With holiday indulgences weighing on our minds and bodies, it’s hard to ignore the explosion of ‘detox diets’ in magazines and web pages. Claiming to remove environmental and dietary toxins from your body and jumpstart weight loss efforts, it is wise to do some careful research of these diet plans. The idea of eating pure and natural is certainly a good resolution to start the new year, but remember that many of these diets are controversial and some have severe restrictions or prescribe herbs that may interfere with medications or health conditions.
Generally, a detox diet is a short-term diet that minimizes the amount of chemicals ingested, emphasizes foods that provide the vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants that the body needs for detoxification, and contains foods, such as high fiber foods and water, that draw out and eliminate toxins by increasing the frequency of bowel movements and urination.
If you are interested in jumpstarting your efforts to eat healthier, you can design your own ‘cleansing diet’ by focusing on eating whole unprocessed foods (grains, nuts, seeds, etc), plenty of vegetables, fruit, and water, while avoiding caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and processed foods. Just remember that detox diet plans are designed to be short term and may come with unpleasant side effects, such as headache, fatigue, irritability, diarrhea or constipation.
Anyone considering a detox diet, especially if it includes herbs or other supplements, should consult a qualified health professional first.
