Detox Diets in a Nutshell

Detox diets are designed to clean out toxins from the body that may have gotten there due to chemicals in food, chemicals in household products, drugs and environmental pollutants. If you eat a lot of junk food and/or hardly drink the recommended 8 glasses of water per day, a detox diet would be really beneficial to your body. The diet requires you to eat only healthy foods such as grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables.

Choose brown rice instead of white rice. Choose whole wheat pasta instead of white pasta. Avoid meat, including fish and chicken. Avoid all junk food including soda. Do not do any deep-frying. If you must use oil use healthier ones like olive oil and coconut oil. You may want to use spray oil as it contains less calories. Avoid any baked goods made with white flour, so no white bread. Choose whole-grain bread instead. You will be getting protein from nuts, seeds and legumes such as peas and beans.

Detox diets work because the body is continuously receiving a good amount of nutrients, allowing it heal. Detox diets are high in fiber, which acts like a broom and sweeps out toxins from the intestines. The stomach can not digest fiber so it goes straight to the intestines and does the cleansing. Fiber absorbs plenty of water so your stool will be soft and therefore come out of the body in a shorter amount of time. Say goodbye to constipation. Make sure you drink plenty of water to replenish your system.

Detox diets are not only great for healing the body but also for losing excess weight with greater ease. Fiber is known to cause one to feel full faster, and the feeling lasts longer. You won't need to eat as much to be satisfied as compared to a diet high in junk food or empty foods.

Some people recommend going on a fruit diet, juice fast or water fast as a detox diet or prior to one. I don't think this is really necessary. When on a fast the body is forced to feed on its reserves. You lose weight quickly and in the process, good bacteria in the stomach are lost. Once you go back to regular eating the weight comes back quickly and you'll likely be bloated for a few days after the fast. The body can detoxify without needing something as drastic as a fast. As long as a diet is high in fiber, the body will be able to clean itself out safely and efficiently. Detox diets have been know to lead to clear skin, better digestion, more energy and overall well-being.