Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

Here are some commonly asked questions I’ve had in regards to detoxification diets. Many people have heard of them, but not too many people really know exactly what they are or how they can benefit someone, so I’ve put some questions into an easy to read article here for anyone who is still wondering.

What is a detoxification diet?

A detoxification diet is a way to internally cleanse your body. Your system can hold up to 25 pounds of excess weight without you even knowing about it. A detoxification diet is simply a way to not only get rid of the excess body weight, but also the toxins and parasites that are found in that excess stuff. This is why it’s not only a way to clean out your body and feel much better than before, but also an almost instant weight loss diet. Detoxification diets are growing by leaps and bounds in popularity lately.

Are detoxification diets healthy?

When it comes to the detoxification of the body, there are a variety of different detoxification programs out there today. Many of the program out there follow seven day schedules, and many include a couple days of all liquids and then the rest of the days usually go on a diet that is very carefully planned. Another option is a juice fast that last from 3-7 days.

There are also cleansing supplement packages available, only drinking water all day one day a week and more. However, even after you go through a detox program, you should continue to work on cleansing your body with diet, your lifestyle, and supplements as well. So, here are a few ways that you can help your body to detoxify.

Add Fiber - One great way that you can help with the detoxification of the body is to eat plenty of fiber. Some of the best fiber includes brown rice, fruits and vegetables that are organically grown. Some great detoxifying fibrous foods include broccoli, seaweed, beets, cabbage, artichokes, chlorella, and radishes.

While the Western world has often taken a cynical view towards detoxification as a method of healing the body, an ancient medicinal art from India called Ayurveda has been prescribing detoxification and internal cleansing for thousands of years. They especially recommend it during the spring time, so your body can take part in the rebirth of nature.

Ayurveda believes in maintaining balance within the body. To achieve balance, one should not create a new imbalance in order to fix it. Therefore, internal cleansing should be quick so that impurities embedded in the tissues can be released without compromising or disturbing the quality and the functions of other organs and tissues in other parts of the body. Internal cleansing can be achieved alone or with a supervisor to guide you as you go through the fast. Performing a self-detox is not highly recommended, because the nature of the toxins in your body may be harder to release than you can imagine. Once the toxins manifest themselves in the form of fevers and body pain, you may need additional support to get through the cleansing process.

Juice fasting is becoming increasingly popular amongst health conscious individuals around the world. Juice fasting has been proven to eliminate harmful and poisonous toxins from out of the body and to leave the juice faster feeling, revitalised, rejuvenated and reinvigorated.

There are many fruits and vegetables that could be included in a juice fasting detoxification program. Some are more effective than others at clearing harmful toxins from your body, but some fruits and vegetables are more effective at achieving rapid weight loss. You need to decide what your main goal is for your juice fast before you begin to develop your own juice fasting recipes.

Here are a few juice fasting recipes that I consider to be some of the most effective (and some of the best tasting) recipes:

I call this one the ‘Brain Exciter’ as it really gets the brain pumping and fresh.

• 1 orange

• 1 pear

• 1 yam

• 1 grapefruit

• 1 apple

Peel the orange, the yam and the grapefruit. Cut everything into sections, juice and stimulate your brain with this juice!

I call this one ‘Energy Enhancer’ because it pumps your energy levels sky high immediately after drinking the juice.

Don’t you know that clay can be used in eliminating the toxins and other harmful chemicals which have been gradually deposited in our colons over the years? Finding it impossible to believe? Ingesting natural clay has been proven to be very effective in promoting internal cleansing. In fact, it has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties by over 200 indigenous cultures all over the world, most notably in South America, Africa and Australia.

Natural clay used by modern day practitioners of alternative medicine is more commonly known commercially as “bentonite clay”, “montmorillonite” or “Pascallite”. Technically, the clay is formed from the weathering of volcanic ash in the presence of water.

There are two available types of natural clay - sodium bentonite (swelling type) and calcium bentonite (non-swelling type). Sodium bentonite is primarily used for industrial purposes (examples are in the drilling mud for oil exploration, in closing up and sealing subsurface disposal systems for used nuclear fuel and other hazardous chemicals, etc.). The richest sources of sodium bentonite can be found mainly between South Dakota and Montana, in the Southwestern parts of the Unites States and in Greece.

Nowadays many detoxification programs are appearing on the market which are specifically designed and made for individuals of various ways of life. These programs may include herbal detoxification, sauna baths, juice diets and many others. Studies indicate that there are also a few detoxification programs that have direct effects on our liver and kidneys.

The Juice Diet Program

A traditional juice diet program will comprise of freshly made fruit and vegetables juices. It has been a leading choice for a long time, and a great alternative to water fasting since fruit and vegetable juice have alkalizing and uric acid neutralizing properties and other nutritional elements that out body requires. Fruits and vegetables can also be eaten, are easily digestible, packed with essential vitamins and give us a satiating feeling without the guilt.

Herbal Detoxification Program

Many individuals have labeled it a great choice for detoxification. It employs the natural healing power of a wide range of herbs that are very effective in cleansing our bodies of toxins. They can provide excellent detoxifying results when taken properly. These herbal supplements can come in the form of pills, tablets or most recently, in tea form. Examples are herbal teas made from dandelion root, cranberries and red beets. Studies have shown that herbal teas made from these ingredients have the ability to cleanse the liver and kidneys at the same time.

The body has a very sophisticated and complex detoxification system that is working on your behalf all the time so do you need to bother with programs and plans that tell you how to detox the human body?

Researchers are noting that in spite of advances in medical treatment people are getting diseases at younger ages for which there appears to be no answers at the moment. People are surviving longer but they are in the main not healthier. Diabetes, heart disease and cancer are all on the increase. Many scientists are questioning why this is happening. There is little research into what is the underlying cause of these and other degenerative disease.

There is no doubt that we are all constantly bombarded with toxins that our detoxification systems were not designed for. Although our bodies seem to have an amazing capacity for developing pathways or routes to get rid of some of these chemicals researchers have discovered that we are all now contaminated with chemicals that can persist for years interfering with how our bodies work. The more pronounced the build up the greater the capacity to disrupt the intricate and delicate mechanisms that keep the body functions running smoothly.

Feeling tired, body aching, mind wandering? Now is the time to detox your body. Detoxing is simply the process of removing poisonous substances from the body by cleansing the blood in the liver, via the kidneys, lungs, intestines and skin.

So how it is done? Here are some easy steps for a natural body detox:

The first step is to reduce the intake of certain foods that release toxins into your body - coffee, alcohol, saturated fats and refined sugar, as well as cigarettes. The next step is to cut back using personal products such as toothpaste, body cleansers and shampoo, as well as household cleaners and chemicals.

While there are several methods of detoxification, it is wise to choose a way that suits you best. Here are some examples:

Not everyone may have a full understanding of what the term body detoxification means. As most people are used to giving their bodies a good dose of harmful toxins and chemicals everyday with their daily activities, it is no surprise why body cleansing can be handy every now and then. Undergoing body detoxification on a regular basis can prove to be a very crucial move in keeping the body clean not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. We can therefore say that the whole procedure of cleansing the body using different methods is called detoxification. Body detoxification can take different forms and styles, and its benefits will be described in succeeding paragraphs.

What are the methods used in body detoxification?

There are numerous ways that people can choose when going under a full body detoxification program. Some will go about using a single method of detoxification, while some will employ the methods of several body detox programs in order to achieve the best results possible. Whichever methods are chosen, people deciding to get their bodies detoxified are taking the right step towards a better health.

Detoxification diets are those diets which help the body in restoring its condition by way of eliminating the toxic and harmful substances that got accumulated over a period of a few years. These detoxification diets have fast picked up with people belonging to all walks of life and are believed to endow great results for those who follow the process in a stringent manner. Detoxification diets are also popular as detox diets in its short form and help in evacuating the wastes from the body. Usually, these diets do not last for longer periods of time and are found to give favorable results if done for short duration only in terms of days.

Here are the benefits that one can derive out of going on a detox diet:

• One feels rejuvenated just a few days after being on the detox program as it helps in eliminating the impurities out of the body. There is an increase in the levels of energy.

• During the detox process, one has to consume a lot of water. And water has a terrific cleansing effect on the skin and the skin gets a new sheen as the cells get revitalized with increased intake of water levels into the body. Toxins are expelled out of the body in the form of urine and sweat.