Information On The Detox Foods Diet

Eating a diet of fresh, organic, raw foods is a healthy way to detoxify and lose weight, says Natalia Rose, author of "The Raw Foods Detox Diet." In fact, the short version of her message is this: Waste equals weight. Rose says her book can teach you to achieve a dietary balance that eliminates this waste and weight without requiring you to eat a 100 percent raw food diet. Always consult a health care professional before trying a new diet.

Theories/Speculation

Rose asserts that you can achieve a healthy weight and a youthful appearance by having clean, waste-free cells in your body as opposed to a body riddled with toxins that are difficult to eliminate. The modern diet and environment pump your body full of materials that are not easily eliminated. Such materials contribute to aging as well as physical and mental ills along with weight gain, under Rose's theory.

Getting Started

To lose weight and gain health you must stop poisoning your cells. The first step is to consume what Rose calls "transition foods," many of which you can continue to eat in other stages of this diet. These foods include sprouted grain bread, raw almond butter, whole-grain pasta and raw flaxseed crackers. The author specifies which brands of these foods you must buy.

Features

After taking that first step, the cornerstone of this diet is consuming raw veggies and fruits. Dried fruits, raw seeds, raw nuts, avocado, olive oil, goat cheese and raw substitutes for health bars, cookies, crackers and breads also are featured. In some phases you also get brown rice, soups and vegetarian pasta, note the Every Diet website. Raw, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower also are commonly found in the initial phases of other detox diets, such as Ann Louise Gittleman's "Fast Track Detox Diet."

Time Frame

You will go through five levels in this diet. You consume varying amounts of raw foods on each level. You go at your own pace, so the time frame varies from dieter to dieter. You move on to each new level once you've adjusted to the current level you are on. Level five is the most lenient, with just 75 percent of the foods you consume being raw. Level one is the most restrictive. You get raw vegetables, fruits and juices during the day and consume a raw vegan meal for dinner during level one. You get salmon once a week during this level, however.

Considerations

As opposed to liquid fasting diets that are meant to rapidly cleanse and detoxify your body, Rose says her plan gently detoxifies your body. The slower pace is meant to minimize the chances for uncomfortable side effects, notes the Every Diet website. Side effects of liquid detox diets, which are essentially fasting diets, can include fatigue, muscle aches, nausea and headaches, according to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. No matter what type of detox diet you try, you should be aware that scant evidence exists that such diets can really eliminate toxins from your body, according to MayoClinic.com.