Finding the right detox for you is a delicate matter that requires ample research and preferably a consultation with your doctor or dietician to customize a detox that suits your body's needs, especially if you have any current health conditions. When you detox, you can eliminate toxins from your body and repair your body's natural functions for optimal health. Some people do this regularly to prevent illnesses and cancer, while others detox to treat diseases.
Conventional Food
Fruits and vegetables are usually a large part of healthy, food-based detoxes. However, it is very important to consume only certified organic foods or foods grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers or genetic modification. According to What's On My Food, conventional foods typically are covered with an abundance of synthetic pesticides that can cause detrimental effects on your health and increase the amount toxins in your body. Since it increases toxins, conventional food is counter-productive to a detox.
Certified organic foods ensure that they are not genetically modified or engineered, as opposed to conventional food. The World Health Organization reports that genetically modified, or GM plants, cause a resistance to antibiotics, which may be passed to you if you eat them. One of the GM foods that is under public scrutiny is high fructose corn syrup or HFCS, which is now labeled as corn sugar is made from genetically modified corn.
Unhealthy Fats
Unhealthy fats include saturated fats especially partially hydrogenated oils, also called trans fats, as stated by the American Heart Association. Foods high in saturated fats are whole-milk dairy products and meat, especially red meat. Trans fats are typically found in fried fast foods and restaurants that reuse their oil to deep-fry foods, because it can turn normal vegetable oil into a trans fat. Margarine is primarily a trans fat, so avoid it, especially while detoxing.
Unhealthy Food Additives
Additives can be undesirable during a detox if they are artificial or toxic. Your body works at peak performance when you eat natural foods, because your liver works less to cleanse your body of artificial particles and toxins, according to Cornell College. A common food additive is found in certain baking powders as sodium-aluminum phosphate, processed cheeses, instant chocolate powder, cake mixes or cooking any food in aluminum pans. Aluminum is a metal that is toxic when ingested or continually used on your skin through certain anti-antiperspirant and cosmetics. It is known to cause impaired kidney and liver function, seizures and reduction in bone density, as stated by Dr. Anita Pepi. The Dr. Oz Show states that aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are toxic. Monosodium glutomate or MSG is another additive that is detrimental to your health and should be avoided, especially during a detox. According to an article in "The Huffington Post," MSG: Is This Silent Killer Lurking in Your Kitchen Cabinets?, can cause neurological diseases like Alzheimer's. Artificial flavor and colors are unnatural and should be avoided for your health, which is explained by the Dr. Oz Show.
References
- What's On My Food: About
- The World Health Organization: 20 Questions on Genetically Modified Foods
- American Heart Association: The Bad Fats Brothers
- Cornell College: What Processes Does the Liver Undergo to Remove Toxins?
- Dr. Anita Pepi: Aluminum Poisoning
- The Dr. Oz Show: Five Foods That Should Never Be in Your Grocery Cart
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