Far too much of what we eat and drink these days is filled with ingredients that are not good for our health. Foods today are packed with synthetic ingredients, preservatives, artificial flavors—you name it. Nearly all these things are toxic at some level. Therefore, it is important to include a detox diet as part of your regular health routines.
Even some of the foods we buy that are allegedly healthy contain things like added hormones that are used in animal and plant production. A detox diet can work toward eliminating these things from your body and get you on a healthier path. A detox diet is designed to both give your body a rest from harmful and potentially toxic substances in your diet.
A sound detox diet will remove these toxins from the foods you eat. It will also help your body flush toxins out by accelerating natural processes like liver function.
Before entering a detox diet, you must make certain that the detox diet regimen you choose not only accomplishes the goals of cleansing your system but also provides you with sound nutrition. This guide is designed to give the best information for going on a detox diet that provides maximum health benefits and sets your body on a cleaner and healthier path.
What Is a Detox Diet?
A detox diet is most often a short-term dietary procedure designed to remove toxins from your diet and to assist your body in eliminating toxins from your body.
Many detox diets include a period of fasting followed by a strict program of fruits and vegetables, juices from both fruits and vegetables, and water. Many detox diets also include teas, nut milk, and supplements designed to help natural processes like liver and excretory functions.
There are a few detox diets and protocols that call for things like colon cleanses and enemas.
The purposes of a detox diet are to remove toxins from the diet and the body and to stimulate natural physiological functions that cleanse the body. Specifically, a detox diet works to:
- Give your organs a break.
- Stimulate liver function.
- Facilitate elimination through urine, feces, and sweat.
- Improve circulation
- Boost nutrients in your body.
Keep in mind that many things we eat that are meant to be healthy may still contain toxins that accumulate over time. Even if you maintain a healthy diet you still can benefit from a detox diet.
Some of the benefits of a detox diet include improved digestion, alleviate inflammation, and may protect against many serious chronic diseases.
Detox Diet vs. Cleanse
A detox diet is frequently confused with a cleanse. While these things are similar and are both methods for achieving similar goals, they are in fact quite different.
A cleanse does more than simply eliminate unhealthy food and food products. A cleanse typically consists primarily of fluids in the form of fruits and vegetable juices, fiber, and phytonutrients designed to bolster your natural physiological processes while boosting the elimination of toxins.
A cleanse strips down what you consume to the most elemental nutrients to give your liver and other body functions a break.
Detox diets, on the other hand, can and often does include certain foods in addition to juices. The key difference between a detox diet and cleanse is that a detox diet is specifically programmed to work toward the elimination of specific toxins. The kinds of things you eat and drink are targeted toward liver and kidney function, for example, in order to remove toxins.
Common Ways to Detox
The first step for a detox diet is to remove the sources of toxins. Begin by cutting out things like caffeine, alcohol, and certainly nicotine. These are the chief toxins people typically consume and the cumulative effects of these chemicals are dangerous.
The next step for any detox regimen is to focus on whole organic foods. For many people, this may be the most important gift you can give your body. Eliminate all processed foods, especially things like processed sugars.
Other simple detox tips include beginning your day with something as simple as lemon juice. Simple lemon water can flush your system, and lemon also contains electrolytes in the forms of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Lemon also helps your liver produce enzymes that aid digestion and break down toxins. Plus, the vitamin C in the lemon is a powerful antioxidant which will absorb and neutralize dangerous free radicals.
There are also some detox teas that are widely available. Dandelion and Milk Thistle teas cut down on the buildup of toxins. These teas also contain ingredients that stimulate the repair of liver cell tissue. Avoid teas that claim to be “detox” teas since many of these products contain things like appetite suppressants which can be yet another source of toxicity.
Beyond these simple remedies, a comprehensive detox diet that sets out a program for meal plans is the most effective way of detoxing. These diets will require serious research and planning.
How Effective Are These Diets?
The science of detox diets is somewhat limited, but at least one study showed that detox diets can produce some real results. One study of women found that a rigorous detox diet resulted in significantly reduced body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference, markers of inflammation, insulin resistance, and circulating leptin levels.
These results show real promise for the overall effects of detox diets. The effects found in this study demonstrate benefits for the entire body. Everything from liver function to mental health improves with a sound detox diet.
Detox Benefits
There are numerous benefits of a detox diet. Since our diets impact virtually every aspect of our bodies, including our minds, a detox diet stands to benefit the entire body and mind. Some of the principal benefits of a detox diet include:
Digestive Health
Everything we eat has an impact on our digestive system. When we are consuming toxic and harmful chemicals, our digestive system is perhaps the first thing to suffer. Detox diet cleanse the digestive system while providing foods that are simple in molecular structure and therefore easy to breakdown. The benefits to digestion are two-fold: the system gets a rest, and the processes it needs to perform are vastly simplified.
Control Cravings
We see above that a detox diet can help you lose weight. In addition to the weight loss, a detox diet can help you stay fit by controlling cravings. By relying largely on the liquids that characterize much of a detox diet, your body becomes accustomed to lower intake and slower easier metabolic load. Over time, your cravings for foods will decrease.
Increased Energy
The toxins we take in every day create a burden for your liver. With the liver working too hard you will begin to feel fatigued. By decreasing toxins you take in and simultaneously cleaning your body of built-up toxins, the liver begins to work more efficiently and this is passed on to your entire body in the form of more energy.
Improved Mental Health
Hormones are involved with all physiological functions. One of the primary ways hormones are regulated in our bodies is through our diet. One hormone specific associated with stress is cortisol which increases with our stress levels. A detox diet reduces the stress load on the liver which in turn allows the liver to process and eliminate cortisol. The net benefit is decreased stress and a profound decrease in the physiological effects of stress. What is more, the more egregious toxins like alcohol and caffeine are linked to things like fatigue and poor sleeping patterns. These have a negative effect on our mental health. By eliminating these things through a detox diet and giving your body the added boost, you need to process these toxins in the body, you will experience better sleep, more energy, and an overall better emotional state.
Safety and Side Effects
As with any other rigorous diet or exercise plan, there are potential side effects and health risks associated with a detox diet. Since a detox diet necessarily consists of a severe calorie restriction, you may experience things such as fatigue, irritability, and even bad breath. These side effects will ease over time as your body adjusts to the detox diet.
For long-term detox diets, people may suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. These can be alleviated with supplements.
The best way to guard against these side effects is to follow a detox diet plan from a professional. There are professional detox diets that are designed to account for the kinds of deficiencies that lead to these side effects.
Detox FAQS
What is a detox diet?
A detox diet is most often a short-term dietary procedure designed to remove toxins from your diet and to assist your body in eliminating toxins from your body. Some detox diets also include teas, nut milk, and supplements designed to help natural processes like liver and excretory functions.
What is the difference between a detox diet and a cleanse?
A detox diet is a rigorous diet program that is designed to both eliminate toxins from your food and to assist the body's natural processes of processes and eliminating toxins. A cleanse is a short-term program that consists primarily of fruit and vegetable juices designed to clean toxins from the body.
What does a detox diet accomplish?
A detox diet will give your organs a break, stimulate liver function, assist with elimination, and give your body a boost of nutrients.
Are detox diets effective?
Yes. There is clinical evidence to show that a sound detox diet can remove toxins from your body, give your liver a boost, and restore health.
What are the benefits of a detox diet?
A detox diet can help you lose weight, restore proper liver function, boost your mental health, and combat inflammatory conditions.
Are there side effects of a detox diet?
Yes. A detox diet can cause things like intestinal problems. In some cases, a detox diet can lead to vitamin deficiencies.
Spartan Detox Plan
As noted above, most of the side effects of a detox diet can be avoided or alleviated by using a sound professional detox plan. Certainly, there are plenty of things out there that will profess to give you a detox diet plan. But it is best for your overall health to go with a detox diet plan that has science and experience behind it.
The best detox diet plan available is the Spartan Detox Plan. Spartan offers several plans designed to meet your specific needs. Whether your goal is to lose weight or to bolster your immune system, Spartan Detox provides plans that include the juices and smoothies that will help you meet your goals.
Spartan Detox Plans are made from natural juices and smoothies are prepared every day using the best quality fruits outdoors offering an exceptional taste and drink experience that will help your body feel energetic.
Spartan Detox also provides support through your detox programs.
Conclusion
It is clear that our contemporary diets too frequently contain high levels of additives that are toxic. Everything from dyes and flavorings to preservatives and flavor enhancers, the food we eat currently is filled with toxic substances. Even many of the things that adults consume that are considered relatively harmless can become toxic over time. Coffee and alcoholic beverages are two of the worst offenders. All these toxins will eventually have a negative effect on our bodies and minds.
A good detox diet is one solution to the toxins that weigh us down. A detox will first remove the toxins from what you eat. Obviously, the best cure is prevention, and a detox diet simply eliminates toxins from your diet. Second, a detox diet makes it possible for your body to recover from the strain and damage of all these toxins.
By giving your liver and digestive system a much-needed break, a detox diet makes it possible for these systems to rest and heal. This allows them to function more effectively and further eliminate toxins from the body.
A sound and healthy detox diet will give you enhanced energy levels which improves your mental health. A detox diet will increase liver function and digestive function. All of this leads to a much healthier body and mind.
