A cleansing diet is designed to help clear the gastrointestinal tract and especially the colon. Nearly all detox diets focus on helping the large intestine function more efficiently, as many people complain of irregular and infrequent bowel movements. By consuming an internal cleansing diet, you can help reestablish the healthy pattern of daily elimination. The idea is to eat a widely varying, whole-foods diet that provides nutrition and fiber to encourage internal cleansing. The American Cancer Society recommends healthy adults drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water daily to assist digestion and elimination.
Fruit
Consume fresh and dried fruits of all kinds. Especially good are apples, as they contain pectin, which helps to soften stool and improve elimination. Papaya is also excellent because it contains papain, an enzyme that assists digestion. The same is true for pineapple, which provides bromelain, a powerful digestive enzyme. If irregularity is an issue for you, consume dried prunes, figs, raisins and apple rings. Consuming fresh bananas are also good for helping to prevent constipation. Watermelon, honey dew, cantaloupe, pears, plums, grapes, blueberries, blackberries and gooseberries provide antioxidant vitamins and have a high water content and assist internal cleansing.
Vegetables
Eat whole vegetables that provide soluble and insoluble fiber to help shorten the transit time for waste to move through the gastrointestinal tract and clear the colon. Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts provide roughage. Carrots, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, snow peas and bitter melon have important antioxidant vitamins and the insoluble fiber to prevent irregularity.
Psyllium Seed Husks, Flax Seed
Consume special foods that will help cleanse the GI tract, including psyllium seed husks and ground flax seed. Psyllium seed husks absorb many times their weight in water and move through the GI tract, acting like an "intestinal brush" to sweep out waste. Ground flax seeds provide essential fatty acids important for the endocrine system and fiber. Wheat and rice bran can be purchased as a bulk food in health food stores and sprinkled over cooked grain or vegetables for additional fiber, too.
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