All About Detox Diets (Part 1)

Every day the body is exposed to human-made toxins present in the environment. They are even present in food and water everywhere.

Examples of toxins from the environment are substances from insecticides, chemicals from household cleaners, and other pollutants in the air.

People can also ingest toxins from food packaging, food additives, and farm products that are exposed to pesticides.

Natural body processes and normal cell activities also produce toxins in the body that can potentially affect health and overall well-being.

The body is capable of getting rid of these toxins. Organs like the kidneys, liver, lungs, and the lymphatic system work together to flush out the toxins from the body. The process of excreting these contaminants is called detoxification.

However, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, and vices have slowed down the body’s capability to detoxify.

Toxins in the body will build up overtime and will eventually lead to various serious health problems.

People who have high toxins in the body may have impaired immune system, experience sluggishness and feel bloated most of the time.

Other ill-effects of high toxins include indigestion, chronic muscle pains and poor concentration.

What Is The Detox Diet?

The Detox Diet is an eating plan that aims to help the body in eliminating the harmful toxins in its systems.

To help the body keep up with its detoxification, the diet practitioner needs to keep watch of what he feeds his body.

He must spend time and effort to regularly eat foods that will boost and speed up his body’s ability clean its systems.

Healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, especially those which are rich in fiber are very significant in detoxifying the body.

Since this diet emphasizes the consumption of foods that contain lots of antioxidants, fiber, and water, the toxins are eradicated from the body through increased frequency of urination and bowel movement.

The Detox Diet is beneficial to health. Aside from the fact that it helps eliminate toxins from the body, it also provides an improved sense of well-being.

It promotes clearer skin, better concentration, and better digestion. A lot of people who have tried this diet said that they had experienced renewed and improved energy.

Even though this diet regimen promotes good health, it is not recommended to be used as a long-term diet program. This diet must only be done for few days, or else, it could result in health problems.

It is also essential to recognize that this diet has some side effects. Some people may experience a headache and nausea.

This is because they will be deprived of some nutrients and other food substances that their bodies are used to get every day.

This is very common especially among individuals who are used to high intakes of coffee and sweets. Others may also have some bouts of diarrhea. If ignored, this condition could lead to dehydration.

There are also others who might experience constipation. This usually happens if the diet practitioner eats plenty of fiber-rich foods and takes only a few glasses of fluids.

Food To Eat

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the highly recommended to be included in the Detox Diet.

This is due to the fact they contain high amounts of fiber and antioxidants which are effective body cleansers. Aside from that, they also contain a lot of nutrients that the body needs to boost detoxification.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and lettuce are known to detoxify the body effectively. Other dark green leafy vegetables are also considered very effective.

It is advisable to buy only fruits and vegetables that are organically grown. This means that they should be grown without any pesticides.

It is best if they are eaten raw. If there is a need to cook them, they should be either steamed or stir-fried.

There are other foods that you can enjoy in the Detox Diet. It is alright to add fish, lean meats and eggs to your food list.

However, they should be eaten in small portions. When it comes to fats, virgin olive oil and unprocessed coconut oil are advised to be used in all food preparations.

Food to Avoid

There are also food types that must be avoided during detoxification.

Grains like wheat, oats, barley, and rice are not advisable to be consumed because they are more often than not exposed to pesticides and other harmful chemicals during cultivation.

Sugar, dried fruits, and processed foods are also not part of the Detox Diet.

When it comes to beverages that must be avoided, coffee, soda, energy drinks, and alcohol are on top of the list. Except yogurt, milk and other dairy products are food types that must be avoided too.