Designed to promote whole-body health, a detox diet is a short-term program focused on eliminating environmental and dietary toxins from your system. Although there are many different types of detox diets, most focus on decreasing your intake of potentially harmful chemicals and increasing foods that aid the body in cleansing. By clearing toxins from your body, you may raise your energy levels, stimulate your digestive health, and improve your concentration. Considering the touted benefits, it's easy to see why a detox diet might be appealing to some -- but there are important things to consider before jumping in.
Is a Detox Diet Right for You?
If you're considering a detox diet, it's important to consult with your doctor prior to starting. People with certain health conditions (such as anemia, diabetes, and kidney disease) should either avoid this diet or perform detox only under the supervision of a health care provider. The detox diet is also unsafe for pregnant or nursing women.
People who are constantly exhausted and have low blood pressure may have a syndrome not recognized by most traditional doctors, but identified and treated by holistic and alternative doctors, called adrenal weakness or fatigue. A detox diet can be done, but it’s recommended after a person has rested and replenished their adrenal glands holistically through herbs, diet, and other natural remedies. Take the Adrenal Fatigue Quiz.
Learn more about doing a detox diet safely.
How to Prepare for a Detox Diet
Before you begin your detox diet, you need to get your body ready for optimal cleansing. Here's how:
1) Give Your Diet a Mini-Makeover
Some foods can interfere with the liver's ability to detoxify your body, which could impair your detox efforts. For one to two weeks leading up to your detox diet, try to eliminate sugar, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, refined carbohydrates (such as white rice and white pasta), gluten, processed soy foods, alcohol, and packaged, boxed, canned, or fast food.
You may also want to take this time to rid your kitchen of any foods or beverages that might tempt you during your detox diet.
Plan your menu for the week and make time to grocery shop. If you don’t normally buy organic, look for local farmers’ markets, health food stores, or grocery stores with a good selection of organic foods. If you’re not able to buy all produce organic, get a fruit and vegetable wash (Environee makes one) to help rid your produce of pesticide residues, waxes, and other undesirable chemicals. See a sample menu on a detox diet.
2) Prevent Caffeine Withdrawal
If you drink caffeinated beverages on a regular basis, you may experience caffeine withdrawal at the start of your detox diet. To prevent headache, fatigue, and other withdrawal symptoms, gradually decrease your caffeine intake at least a week prior to starting your detox diet. Try substituting some of your coffee intake with swiss water decaffeinated coffee and gradually decreasing the amount, or switch to lower-caffeine green tea, white tea, matcha, or oolong tea.
3) Drink More Water
Your body needs plenty of water to flush out toxins during your diet. Drinking lots of water keeps you hydrated and may help flush out toxins, so make sure to drink at least eight eight-ounce glasses of filtered water daily.
4) Stock up on Tools for Detox Success
Some practices may help promote cleansing throughout your detox diet. Exfoliating your skin with a dry brush, for instance, may help support circulation and prompt the passage of toxins from your lymph.
To enhance relaxation as you detox, consider buying some essential oils to add to your bathwater or use for massage. Incredibly calming, lavender oil may be especially helpful for those suffering from caffeine-withdrawal-related headaches. Learn about using essential oils safely
5) Know What Not to Cut Out
Do not stop taking any prescription drug for a detox diet. Many health conditions require a constant amount of the medication in the body and discontinuing them can have serious, possibly life-threatening consequences.
Sources:
Gittleman, Ann Louise. The fast track one-day detox diet: boost metabolism, get rid of fattening toxins, safely lose up to 8 pounds overnight and keep them off for good. Morgan Road Books 2005.
Wong, Cathy. The Inside-Out Diet: 4 Weeks to Weight Loss, Total Body Health, and Radiance. Wiley, 2007.
