Detoxification diets purport to clean the body of toxins acquired through exposure to processed food and environmental pollutants. Some detox diets claim they can also help you lose weight---in a very short period of time. Detox diets vary in their prescription---ranging from whole foods diets focusing on particular nutrients to near fasts that require herbal supplementation. A healthy, nutritionally sound detox diet might just help contribute to your overall feeling of wellness and jump start a healthful weight loss program.
Significance
People have used detox diets for hundreds of years to symbolize a fresh start and create a sense of health. Many diets incorporate the idea of detox to sell their program. The "Fat Flush Diet," "Detox for Women," "4 Week Detox Plan" and "Eat, Stop, Eat" are just a few. Toxins bombard us every day---in the form of pollution, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, shampoos and beauty products, food additives and cigarettes. Poor dietary choices with an excess of dietary fat, caffeine, alcohol, refined grains and table sugar also pollute our bodies. Sensitive people can attribute feelings of fatigue, skin eruptions, allergies and sluggishness to the presence of these toxins in the body. A detox diet intends to help the body shed these pollutants to give you a fresh start and a renewed feeling of health.
Features
There is no one definition of a detox diet---but most do share certain features. Detox diets ask you to abstain from certain foods---particularly processed foods, caffeine and alcohol---and include other specific nutrients to help flush out the system. Juice fasts, the master cleanse (using the concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper), and raw food diets all can be classified as detoxification diets. Detox does not mean you have to abstain from all food, however---rather, you should clean up your diet and lifestyle to enhance feelings of health. Some diets merely ask that you eat organic produce to reduce exposure to pollutants, limit your consumption of red meat and stay away from sugar and white flour. Certain foods like lemon, celery and asparagus are often recommended to help reduce water retention. Highly nutritious foods with an abundance of fiber are also stressed. Detox diets, particularly those selling weight loss, sometimes recommend specific herbal supplements to assist the body with its cleanse.
Benefits
Although many embark on detox diets to stimulate weight loss, the real benefits of detoxification rest in better health. Advocates of detox diets claim they feel more energized, experience mental clarity and look healthier and brighter through skin, hair and nails. A detox diet that emphasizes produce and other nutritious foods will help balance your diet and may help resolve issues with your digestive system. Detox diets may help spur a better overall approach to eating, which will lead to weight loss in the long term.
Considerations
The body already possesses a powerful system to cleanse our systems, but proponents of detoxification claim their diets assist the kidneys, lymph, liver and intestines in this process. No substantial medical research supports the need to use detox diets to assist these systems. Detox diets may cause unpleasant side effects like headaches, diarrhea and gas. If you go back to eating poorly right after your detox diet, any weight you do lose is likely to return quickly. Many of the claims of diets that use "detox" in their title are over exaggerated and unfounded.
Warning
A nutritionally sound approach to detoxification, which asks you simply to exclude processed food and focus on vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins can be helpful to your overall health. Beware of programs that restrict eating or recommend certain supplementation, however. Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and you must research them first to be sure they are safe for your consumption. People with specific nutritional needs---particularly children, pregnant and nursing women and the elderly---should be cautious when undertaking a detox diet. Avoid plans that overly restrict your eating because they could cause nutritional deficiencies and weakness. Be realistic about your expectations for weight loss when undergoing a healthful detox program---if a magic formula that erased tons of weight in a few days existed, obesity would not be a problem.
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