Body cleanse diets claim to flush toxins from the various organs, the blood and the digestive system. Due to increased public scrutiny of airborne pollutants, toxic materials in household items and food containers, and contaminated foods and water, a detoxification diet has enormous appeal. Some people schedule regular cleanses, others use a cleanse to jump-start a weight loss diet.
History
Cleansing diets, especially versions of fasting, are disciplined withdrawals from habitual eating practices. Interrupting the normal diet or foregoing food has been used throughout history for religious purposes and for healing. Cleansing the body was thought to open the way to enlightenment in some Eastern cultures. Early physicians used a variety of mono-diets, herb concoctions and simple fasts to give the body a rest, eliminate bad humors and help cure disease.
Simple Juice Cleansing
Juice cleansing is something of an art form, with specific equipment and recipes to heal a variety of ills. Juicing involves squeezing fresh fruit or vegetable juices and consuming them immediately for highest nutritional value. A good juicer is recommended to extract the liquid and separate the pulp or fiber, and there are specific juicers for citrus fruits. The idea behind juice fasting is that when a fruit is in juice form, vitamins and enzymes are immediately absorbed by the body, to cleanse the organs and restore vigorous good health.
Popular Diets
Cleansing trends get a popularity boost when celebrities use them to prepare for movie roles or take off baby weight. The Master Cleanse is a two-week detox that substitutes a "lemonade" of spring water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for all meals and snacks. Mornings start with a mug of sea salt in warm water and evenings end with a laxative tea, both to speed cleansing. The Model Detox Diet calls for only juiced, raw, steamed or frozen organic fruits and vegetables, no exceptions. Smoothies, pureed soups, juices and green tea are recommended as a permanent cleansing and weight control diet.
Benefits
A simple cleansing diet does give the digestive system a rest and the increased liquid intake can help to speed normal elimination. Drinking pure juices or eating only unprocessed or lightly cooked fruits and vegetables rules out unhealthy foods like added sugars and trans fats. A cleansing diet can clear skin, promote weight loss, relieve constipation and speed recovery from bronchial conditions and colds. Nutritionist Dr. Elson Haas says detox diets and cleansings can alleviate addictions, restore mental clarity, renew energy and give the liver, gall bladder and kidneys a rest.
Health Concerns
Harvard University School of Medicine reports that risks of severe cleansing diets include dehydration, impaired bowel function, electrolyte imbalance and a disruption of the healthy intestinal flora necessary for normal digestion. Harvard further cautions that repeated use of the Master Cleanse diet, for example, risks a condition of excessive blood acidity called metabolic acidosis, which can result in coma and death. They recommend switching to a healthier diet instead of extraordinary efforts to cleanse toxins.
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