According to a feature in TODAY, “there’s no real definition” of what a detox diet is.
Recently, the most popular type of detox diet has been juice cleansing, but there are many other types of detox dieting, including only eating raw food, taking days and sugars out of your diet, or not eating gluten.
According to a dietitian on TODAY, “it’s important to free your body of harmful toxins and chemicals, but my ideal way of cleansing is to use real food to help your body do the job it’s designed to do.”
What most people don’t realize is that the human body’s internal systems are naturally designed to continuously detox.
The dietitian believes that “instead of starving your body through a liquid diet to combat toxins, I believe in feeding it with nutritious, naturally cleansing foods that help heal it.”
Through perspiration, urine, and bowel motions, our liver, skin, urinary system, and GI tract work to cleanse our bodies. Weight gain, headaches, dull skin, exhaustion, reduced immunity, and aches and pains are just a few of the health issues that can arise as toxins build up in our bodies. The cleansing process may aid in the removal of harmful toxins from the body.
The simplest approach to stay cleansed is to eat a diet rich in greens, vegetables, fruit, and healthy fats on a regular basis. Eating a high-fiber, high-water diet, as well as avoiding all packaged and processed foods, will assist your body as it cleanses itself naturally and continuously.
Many people associate detoxes and cleanses with weight reduction. However, excessive cleansing, such as a liquid or extremely low-calorie diet, can deplete critical nutrients, lead to electrolyte loss, lethargy, headaches, and nausea.
This is why, according to TODAY, liquid-only “cleanses” and “detoxes” are not recommended for certain people, such as those who have low blood sugar, diabetes, or have a history of “yo-yo dieting.”
More extreme cleanses may set you up for failure by lowering your metabolism and making you crave everything you’ve just given up, as well as depriving your body of crucial nutrients.
Make sure to be safe while dieting by consulting with your doctor and doing your research.
