Is a Detox Diet Right for You?

One of the hot diet fads in 2009 is the detox diet trend. You might read about it in a gossip magazine, tune into a talk show on which your favorite movie star reveals how she lost her excess weight and became even more gorgeous by "detoxing," or browse through a book in the book store about magically losing weight with a detox diet.

The reality: detox diets can range from the simple, healthy food plans to fasting schemes that may be risky to individuals with certain health conditions. Some detox diet experts advocate a very simple approach, such as eliminating all the "white food" (white flour, white sugar) from your diet. Others go for an extreme plan, such as existing on a bizarre concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper! Some detox diets consist of fasting on only water or juice.

Warning: those extreme so-called detox diets can be extremely risky to your health, particularly if you have a condition such as diabetes.

The Healthy Way to Detox

Before you start any diet or change your current food plan, check with your health care provider. He or she can advise you on any special concerns that you should be aware of. Once they have approved your planned approach, consider this very simple detox diet plan. First, clean out your cupboards. Eliminate foods containing sugar and "hidden" forms of sugar such as corn syrup, honey, and fructose. Look at the ingredient lists closely. Foods filled with saturated fats, trans fats, white flour, and an excess of artificial sweeteners also should be tossed from your cupboards, freezers, and pantry.

Now, it's time to decide what to allow in your house. Choose primarily foods that are as close to nature as possible. Fresh vegetables, such as broccoli, zucchini, and cabbage; fresh fruit, such as apples, oranges, and pears, and whole grains, such as old-fashioned oatmeal, deserve to replace those now-forbidden foods. Your "detox" plan also can include fish, such as salmon, low-fat poultry, such as chicken without the skin (broiled or baked, not fried), low-fat or non-fat dairy, such as plain Greek yogurt, and healthy fats, such as small amounts of avocados and nuts.

Be sure to drink plenty of fresh water on your plan. You may also want to experiment with shifting from coffee to tea, if you are a coffee drinker. Green tea in particular has been shown by researchers to be good for the health.

No Deprivation

Feeling deprived without dessert? No need to despair! Consider, for example, fixing a fresh fruit salad of sliced apples, oranges, and pears, with fresh strawberries on top. Spoon some rich plain Greek yogurt on top, sprinkled with cinnamon . You can use herbs and spices with abundance, from ginger and cinnamon for your desserts to oregano, garlic, and curry powder for your vegetables and poultry. Experiment with different combinations. Your taste buds will delight in the variety -- and you'll forget all about feeling deprived!