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When The Kardashians premiered on Hulu, viewers were welcomed into the world of recently-married Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, who openly shared their fertility journey. Kourtney, as the holistic guru she is, introduced Barker and fans to the Panchakarma cleanse after going through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and not receiving positive results. To bring their bodies back to their healthiest states, Kardashian and Barker went into full-on detox mode, uncertain of the potential impacts it could have on their fertility.

As curiosity stirred the web, Haute Beauty took matters into their own hands to get the answers from our Fertility Haute MD expert, CCRM Fertility New York’s Dr. Brian Levine. Here’s the inside scoop:

What is the Panchakarma cleanse? 

Today, it is the Panchakarma cleanse. In the past, it was the fertility diet, going vegan, or even going to Burning Man. One major draw to these fad cleanses is making dramatic lifestyle modifications in order to help focus on what is most important. Although the Panchakarma cleanse restricts one from caffeine, alcohol, sex, sugar, and exercise, an anti-inflammatory diet is, by no means, a new one. 

Intermittent fasting, keto, paleo, and vegan diets all drastically impact our bodies in the short-term. Realistically, anyone who adopts a diet differing from their standard routine tends to lose weight. However, what we often see is many people rebound rather quickly. It’s the yo-yo effect, and it happens either because it is not sustainable, the diet is not being followed properly, or the diet itself is not designed for the desired effects. 

How is the Panchakarma cleanse different than other cleanses and diets?

What is different about the Panchakarma cleanse is that it focuses on allowing your body to heal by removing excess stimulation from your life. 

• Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that can cause blood sugar and insulin levels to spike in our bodies. Insulin causes us to store fat rather than burning it.

• Sugar is a leading inflammatory substance many consume that also leads to raging insulin levels. White sugar, white rice, white meat, skim & dairy products, are all bad for our bodies. 

• Alcohol impacts our bodies negatively in almost every aspect, but especially metabolism.

• Exercise becomes excessive at times. This hyperstimulation can impact stress levels, which in turn affects all other aspects of our health.

Why the Panchakarma cleanse?

During the two-week timespan of the cleanse, you are completely prioritizing your long-term life goals, which include starting and growing a family. When you focus your mind and prepare your body, you can come to peace knowing you are doing everything possible to put your best foot forward. Fertility requires so much attention and being in the best state of mind. The Panchakarma cleanse is logical and safe, and I have no issue with it.