What Is A Detox Diet?
A detox diet is a diet where the individual makes a complete change in their consumption habits so that the body gets detoxified by removing toxins and contaminants. With a detox diet, it is possible to improve health, energy, digestion, mental state, your resistance to disease and even experience weight loss.
The modifications that you have to make in detox diet includes fasting with juice fasting and water fasting, increasing the consumption of fish like salmon, restriction in calorie intake and using a herbal detox or master cleanse called the lemonade diet. Most important, a detox diet calls for more of fruits and vegetables in one’s food intake, limitations in processed food and the elimination of alcohol and smoking.
The main reason people go on a detox diet is because a human body ingests lots of water, food and air in a day. It is very possible that fat soluble chemicals existing in them get deposited in the cells of the body. With a poor diet, the human body cannot detoxify these chemicals and this leads to a further build up of toxic waste in the body which in turn leads to illnesses, hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies and a weak metabolism.
Once you go on a detox diet, you tend to experience improved energy, have regular bowel movements, find an increase in concentration and clarity in life, improvement in your digestion and clearer skin. However before you go on a detox diet, it is better that you consult with your doctor to see if the detox diet is appropriate for you. Nursing women, children and pregnant women should never go on a detox diet. People with anemia, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, cancer, low blood pressure and with additions to drugs and alcohol should not go on a detox diet unless advised by the doctor.
Like all good things in life, a detox diet too has its side effects of which the most common one is a headache that starts within a few days of the start of the detox diet. This is often due to the sudden quitting of caffeine. This is why practitioners often suggest a gradual stopping of caffeine instead of a sudden stop. In fact, some people take time off for a detox diet or start it on Friday night to last the weekend.
Some people go through a bout of diarrhea because of dehydration and a loss of electrolyte while there are some people who increase their fiber intake, but don’t drink sufficient water. This in turn leads to constipation. Prolonged use of a detox diet can lead to a deficiency of nutrients, especially proteins and calcium as some detox diets omit animal products.
Other side effects of the detox diet include acne, weight loss, hunger, irritability and tiredness. If you find any worsening of these symptoms when on a detox diet, it is advised to visit a qualified health professional immediately. You never know if these symptoms had arisen because of the detox diet or because of some other underlying cause as the symptoms of some diseases like cancer similar to the side effects of a detox diet.
SUMMARY:
Detox diets are very helpful in ridding the body of all the chemical and toxic waste that enters the body through the water, food and air that you use everyday. The benefits of a detox diet will be realized only by those who have done a detox diet.
http://www.letsdetox.com is an informative site relating to detoxing,cleansing and weight loss.
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Tags: Health Energy, Kidney Disease, Juice Fasting, Nutritional Deficiencies, Lemonade Diet, Soluble Chemicals, detox diet, Nursing Women, Herbal Detox, Life ImprovementGentler Ways to Detox the Body
When your mind is drained, your body aches and your energy levels are close to zero, its time for a body detox.
Imagine yourself having clearer skin, sharper mind, energy revitalized, stronger immune system and feeling healthy inside out – - these are the things that you can enjoy by undergoing a detoxification program.
Detoxification basically means blood cleansing through eliminating impurities from the blood in the liver, through kidneys, lungs, intestines, lymph and skin.
Taking your first step:
First, you have to reduce toxins in your body. Try to cut down on the following: cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, eating foods with saturated fats and refined sugars (cola and ketchup contains a lot) – these acts as toxins in your body and as a hindrance to your healing development.
The use of household cleaners that are chemical-based and personal health care products such as shampoos, toothpaste, deodorants and cleansers should be reduced as well. These chemicals are inside us; we never really fully eliminate them unless going to a process of detoxification.
There are many ways to detox the body. It’s up to you to choose which suits your lifestyle and preference.
• Juice fasting
Drinking only fresh fruits and vegetables such as carrot, spinach, celery, cabbage, apple, pineapple and cranberry (avoid citrus fruits). An effective way of discharging toxins, it also provides loads of nutrients as well as enzymes to lessen the intensity of the cleansing process to an easy stage.
Fast weight loss is the main benefit from juice fasting. A person may drop 30-40 lbs on a 30-day juice fast. By juice fasting, a person gains self-confidence and feels light and clean.
Duration of juice fasting is usually 1-3 days. Medical administration and careful assessment is required for longer fasting.
• Water fasting
Only water is consumed during a water fast. Water lets the digestive tract and organs to rest completely, allowing all of your energy to self-repair and strengthen damaged organs. It also eliminates toxin build-ups.
Water fasting not only eliminates obstruction and aids in self-healing, it is also revitalizing and motivating to make a fresh start.
• Gentler way to detox the body:
Here are gentler and safer ways to detox your body that you can try out or incorporate different methods as part your routine.
1.Change in diet.
Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables instead of packaged and fast foods that are high on fats and sugar can become part of your daily lifestyle in maintaining good health.
2.Sauna.
The sauna is widely used by many cultures as a regular part of detox. It is a great method of removing chemicals buildups in fat cells. Saunas are usually combined with diet, exercise and nutritional supplements.
3.Skin brushing.
Again, with the combination of diet, exercise and nutritional supplements, skin brushing is also a gentle way of detoxing. It removes old skin cells, stimulates the lymph system and draws out toxins through the skin. A dry skin brush made of soft vegetable bristles should be used.
Before taking a shower, lightly brush your feet in circular motion towards the chest area for a minute or two.
4.Yoga.
Through breathing exercise, the bloodstream thoroughly oxygenates thus giving energy and improves the body’s physical process. Different positions lightly massage the internal organs and stimulate them to slowly discharge toxins.
These cleansing methods are just a guide to what it can do to improve your health. It is necessary to know why detox is important and understand the different ways on how to detox the body before you begin with the different programs.
Basics of a Detox Diet
detoxing is not only for alcohol and drug addicts, it is for anyone who wants to “clean” out their system. It decreases the amount of chemicals that are digested, perhaps by maintaining an organic diet. It also focuses on foods (high fiber and water) that provide vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants that the body naturally needs to keep the body pure from harmful chemicals. This doesn’t seem that bad, right? Well, easier said than done.
Get rid of foods that are hard on the metabolism like alcohol and caffeine (obviously), processed food, salt, sugar, red meat, fried food, yellow cheese, etc. Concentrate on consuming large quantities of raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, fish, herbal teas, and legumes. Detox is short for detoxification, the body’s natural process of eliminating toxins from the body. Toxins found in food additives, household cleaning products, drugs, pollution, and cigarette smoke, are generally transformed through stools or urine.
Over time, a poor diet is thought to put too much strain on the body and leads to build up in the system. It has also been linked to hormonal imbalance, impaired immune function, nutritional deficiency, an ineffective metabolism, indigestion, fatigue, poor skin, bad breath and muscle pain. People have reported energy boosts, clearer skin, regular bowel movements, improved digestion, increased concentration, and mental clarity after doing a basic cleanse. Not just anyone can try a detox diet and it is best to consult with your doctor before beginning any program. For example, pregnant women should definitely avoid this at all costs.
As you begin your detox program, (there are many programs on the market or you can make your own home system) you will most likely experience some side effects. The first one being a headache typically contributed to caffeine withdrawal so it is suggested to slowly wean yourself off it to prevent this. You might also benefit from starting a program on the weekend or if you have a few days off from work as you might be running to the bathroom quite frequently. You may also have diarrhea, constipation, tiredness, weight loss, hunger, irritability, and acne.
Lyla Feldman writes articles about striving towards a healthy lifestyle. Some of her favorite passions include writing about energy drinks and natural sleep aids.
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