number of conditions where we are taken more seriously than men with the same symptoms. Dr Dawn Harper, Embarrassing Bodies presenter and author of Live Well to 101, says, “Osteoporosis is one – any older woman who comes in with a fractured hip or wrist is now given a bone density scan, but we may not routinely offer one to a man.” Autoimmune conditions are also more common in women, so, according to Dr Harper, “We might be more aware of looking for things like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis in a woman presenting with fatigue and joint pain, but we wouldn’t be so quick to think of them as a possible diagnosis in men.” More women tend to be diagnosed with depression than men, but this isn’t because women are naturally predisposed towards depressive illnesses. Dr Harper says, “Women will often be more tearful, lose motivation or confidence, or withdraw – all classic symptoms we might expect to see in somebody’s who’d depressed. “However, a man with depression might be more prone to outbursts of aggression, risky behaviours like gambling or drinking, or becoming obsessed with a new hobby to distract him from real life. If his GP isn’t aware that those are also signs of depression, he could go under the radar.” Women are generally better at talking to healthcare professionals, too. We are much more used to seeing our GP to get contraception, get a smear test or register our children (if we have them). “We have an ongoing relationship with our doctor, so it’s not that intimidating to talk to them about any new health issues,” says Dr Harper. But a lot of men may only need medical help if they get injured doing sports or have an accident – even then, this will only get them to A&E. Dr Harper says, “I’ve known adult men who were still registered with their childhood GP! If they don’t have a relationship with their doctor, it makes it a lot harder to bring up any health worries. So, in that respect, I think women do get a better deal when it comes to our health.” Close the gender health gap It may be a while before there are enough comprehensive studies done on women’s health, for that information to be taught in medical schools and then passed on to practicing healthcare professionals. But it will happen. As long as people like Farideh and Clio keep raising the issue – both in different but equally effective ways – the gender health gap will get smaller. Until then, if your GP tells you to lose weight for a headache or do some meditation for endometriosis, you could just show them this article… * Names changed for privacy
I’m a health editor about to turn 50. Here’s what I wish I could tell my younger self
Whether it’s attitude, knowledge or both, much of what shapes us in midlife would have been invaluable in our twenties too. Our writer shares her advice – and that of other experts – around everything we wish we’d known when younger
There’s something about celebrating a big birthday that makes you look back and take stock of your life. My 50th is on the horizon and it’s made me realise how much I’ve learned along the way – and how much easier life in my twenties would have been if I’d known then what I know now. Some of these are external, like buying a property when you could still get a 100% mortgage. But some are internal, such as knowing your worth or when to say no. So here’s all the advice I wish I’d had in my twenties. From beauty tips to setting boundaries, I hope there’s something here that you find helpful, whether you’re 25 or still feel like you are. Food should be fun, not functional I turned 20 in the mid 90s, slap bang in the era of skinny chic and the Atkins diet. Food wasn’t something to savour, it was just a collection of nutrients: carbs – bad; fat – worse; vitamins – what? I thought I was fat (sidenote: you are never as fat as you think you are) and would often skip meals. Jenny Tschiesche, nutritionist and cookbook author, says she felt the same pressure in her twenties. “I wish I hadn’t focussed so much on my weight – I equated being slim with being healthy,” she says. “But health isn’t about the number on the scale. It’s about strength and energy, and supporting your body for the decades ahead.” Luckily, Jamie Oliver came along in 1997. He made cooking cool but also made us understand that food was a pleasure to enjoy. Today, I love the fact that so many young men and women love to cook, and are far more knowledgeable about what they put into their bodies. But there’s still a risk we can see food as fuel, not fun. Jenny says: “You should be eating in a way that supports strong bones, a healthy metabolism and steady energy, so prioritising whole, nutrient-dense foods like colourful vegetables and lean proteins. But don’t lose sight of the bigger picture – eating is about nourishing your body and enjoying life, not checking off a tick list.” In other words, eat the damn burger. Especially as protein helps support muscle mass, which naturally declines with age. Don’t judge yourself via social media One thing I’m very pleased wasn’t around in the 90s is social media. I could make all my mistakes in private and there were no influencers telling me what outfit to wear, how to restock my giant fridge or showing off their 12-step skincare routine. But young women today are bombarded with this type of content. Lucy Sheridan, a comparison coach, says: “Influencers and brands don’t just sell us clothes anymore; they sell us bodies and lifestyles and entire identities. The ‘inspiration’ we get fed can be useful but it’s also exhausting. You’re not only comparing what milestone you’ve reached, but also how quickly you got there.” For example, if you moved into your own place at the age of 28 – either renting or buying – you might beat yourself up because you believe you should’ve got there at 27. “That’s the kind of cruelty comparison deals out,” says Lucy. But how do you stop comparing yourself to others and start to build self-confidence? “A simple but powerful practice is to check in on your values twice a year. Once, around your birthday and again six months later,” Lucy says. “Ask yourself, what matters to me right now? What behaviours do I respect in myself and others? How can I live those more? Holding yourself gently accountable to those answers will start to build your self-confidence, brick by brick.” It pays to know your worth Women of any age struggle to ask for more money in job interviews or push for a well-deserved pay rise – research shows 55% of us in the UK have never negotiated over our salary. There are many reasons for this, from social conditioning to women working in traditionally lower paid roles like cleaning, plus the gender pay gap. It does feel scary asking for extra money, especially at the start of your career, but I wish I’d been brave enough to challenge some of the low salaries I was stuck on in my twenties. Rather than simply asking for it outright, Danni Hewson, a financial expert from AJ Bell, says you need to pick your moment. “If your employer is in financial difficulty, they’ll be unwilling to listen your request. But other dates, like before the new financial year or around your work anniversary, may be more opportune moments,” she says. It’s also worth collecting some evidence to back up your request. Danni says: “You know if you’ve put in extra hours to successfully deliver a project but does your boss? Don’t be shy about spelling out all the reasons you’re worth more. It might feel uncomfortable but writing everything down makes it easier to pitch your pay rise.” I also wish I’d put more money into a savings account but it’s never too late to start. Charlene Young, a personal finance expert, says: “You don’t need a big lump sum – saving little and often can be just as powerful. A pension should be key but investing in a stocks-and-shares ISA is also tax-free and you can still take your money out.” <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/2/2025/09/GettyImages-2194273330-95b766d.jpg" width="724" height="483" alt="Cropped shot of business people standing in a modern office, shaking hands after having a successful meeting and reaching an agreement. Welcoming new hire. Celebrating success and achievement." title="Handshake for successful partnership and business agreement" /> Trust your face, not trends Leave your eyebrows alone. Honestly. It’s not worth plucking or waxing them into whatever shape is fashionable this year (this advice also applies to your bikini line). I never went full Pamela Anderson in the 90s but I never quite managed to grow my eyebrows back to their full glory in the years after. “It’s tempting to follow the latest brow trend but your eyebrows are for life, not just a season,” says Aisha Joseph, senior beauty therapist at Strip Hair Removal Experts in London. “Step away from the tweezers and leave any shaping to the experts.” A brow technician (another thing I’m grateful for these days) will assess your face shape and see how your brows grow, then use techniques like threading or lamination to create a shape that balances out your face and enhances your natural features. And if you did over-pluck them in the 90s, there’s still hope. Aisha says: “Stop any plucking or waxing right now and start using a brow serum to stimulate hair growth. It can take up to a year for your brows to recover, so be patient.” Or you could keep copying Pammy and go make-up free in your fifties? Lift heavy, live happy I didn’t have social media, smartphones or eyebrows in my twenties but we didn’t have gyms either. Nobody had a gym membership, unless they played squash or something weird, but that changed during my thirties. Today there are at least two gyms on every high street and taking care of your physical health is 100% normal. “In the 90s, gym culture was all about gym bros and looking good, rather than training for fitness or health,” says Thibo David, a performance coach and ex-commando (and Harry Styles’ personal trainer). “But some people today are still training for aesthetic goals, rather than looking after their longevity.” Instead of a quick fitness fix – such as getting in shape for summer or a wedding – Thibo says young women should be training for their long-term health. “Focussing on joint mobility, flexibility and spinal integrity will all help prevent those little niggles like sore ankles or a bad back that stop you exercising as you get older,” he says. Lifting weights was seen as something only men did in the 90s but lots of women now swear by strength training. For those of us in perimenopause or post-menopause, strength training is particularly important to help maintain bone strength and muscle mass. “All you need is a heavy 20kg kettlebell and use it to do squats or deadlifts for about 15 minutes a day,” says Thibo. “Working your leg muscles releases testosterone [as levels drop during menopause], builds muscle and improves your balance, which are all essential for a long and healthy life. Lift heavy, live happy!” <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/2/2025/09/GettyImages-2160216396-49a032d.jpg" width="724" height="483" alt="Yoga mat and dumbbells on floor with shadow sunlight. Fitness, wellness and home work out concept. High angle view with copy space" title="Yoga mat and dumbbells on floor with shadow sunlight. Fitness, wellness and home work out concept. High angle view with copy space" /> Be brave and brilliant I was terrified of so many things when I was younger – of leaving a bad relationship, of calling out bad behaviour at work, of telling someone I was falling in love with them – but I didn’t have the guts to do it or the knowledge that I’d be okay. Lucy says taking risks is a key part of figuring out who we are but it is so much harder to do when we’re younger. “I wish I’d taken more risks in my thirties because the mistakes I made ended up being the making of me,” she says. “They built my resilience, gave me skills and stories, and opened doors I didn’t even know existed.” You could try taking small risks – like going to a new sandwich shop or walking home a different way from work – and build up to bigger life decisions. For me I had no choice – I was made redundant, broke up with my partner, sold my house and moved to Australia all in the same year. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Today, I have far fewer f**ks to give but I think this is due to my age. Older people simply care less what others think of them. But over the years I’ve also found a great quote to live my life by, courtesy of Winnie the Pooh: “You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” And you are never, ever, as fat as you feel. Additional reporting by Sarah Adams. More wellbeing guides Expert explains: how to have a better night's sleep 10 ways to boost energy when tired 10 natural remedies for hayfever to try 10 foods to improve your mood Expert explains: the Mediterranean diet What is sleep hygiene and how to improve it Expert explains: how ayurveda can help digestion
I’ve been a health writer for 25 years – these are the most useful tips I still stand by
In the world of health and fitness, trends come and go but some advice never changes...
I started my career as a news journalist, working in frantic newsrooms and reporting on key events. But my heart was always in health – I enjoy writing about things that benefit people, rather than simply letting them know what’s happening. So 25 years ago, I switched to health and fitness, looking at food, exercise, mental health, relationships; you name it, I wrote about it. I tested bizarre exercise classes – including a pirate-based pilates class called (wait for it…) 'Pirraahhhtees', interviewed world-leading experts and investigated supplements, while a never-ending stream of gadgets passed across my desk. Throughout the past couple of decades, I’ve seen the same trends repeat themselves, and seen even more fads fall by the wayside. But there are some incredibly helpful bits of info I’ve picked up that I still use in my daily life. So here are the top 10 most useful things I’ve learned. 1. Do exercise you enjoy Yes, you’ve heard this a million times before but finding an exercise you want to spend time doing isn’t easy. We get so caught up in thinking we ‘should’ be doing something – like cycling or yoga or weight training – we ignore what we actually like doing. If you really don’t want to go for a run, no amount of articles telling you how great it is will convince you. I recommend trying different types of exercise. Try doing things with a friend to see if that changes the way you feel. Tell yourself you’re Louis Theroux and you’re investigating a new gym class. But don’t beat yourself up because you never want to do boxercise ever again. I’ve learned I like running with a friend, yoga by myself and strength-training classes, but it did take me some time to figure that out. 2. If you need special shoes, clothes or gadgets, it’s a fad Every now and again, a new bit of kit turns up which claims to make exercise better for you. And that’s when my alarm bells start ringing; any activity that claims you need a particular item to make it ‘work’ sounds expensive and unsustainable. Back in the early 2000s, MBT ‘rocker’ trainers were a thing. Based on Masai Barefoot Technology, these hideously ugly shoes were said to improve your posture, tone your thighs and tackle cellulite. I dutifully wore a pair for a while to test them out, but they were so chunky, I slipped over and severely twisted my ankle. I couldn’t do any running for weeks, so they totally failed to tone my thighs – 100 per cent a fad. 3. Eat more plants… You don’t have to go vegan, vegetarian, or even flexitarian, but just eat more fruits and vegetables. We should be eating five-a-day, but only 32% of us manage to hit this target. So, rather than feeling guilty for not following a plant-based diet, try to get more plants into your daily diet. This is a lot more achievable than overhauling your entire lifestyle. It’s far easier to bung a banana in your bag than prep for a whole week of macrobiotic meals. We should be aiming for 30 different types of plants a week these days, but such a big target can be really overwhelming. Start with five-a-day and build it up. 4. Don’t rely on supplements The number of articles and studies I read about various vitamins, minerals and nutrients that have a positive impact on our health is staggering. Whether it’s flavonoids reducing your blood pressure, or vitamin C fighting inflammation, every day it feels like there’s something new to put on your ‘Am I getting enough?’ list. But you don’t have to take supplements to consume these ‘magical’ compounds. Most of them are easily found in your daily diet; for example, flavonoids are in tea and kiwis are packed with vitamin C. If you’re eating a healthy, balanced diet, you should be fine. The only extras I take are fish oils and vitamin D in winter. 5. The internet can be your instructor When I first started writing fitness pieces, I’d have to spell out how to do every single move in an exercise plan – do you know how many steps there are to follow in a burpee?! But thanks to the explosion of fitness videos on YouTube and the invention of smartphone apps, everyone now has a personal trainer in their pocket. Today, you can check your technique, train for a marathon or tackle menopause symptoms all by finding and following the right instructor. My favourites – that I use and recommend – are Couch 2 5K, Yoga with Adriene , Runkeeper, Owning Your Menopause and Nike Training Club. Try a few to find one you like and will stick with. 6. Fat is good for us Decades ago, it was believed fat in our diets both made us fat and led to conditions like heart disease. The result? Low-fat diets and low- or no-fat foods on the shelves. But we need some fat in our diets for energy, to absorb certain vitamins and to help produce hormones. Many low-fat foods are also high in sugar to make them taste better, so they may still contain the same amount of calories. Although healthy fats, like olive oil and those found in nuts and seeds, are now back on the menu, the mistaken belief that any fat is bad for us will take years to undo. This is why you shouldn’t cut out any food groups – you can miss out on essential nutrients and those foods could be replaced by something far more harmful. 7. Mindfulness isn’t for everyone I really tried to get on board with mindfulness. I downloaded that app, I interviewed the experts, I set alarms to get my mindfulness minutes in everyday, but I just ended up feeling stressed that I didn’t enjoy it and was somehow failing my mental health. Then I read some studies that found mindfulness doesn’t work for everyone. Phew. Luckily, a friend recommended autogenic training. This technique focuses on relaxing different parts of the body, using specific phrases like ‘My right arm is warm and heavy’. With practice, you can induce a sense of calm even while standing in the post office queue. Like mindfulness, it won’t work for everyone, but it worked for me. 8. Therapy does work for (almost) everything Looking after our mental health has been one of the biggest and best cultural shifts over the past three decades. I’ve always seen therapy like going to the dentist; you should have regular check-ups but sometimes you will need emergency treatment. So many people are frightened of having therapy, but it’s not all lying on a couch and talking about your childhood. You may need relationship counselling if you’re going through a tough patch, cognitive behavioural therapy to manage anxiety, grief counselling during a bereavement or life coaching to clarify your career goals – I’ve written about and done them all. Start today by finding the right therapist for you. 9. Celebrities are not normal people One of the biggest changes I’ve seen in 25 years is celebrities replacing models on the front cover of magazines, whether that’s lifestyle, fashion or fitness mags. And virtually every interview will discuss their diet and exercise routine, the idea being that we can follow the same regime to look like them, which is very unlikely. Most of these celebs have personal trainers, chefs, stylists and make-up artists to make sure they always look good – 99 per cent of us don’t. Some celebs have to get in shape for a film role, or they’re charmingly honest about the hard work that does go into their appearance. Unless you’re their identical twin or have a matching bank balance, find what makes you feel good instead. 10. Be grateful The one thing I do every night is make a list of three things I’m grateful for (just in my head) and I rarely finish the list before I fall asleep. Research shows practising gratitude not only releases dopamine and serotonin, the ‘feel good’ chemicals in your brain, it rewires your brain so you actively look for the more positive things in life. I thought it was utter rubbish until I saw the science and started doing it. Now I know practising gratitude helps me see a bad day in a better light or appreciate something small I hadn’t noticed before – this can be something as insignificant as making the perfect cup of tea. Tonight, for example, you could be grateful for this great article… What about the next 25 years? If I’ve learned anything, is that there’s always a new fitness trend, fad diet or self-care craze just waiting to tell you you’ve been doing everything wrong up to now. But the old advice about finding exercise you enjoy, eating foods that nourish you and doing activities you love with people you care about, can’t be beaten. That doesn’t mean these things won’t change over time – if you get pregnant, get ill or just get bored – but working out what works for your wellbeing is the key to staying happy and healthy. Even if, like me, it takes you 25 years to figure it all out. The information in this article is personal opinion and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise regime. More wellbeing guides Expert explains: what is serotonin Expert explains: how to have a better night's sleep 10 ways to boost energy when tired Expert explains: what is the dopamine diet 10 natural remedies for hay fever to try What is sleep hygiene and how to improve it Expert explains: how ayurveda can help digestion
Detox diets are out – but do UPFs mean we are still at risk from toxins?
The 90s and noughties saw us obsessed with detox diets – short, sharp cleanses designed to ‘remove’ toxins from our bodies. These have been debunked, but do toxins still pose a risk to our health?
Have you ever tried a detox diet? Read on to explore the rise and fall of detox diets, and whether we really need to worry about toxins in our bodies. Find other ways to boost your health with our green smoothie recipes or homemade takeaway alternatives. Or, read our article on the healthiest diets from around the world. If you didn’t pluck your eyebrows razor-thin, cover yourself in body glitter or go on a detox diet, did you really live through the 90s? Although fashions have changed, the trend for detoxing has continued. In 2006, Beyoncé famously followed a detox diet that involved drinking a tonic made with lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper, and juice cleanses are still touted as a way to rid yourself of toxins – and a few extra pounds – today. Now, experts say detox diets are not a good way to lose weight, and could even be dangerous – but what about those toxins? Does today’s diet, packed with ultra-processed foods, mean that we should still be wary of toxins building up in our bodies? We take a look at the evidence for and against following a modern detox diet. The rise – and rise – of detox diets Detox diets have been around since the 1940s, but they really took off in the late 1990s. The theory was that we needed to cleanse our body of toxic waste – built up over periods of overindulgence (like Christmas) or from years of following a poor diet – and flush out environmental pollutants, such as exhaust fumes or cigarette smoke. Detox diets vary, but can often involve: fasting for a few days and only drinking water or fruit juices cutting out major food groups like wheat and dairy avoiding ‘toxic’ foods, like caffeine and alcohol using a detox kit, with various supplements and powders to support your diet The supposed benefits are clearer skin, stronger hair and nails, more energy, less cellulite, improved digestion and weight loss. In fact, this was the unspoken goal of any detox diet: although many were advertised to decrease bloating or sluggishness, these were really crash weight-loss diets. But even at the time, experts were quick to debunk detox diets. A US study in 2005 concluded that detox diets are no more effective than the body’s own natural detox systems, and the British Nutrition Foundation calls them a fad diet. As we learned more about how our bodies function, we started to understand the dangers of detox diets, too. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) says: “Fasting or severely restricting what you eat, limits your intake of calories and often important nutrients needed for health and well-being. Rapid weight loss can occur, but this is largely water and glycogen, rather than fat.” As soon as you eat normally again, any ‘water weight’ will simply reappear. Cutting out entire food groups like wheat or dairy means essential vitamins and minerals, proteins, fatty acids and electrolytes could be missing from your diet. Rather than feeling better after a detox, you could feel pretty run-down or even ill. Detox diets evolved over the years – the no-sugar diet, basic elimination diet or increasingly popular juice cleanses are all variations on detoxing – with the principles remaining the same: severe calorie restriction, eliminating food groups and drinking lots of fluids. More recently, a worrying new addition to detox diets has emerged: colon cleansing. Colon cleansing can involve taking laxatives, having enemas or even undergoing colonic irrigation. Also known as colonic hydrotherapy, it involves flushing out your entire colon with lots of water to help remove any ‘stubborn toxins'. But, there’s no solid medical evidence that these work, and they could even be harmful, leading to colon damage or making existing bowel conditions worse. Do we really need to worry about toxins? The main aim of detox diets was always to remove toxins from your body. But, the definition of what these toxins are, where they come from and why we need to get rid of them keeps changing. In the 90s and noughties, they were “pollutants, exhaust fumes, alcohol, smoke and pesticides [that could] contribute to the toxic buildup in our bodies." This build-up was believed to overwhelm our natural ability to eliminate waste, leaving us with bad skin, cellulite and low energy levels. But, the major problem with detox diets is that humans are already perfectly designed to get rid of toxins. “Your body constantly filters out, breaks down and excretes toxins and waste products like alcohol, medications, products of digestion, dead cells, chemicals from pollution and bacteria,” states the BDA. “It has numerous organs, such as the skin, gut, liver and kidneys, that continually ‘detoxify’ your body from head to toe by responding to signals to remove any waste products.” In other words, detox diets are utterly pointless. But, new and ‘dangerous’ toxins seem to have appeared over the decades – free-radicals, artificial sweeteners, nitrates and sulphites, to name just a few – that have kept detox diets in the spotlight. As always, the solution was to eliminate certain food groups and drink plenty of water. But, in the past few years, a genuine toxic threat to our health has emerged: ultra-processed foods. Are we exposed to more chemicals in our food today? Our diets contain a lot more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) than they did 30 years ago – over half the calories we eat everyday now come from UPFs. UPFs tend to be industrially produced, and contain manufactured ingredients you wouldn’t find in a home kitchen, such as emulsifiers, stabilisers and artificial colours or flavourings. Oven-ready meals, fizzy drinks, shop-bought cakes, biscuits and breakfast cereals are all UPFs. But, sliced supermarket bread, flavoured yogurts and vegan ‘meat’ products are also UPFs, due to the amounts of additives or processing they go through. The general rule, according to Dr Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-Processed People, is that if it comes wrapped in plastic, it’s probably an UPF. There’s a growing amount of evidence to show that UPFs are bad for our well-being. Studies found they can lead to weight gain and poor cognitive function, while a major scientific review in 2024 concluded UPFs were directly linked to over 30 “harmful effects to health”, including heart disease, cancer, type-2 diabetes and depression. It’s not yet clear whether these effects are caused by the specific ingredients in UPFs or the large amounts of fat, sugar and calories they also contain. What is clear is that we are consuming a lot more chemicals in our food than we did in the 1990s. Do we need an updated detox diet? If we are now putting more toxins in our body, do we need a modern-day detox diet to get rid of them? Before you start mixing together maple syrup and lemon juice, there are some simple (and far less dramatic) ways to eliminate them. First, cut down or cut out the amount of UPFs in your diet and replace them with healthier or home-cooked versions. This both reduces your exposure to manufactured ingredients and thigh levels of fat, sugar and salt. Putting fewer ‘toxins’ in your body will always be better than trying to remove them. Second, support your body’s natural detox systems so they can do their job – reduce the amount of alcohol and caffeine you drink to help your liver work efficiently, eat a well-balanced diet, drink enough water, get enough sleep and exercise regularly. It may not be as Instagrammable as green smoothies, but it is much more realistic. Finally, think about why you might be tempted to go on a detox diet: do you want to lose weight, feel more energetic or tackle issues like poor skin? See your GP to discuss your concerns and get the help you really need. More wellbeing guides Is this ingredient the secret to good brain health? Chrononutrition: are you eating your meals in the wrong order? 3 beauty experts reveal what they eat for glowing skin Can your diet improve your mental health? 'I'm a nutritionist: this is what I eat in a day' 10 stress-busting foods to help you keep your chill Is what you eat affecting your orgasm? 9 foods to boost your brainpower Best vegan protein powder, tried and tested 30 ways to include 30 plant foods in your diet
I tried mindful eating – this is what I discovered
Always eating lunch ‘al desko’ or catching up with a box set over dinner? Mindful eating can reset your relationship with food, so you feel happier and healthier – and it could even help you lose weight
Want to know more about eating mindfully and how it could possibly lead to weight loss? Read on to discover what happened when we gave it a go. Next, read 5 tips for a mindful evening routine, mindful kitchen therapy projects to try and find out how to stop stress eating. I couldn’t believe it – I was struggling to finish my second slice of beans on toast. Normally, I’d bolt the whole lot down before jumping back on the computer, but within a few days of practising mindful eating, I was feeling far more satisfied with my food. I’m not a fan of fad diets, and tend to eat fairly healthy food anyway, but after months of dodgy digestion and fighting the 3pm energy slump, I knew something wasn’t right. If it wasn’t the type of food I was eating, maybe it was the way I was eating it? Then I heard about mindful eating; a way of eating that comes from the wider practice of mindfulness. Slowing down and paying attention to what you eat, and focusing on how you feel while eating it, can help you build a better relationship with food. Research shows mindful eating could also help you maintain a healthy weight. After reassuring my husband that I wouldn’t be eating endless salads or counting out grains of rice, I decided to try mindful eating for seven days. I was surprised at how easy it was – and the results at end of the week. What is mindful eating – and why should you try it? First things first: mindful eating isn’t a diet. It could even be called an ‘anti-diet’ as you’re encouraged to think about how and why you eat, rather than what, when or how many calories to eat. Mindfulness means being aware of the present moment and paying attention to your thoughts, feelings and environment in a non-judgemental way. With mindful eating, you bring that awareness to your food and the experience of eating, and to the signals your body is sending you, like hunger. By focusing on internal cues – such as the taste or feeling full – rather than external ones, like how much food is on your plate, you can develop a more intuitive way of eating. This could help prevent overeating, as you start eating smaller portions, and improve your digestion. Studies show that mindful eating can also tackle emotional eating and help you choose foods that are more nourishing and satisfying to eat. Over time, mindful eating can help you create a more positive attitude towards food and yourself. How to start mindful eating There’s lots of advice available about how to eat more mindfully, but there are no strict guidelines or a set of instructions to follow. After doing some research, I found the exercises below most helpful, but something else may work for you. Think about: How hungry you feel – are you actually hungry, or is it just ‘dinner time’? Are you bored or stressed? Tuning in to your hunger can help you work out how much to eat, but try to do this without judgement. And don’t wait until you’re ravenous, as this makes it tough to slow down and enjoy your food. Getting rid of any distractions – watching TV or scrolling through your phone during a meal is mindless, not mindful, eating. In fact, studies show the more TV you watch, the more you're likely to eat at the same time. So, give yourself time and space to properly focus on your food. Eating with all your senses – before you start, think about how your food looks on the plate, all the different colours and shapes. Does it make a noise when you bite into it? Do you notice any textures? Focus on the taste and smell too; what individual flavours or ingredients can you identify? Slowing down – chew each mouthful properly (you could even put your knife and fork down between each bite) and swallow it before putting the next one in your mouth. It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to signal to the brain that you’re full, so don’t rush it. Where your food comes from – consider the journey your food has made, from where it was grown to your plate. Who helped produce it? How did it arrive in your kitchen? What went into preparing it? Be thankful for all the people involved in growing, transporting and cooking it for you. Armed with all this information, it was time to start my seven-day mindful eating plan. My mindful eating experience For my first mindful meal, I was feeling quite overwhelmed with all the things I had to remember. So I decided to focus on one or two exercises – eating slowly and using all my senses – for the first couple of days before adding in more. By the end of the week, everything felt much easier. I really enjoyed thinking about all the different ingredients in my meals and where they came from – it helped me feel better connected to my food, and I’m now a lot more appreciative of all the effort that goes into preparing a meal. My husband, who does most of the cooking, is also enjoying the extra appreciation! By focusing on the different tastes and flavours, I found I was eating a lot less; I felt satisfied with smaller portions because I was getting more out of each one. When I ate ultra-processed foods, they tasted either completely bland or overwhelmingly sweet or salty. The textures were horrible too, so I’m now eating a lot fewer of them. When I was feeling stressed or only had a short time for lunch, I fell back into eating mindlessly. Food was just fuel; I couldn’t even tell you what was in my sandwiches. But as the week went on, I realised that taking a proper break to focus on my meal gave my mind a break too, and I went back to work feeling far more refreshed. I did struggle with identifying how hungry I felt before eating (I’m either hungry or I’m not) and switching off all my devices – pizza does taste better with a movie – but now I don’t have my phone on the table during mealtimes. It means I’m actually connecting with friends and family around the table, too. Will I stick with it? My job is split between working from home and in the office – I found it much easier to stick to this new way of eating at home. I have more time to prepare meals and fewer distractions when sitting down for lunch. Plus, the quality of my food is better as I’m not relying on meal deals or grabbing something to go. Overall, it was fairly easy to eat more mindfully. In just seven days I was eating smaller portions, taking more time over each meal, and my energy was no longer dipping in the afternoons. Even better, my bloated, grumbling stomach seemed to calm down, but that could’ve been from eating less junk food. I didn’t lose any weight, although I might if I stick with mindful eating a while longer, which I am planning to do. That's because focusing on what I’m eating is far more enjoyable than simply stuffing in a sad sandwich or filling up on biscuits in the evening. For me, it does feel like I’ve rebooted my relationship with food.