I'm sure you are conversant with the detox diet trend. They claim to remove toxins from your body, improve liver function and so on, but I will like to tell you some facts, so if you decide to go ahead with a detox programme, you know what what to expect and how best to go about it.
Before we go on, let's define some terms. Detoxify means to remove toxins from and a toxin is any substance that can be poisonous or cause negative health effects. “Toxin” refers to all the metals, chemicals, pollutants, artificial food ingredients, pesticides, and poisons that cause the body harm. Toxins can be of artificial or natural origin, for example the venom of a snake is a toxin and is natural.
Myth: Detox diets remove toxins from your body
Fact: your liver, kidney and white blood cells are there to do this. Eating only fruits and vegetables cannot "remove toxins". What it can however do is help to clear your colon, so you feel lighter. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables means you'll be getting in a lot of fiber and water, making it bowel movement easier and more frequent.
The feeling of "cleansing" people get after the detox, is from the fact that they feel lighter and energized. Not because the diet removed "toxins" from their body.
Also because you are eating mostly or sometime only fruits and vegetables, you'll likely be consuming calories less than your needed allowance, allowing you to lose some weight.
The lighter feeling in your belly, the loss of a few pounds are sure to get you feeling really great, and that is what people mistake for the feeling of being "cleansed".
My Advice: I generally don't see the need to punish yourself eating just fruits and vegetables or drinking their juices. However, if you do have a serious case of constipation, finding it difficult to use the bathroom, then you can consider it; and when you do, please no more than 3 days.
If you really want to help your body detox, below are a few things you can do. Please consider them a lifestyle, not something you do for a couple of weeks and stop. You only reap the benefits when you do them, when you stop you are only hurting all your previous efforts.
- Reduce the amount of "toxins" you actually consume. You can do this by reducing the amount of packaged foods and fast foods you consume, choose organic foods (foods that not grown with artificial fertilizers) if you afford or have access to them.
- Exercise helps you maintain a healthy body. It helps you sweat, and you release toxins in your sweat through your skin.
- Eating a healthy diet helps you build a healthy immune system that helps you fight disease causing organisms and other foreign bodies.
- Drink lots of water!!!
If your goal is to lose weight, you can lose weight on a healthy diet, and that will involve you eating all classes of food and not leave you starving. If you need help with this, find out more here, or contact us here.
So have you tried a detox diet before? If you have please share your experience and thoughts and if you haven't I'll like to know your thoughts on this.