The Detox Diet Lowdown
What is all of this cleansing hype and is it worth it?
From fasting, to making vegatable smoothies, to eating strictly organics, some people will go out of their way to detoxify their bodies for a clean start to the new year.
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season sometimes makes us forget about the food we shovel into our mouths this time of year. Here and there we tend to indulge on an extra slice of apple pie or sugar cookies but sometimes the extras can add up. Sure people worry about gaining weight from eating but what about the long-term effects?
Toxic Sludge
A person who is 50 years old has spent 50 years eating, drinking, and breathing in the air around them. The more exposure to life; the greater the chance that toxins have entered their body. According to the book “Detox,” by Sara Rose, A toxin is anything that is irritating or has harmful effects in our bodies and can be anything from pesticides from fruits and veggies, air pollutants, refined sugar and salt, alcohol, and caffeine.
Relentlessly our bodies work to eliminate these toxins through the liver, the lymph system, kidneys, skin, and the digestive system. These processes work together to detect harmful chemicals in our blood and body fluids and expel them. Over time, these organs can accumulate a bunch of toxic gunk and become over-worked. This is the purpose of a detox diet. Many claim that once the majority of the detox is completed you will have renewed energy, a cleaner liver, a leaner and healthier body, a better sense of self, and even eliminate some chronic diseases.
Types of Detox: No Food, Some Food, or Organic Food
No Food
The most common kind of detox is a fluid diet where no food is consumed. Popular among celebrities is the “Lemonade Diet” created by Stanley Burroughs in 1941. For the duration of the detox, which is 10-40 days, a person should drink a mixture of organic grade A maple syrup, fresh lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. At night a laxative tea should be taken and a saltwater flush in the morning. Hungry? Not necessarily. People who have claimed to last more than ten days on this program complained of hunger and headaches in only the first two days, but have also claimed to feel better than they have in years after reaching the six-day mark. There are also other versions of liquid cleanses with different combinations of natural sugars, vitamins and minerals, and spring water. Want to learn more, visit www.therawfoodsite.com/mastercleanse.
Some Food
For those who want a little more substance there is an option of drinking purees. There are a variety of cleansing programs that incorporate pureed fruits and vegetables into a routine without the salt flushes and laxatives. A cleanse called “The PH Miracle,” incorporates vegetables like kale, spinach, parsley, celery, cucumber, broccoli, wheat grass, etc. into smoothie-like drinks and raw soups. This cleanse also allows supplements to be used to avoid any nutritional deficiencies. Visit www.SnyderHealth.com/cleanse.htm to learn more.
Organic Food
The third type of detox program consists of a minimizing diet of simple and pure-organic foods. No alcohol or caffeine can be consumed and only small amounts of sugar and salt. The diet recommends using sea-salt and sugar in-the-raw if used at all. The diet focuses on the detoxifying benefits of “superfoods” which are mostly vegetables, fruit, wheat-free grains, nuts and seeds, and fish. In eliminating meats, wheat, and dairy from daily consumption stomach acidity changes and allows food to digest easily. The body’s energy can then be used towards other processes in the body such as healing and restoration.
While some cleanses remain controversial as to whether they flush vital nutrients along with toxins, there has been much positive feedback as well. Try one out yourself and see!
