Detox diets 101:

Why should you try doing a homemade detox?

Whether you want to lose weight or just feel better, believers in detox diets swear by its ability to rid the body of harmful toxins and reset your body. You do this by eliminating certain dietary vices, such as sugar, processed foods, alcohol and cigarette smoke from your daily life. The idea is that our bodies cannot deal with the overload of chemicals that come from processed foods, so we need to flush them out.

Detox diets are for people who have unexplained fatigue, irritated skin, are bloated or find it hard to concentrate. There is a vast array of ways to detoxify out there, and it can feel a bit overwhelming to choose the best one. However, the majority of detoxification methods will support these general principles:

• Reducing the amount of chemicals we consume. Most diets just focus on organic food, fruits vegetables and water, but others suggest including herbs and supplements or may not include food at all.
• Basing your diet on foods that give you vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to help your body detox.
• Foods that are also high in fibre and water, so that your bowel movements are regular and more frequent. This is a practical way in which your body detoxes.

There is a lot of coverage around the pros and cons of detoxing. What’s important to remember when committing to a homemade detox is to use your common sense, stay healthy and consult your doctor first if you have any health concerns.

Many people try going on detox diets in order to lose weight (or trying to get a six pack fast), if they feel that a balanced diet and regular exercise isn’t working. Detoxing has benefits beyond this, namely in boosting your general well-being but here is a comprehensive list of the main ones:

Losing weight

Detox diet plans are calorie-restrictive, and cut out food groups like diary, replacing them with fruit and vegetables. This is why they often work in the short-term as we tend to have less calorie intake. We often tend to look at the formula for losing weight as being, calorie intake < Calorie expenditure, but there is more to it than that.

Research suggests that the science behind detoxing is based on the fact that chemicals, from things such as pesticides that are added to non-organic foods, can be deposited in our fat cells. They also remove empty calories from our diet. Calories in sugar lead to a spike in insulin, is highly addictive and won’t fill you up, which can cause you to over eat. Therefore, eliminating it may help curb this addiction by re-programming your eating habits.

It’s important to remember that detoxes shouldn’t be seen as a quick fix. A detox is short term but it can lead the way to a permanent and healthy way of living, with new and improved dieting habits.

Change your eating habits for good

A detox is a great way to change your eating habits as well as the way you think about food. Willpower alone is rarely enough to help your diet and rid of addictions, as you are more likely to give into cravings. Detoxing is essentially telling your brain and taste buds to forget fries, and helps to get you in the swing of some good habits and a new lifestyle.

Improve metabolism

This benefit is pretty obvious, as a detox is making your digestive system work harder. Detoxing once or twice a year clears out toxins to make bowel movements more frequent. It’s important to avoid severe detoxes and stick to healthy ones. Detoxing is a great way how to boost your metabolism.

Increase energy levels

Most people who follow their detox diets report that they feel more energized. The bottom line here is you feel full of life because of where your calories come from. Eating fruit and vegetables gives you a natural boost without the resultant crash that comes from refined sugars, caffeine and trans fat. The focus on hydration means you feel more energetic than if you usually don’t drink enough water.

Glowing skin

Some people state that they have brighter, clearer skin following a detox cleanse. As our skin is our largest organ, this follows the general line of argument that detoxing helps our organs function. We have always been told that eating junk food gives us spots, now by consuming the right nutrients we are giving our skin a natural glow.

Manage stress

Claimed benefits of detoxing are not just physical ones. They can also help you manage stress. The chemicals that we keep talking about, found in things like cigarettes, alcohol and excessive caffeine consumption can contribute to adrenal fatigue. Adrenals support our body’s ability to cope with every day stress and to stay calm. Therefore, a detox cleanse could help these glands rejuvenate and give our minds a much needed break.

Increased concentration

Alongside this, it can make us feel more alert after taking part in one of the detox diets listed below. A large part of this comes from drinking excess water, which is the essence of what our brains need to function. Also, the diet side of things can help lift the sluggish feeling that comes from indulging in junk food and combat any mental fatigue.

Which homemade detox should you try?

If you feel that a detox may suit you and your lifestyle and want to give it a try, you now need to decide which one is for you.

Some detoxes eliminate whole food groups, and some focus on a specific drink that they feel can cleanse your body.

A common form of detox comes in cleansing. A colon cleanse does what it says on the tin. Our colons usually function adequately, but sometimes they may need some help. The simplest at-home method is to increase your fibre and water intake to help your body flush out all these toxins. An example of this is the six day cleanse detox which consists of distilled water, organic apple cider vinegar and aloe vera juice, alongside small and healthy snacks such as raw vegetables. Search online for one that suits your taste pallet but we recommend that you take an organic, nutrient-dense superfood such as moringa powder to help contribute towards your daily vitamin requirements.

Other forms of cleaning detoxes include Liver cleanse/liver detox. Our livers are vital in getting rid of toxins from our body by cleaning our blood, and they work over-time for people who drink excessively. There are many insane supplements out there that claim to support your liver but experts warn that some could actually harm you.

A safe way to cleanse your liver is to eat cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and brussel sprouts. These are great because they contain compounds which eliminate toxins called glucosinolates. Avoiding preservatives and salt by eating clean foods will help your liver function well.

The idea of drinking warm lemon juice infused water is one of the most predominant, firmly rooted detox diets out there. Lemon water is believed to help your liver, by increasing the production of bile, and helping to boost your immune system. There are suggestions that it also supports digestion as the acid in lemons is similar to that in your stomach, which speeds up digestion. This can help you feel lighter and prevent the uncomfortable and often painful cramps that come with constipation.

Lemons are also good at helping the body absorb more iron, which is good at supporting the immune system. They can also help clear your unitary tract, curb your appetite and make your breathe fresher. Lemons can be seen as miracle fruit as they also have antiseptic, antioxidant and anti-aging properties.

The general method of lemon water detoxing is:

• 1 (8 oz) glass of warm filtered water
• ½ of a freshly squeezed lemon

Green tea (and other detox teas)

With all popular detox plans, the ingredients are natural, and green tea or other detox teas are no exception. This means your body will benefit from the lack of added chemicals that are in most foods. Green tea also contains antioxidants and is a fat burner. It’s well known within the weight loss community for its ability to increase metabolism. A quick metabolism means more calorie expenditure, therefore even if your calorie intake was to stay the same, you could still lose weight.

As an anti-oxidant, green tea can fight free radicals in our bodies, which can combat cancer. This also helps boost your immunity, which benefits your general well-being. Make sure you chose a green tea that is natural and organic, and be sure to work your detox plan around it and stick to it.

There is some of the benefits of why you should try a cleanse detox or any of the detox diets, and hopefully it has given you some pointers if you want to try a homemade detox for yourself.