If you’ve been struggling to lose weight for a long time now, it’s ideal to consider a detox diet. However, an understanding of the diet is necessary so as to ensure that your making the right decision.
A detox diet is basically a short term intervention which is designed to eliminate the toxins from inside your body. A detox diet involves a short period of fasting which is followed by a strict diet of vegetables, fruits, water and fruit juices.
At times it also includes teas, herbs, colon cleanses and supplements. A detox diet helps to rest the organs by fasting and promotes the elimination of toxins through urine, feces, and sweat.
It improves the circulation of blood and provides the body with much-needed nutrients. A lot of people opt for detox to simply get rid of the toxins from inside the body.
Detox therapies are recommended because of the exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment and in your diet. The chemicals include heavy metals, pollutants, and many other synthetic chemicals.
A detox can help you with a number of health problems like digestive issues, inflammation, bloating, autoimmune disease, obesity and chronic fatigue.
However, the impact of detox can vary from one individual to another and on their health conditions. If your choosing a detox to simply lose weight, you will have to follow the diet for a specific number of days and understand what you can eat and what you should avoid.
Common ways to detox
There are many different ways one can do a detox diet and this ranges from total starvation fast to modifications in food. Majority detox diets involve fasting for one to three days, eliminating foods which have heavy metals and allergens, drinking fresh fruit, water, smoothies, vegetable juices and only specific liquids like lemon juice.
In addition, it involves taking supplements, using colon cleanses, laxatives, exercising regularly, avoiding allergenic foods and completely eliminating coffee, alcohol, refined sugar and cigarettes.
These diets can vary in terms of the duration as well as intensity. However, avoiding refined sugar, allergenic foods, alcohol, caffeine, and cigarettes will remain an important part of the process, no matter the purpose of your detox. These foods have a huge impact on your health and body and should be avoided to live a healthy life.
What happens in the detox diet?
Your body is capable of cleansing itself through urine, liver, sweat, and feces. The liver will make toxic substances harmless and then will ensure that they are removed from the body. However, there are some chemicals which may not be as easy to remove by these processes. Hence they accumulate in the fat tissues in the body or in your blood and can take a long time for the body to flush it out. These compounds pile up inside your body and could have a huge impact on the weight and well being. They can be removed from the body through detox and it will make you feel stress-free and healthy.
How effective is a detox?
Many people feel more energetic and focused during and after the detox diet. This is due to the elimination of alcohol, processed foods and other unhealthy substances from the diet. With a detox, you can also get minerals and vitamins which were lacking in your body. Detox can have a powerful impact on weight loss. When you are on a detox, you manage to lose a lot of weight because of the loss of fluid and carbs. A detox can significantly reduce body weight, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and BMI. However, it also depends on the duration and intensity of the detox diet you choose. Since the diet involves calorie restriction, it will lead to weight loss and will also improve metabolic health.
Amy Bunton says that an important part of weight loss is avoiding all sugary drinks. Checking the labels of drinks is always a good idea, as many contain hidden sugar.
Here is how you can start with detox for weight loss;
Consume a lot of vitamin C in the diet because it contains a liver compound which helps flush all the toxins from your body.
Remain hydrated. Drink a lot of water during the day to achieve detoxification of the body. The more water you consume, the easier it will be for the body to remove the toxins through urine.
Take a few deep breaths for instant detox for the purpose of weight loss. It will help in better circulation in your body and will also relieve your mind and body of any stress.
Engage in physical activity because it will help eliminate toxins through perspiration. You need to remember that the majority of your weight loss journey is the diet and the remaining is physical activity. Hence, spend at least thirty minutes daily on an exercise you enjoy doing.
Take less stress because it can be harmful to your body. If you want to achieve success in your detox, avoid taking any stress.
Reduce your sugar intake and opt for detox drinks that have no sugar in them.
Include organic foods when you follow a detox diet so that it is not harmful to your body.
Always defend yourself from environmental pollutants like noise pollution and smoke because it can easily harm the system and your skin.
Children, diabetics, teenagers, pregnant women or anybody suffering from heart disease should avoid a detox diet. Additionally, the diet is not suitable for those who have physically demanding jobs or who participate in sports activities. You also need to understand that a detox diet will not give results overnight. You will have to follow the diet for a particular duration in order to achieve results. However, if you have a health condition or feel weak and uneasy during any stage of the diet, you need to contact a medical professional at the earliest.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
