Detox diets are designed to cleanse your liver, pancreas, kidneys and your blood, supposedly removing toxins from your body and leaving you in a healthier state. In all of these diets, you'll eliminate certain foods that interfere with the process for a specific amount of time as dictated by the diet program. According registered dietician Katherine Zeratsky in an article on the Mayo Clinic website, these detox diets have not been proven scientifically. In some cases, you may have some negative side effects, such as fatigue, dehydration, nausea and dizziness. Consult your doctor before starting on any diet.
Master Cleanse
The Master Cleanse Diet, also known as the Lemonade Diet, requires following a strict regime of fasting with nothing but a lemon concoction made with water, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Proponents of the diet claim that you'll rid your body of toxins in four days to two weeks if you follow the program as directed. To break your fast, you're advised to ease back into solid food, starting with vegetables and fruits.
Hallelujah Diet
The Hallelujah Diet requires eating 85 percent raw food and 15 percent cooked food each day, and the cooked food has to be eaten after your last meal of the day. You are not supposed to eat breakfast. Instead, you drink vegetable juice and barley grass. The faw foods you'll be able to eat include fresh fruit, oats, muesli, beans, sprouted lentils, sprouted mung beans, raw nuts and seeds, extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil and fresh herbs. Based on scripture verses, Rev. George Malkmus started this program after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. His tumor dissolved, and he gives credit to the program that detoxified his system and eliminated the toxins causing his cancer.
Some of the foods you'll avoid include sugar, most dairy, most soy products, processed foods, refined grains, meat, eggs, roasted nuts and seeds. You'll also want to eliminate hydrogenated oils, alcohol, coffee, tea, artificial sweeteners, salt and carbonated drinks from your diet.
Fat Flush Diet
Not only is the Fat Flush Diet a detox program, it is designed to help lose weight. Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman, the author of the book featuring this program claims that the Fat Flush Diet will help boost metabolism, reduce fluid retention and support weight loss. The diet is done in three phases. The first phase has a restricted calorie count of 1,100 to 1,200 calories per day for one to two weeks and doesn't allow certain foods such as alcohol, sugar, margarine, most oils and fats, bread, cereal, grains, starchy vegetables and dairy. The second phase is less restricted, and the calorie count goes up to 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day.
Once you lose the weight, you go on the maintenance phase with 1,500 calories or more. Gluten-free grains and some dairy products area allowed. Exercise is an essential part of this program. You are also required to get eight hours of sleep per night. Flushing the fluids and restricting your intake of food to what is on the approved list will help remove the toxins from your body, according to Dr. Gittleman.
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