Are Detox Diets Healthy And Safe? Do They Work?

Last Updated on April 4, 2018 by Nick

detox written with veggies

Detox written with veggies on a white plate

The human body is naturally programmed for daily detox, but this is strongly related to proper nutrition, which will provide the body with all the necessary nutrients.

The liver has natural cleansing mechanisms which are more efficient, safer and smoother of any detox program.

Consuming fresh, whole foods and a balanced diet will provide the body with a full spectrum of nutrients for continuous detoxification.

The Process And Phases Of Liver Detox :

#1 Filtration

First of all, a good base in the diet will provide the necessary nutrients so the liver can filter the blood and aid in identifying the “useful stuff” (food and nutrients), as well as the bad ones (toxins in harmful substances).

#2 Detoxification

Phase 1. After the filtration gets completed, the enzymes eliminate unwanted toxins from the body. The primary goal of this process is that when the toxins become neutralized, they turn into less harmful chemical compounds.

When this process occurs, free radicals are formed. If the body has too many toxins will lead to increased free radicals causing some liver cells to get damaged. The damaging of the liver cells in this process with the use of antioxidants can be reduced.

Phase 2. In this phase, the toxins are finally transformed into substances soluble in water so they can be quickly eliminated from the body. The driving force of this process is amino acids.

#3 Elimination

Finally, the toxins are removed from the body through the digestive tract or the kidneys in the form of urine.

Supplements For Detox Yes Or No?

Woman holding up a blackboard

Supplements for detoxification (including some protein powders) are often of poor quality and contain irritating additives. Most of their ingredients are not subject to strict regulations on cleanliness.

Besides, these supplements can lose value in the production process, and “empty” foods like that can disrupt the natural detoxification ability of the liver. Therefore, the body can hold toxins instead of being released.

On the other hand, a diet based on healthy, whole foods from all categories provides the body the necessary nutrients for effective natural detoxification in the liver.

Our system is a product of our daily habits and choices in the diet, not what we consumed 16 to 48 hours.

Therefore, the daily diet should support the detoxification of the liver, and not involve a method which (often using artificial preparations), is administered once or twice a year.

If we reduce the consumption of food and we start various restrictive diets, that might cause a deficit of nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the body and the liver.

To clean the body of harmful substances, we have to provide it with what it needs every day, not restricting certain foods by reducing calories from your diet.

But I’ve Heard About This Cool Lemon Juice Detox!

Fasting and drinking smoothies, fruit, vegetables or cleansing based SOLELY on taking liquids – doesn’t make sense because the process of detoxification starts with the proteins.

That said, whenever you start a diet or post, the body impose restrictive regime, while ignoring the natural biofeedback, and the desire for a particular food or nutrient

Each desire or need for a certain type of food is a good starting point because we all have several biological mechanisms for correcting specific nutritional deficit.

For example, if someone is in a hypo-metabolic state (slow metabolism), the natural body will hold more water in the tissues- that person will feel less need for drinking water, and more for salt and dry food.

Diet and detoxification based on fluids, would bring that person more harm than good.

Master Cleanse Diet Harvard Publication:

Whether you opt for a detox program or not, keep in mind that your body always tells you what it needs. Learn how to listen and interpret the signals that it sends.

That is precisely how you know what to take and allow for a smooth and efficient mechanism of natural detoxification.

Alright That’s Great But What Foods Should I Eat?

I wish I could tell you eat that lovely chocolate bar 🙂

Fruits: Vitamins and minerals from fruits initiate the first phase of detoxification. Expensive programs and products for detox are purely a waste of money, because organic fresh fruits and juices are the most powerful arsenal for starting the first phase of detoxification.

Note: Choose fresh fruit rich in vitamin C because that’s one of the most powerful antioxidants. One of the most useful includes: orange (as well as fresh juices), kiwi, blueberries, papaya, and pineapple.

Beetroot: Fresh beets is a fantastic natural organism cleanser and it helps elaborates the bile, so the detoxification process is way more efficient.

A very common problem is the weak bile flow. After they get dissolved in the liver, toxins travel into the bile (bile ducts are like a river that ejects toxins from the body).

When bile is too thick, they can not get out sufficiently quickly out of the system, which is usually the reason for general weakness, lack of energy, and severe PMS.

Regular consumption of beets, in the framework of a rich diet, makes the process more efficient.

Note: Include shredded fresh beets and mix it with a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, salt and olive oil, and make a very tasty salad.

Proteins (that do not cause inflammation):

It is essential that in the body there is a certain balance of amino acids to maintain its physical features, especially in the liver detoxification process.

If you regularly eat “muscle” meat “(chicken, pork, beef or lamb), the body creates a ratio of amino acids that can cause inflammatory processes and reduces the liver function necessary for the proper detoxification.

Thus, in the diet should be rich in proteins that do not cause inflammation (eggs, fish, dairy products, seafood and meat from organically raised livestock).

Note: Eat “Muscle meat only” every other day.

Before you can begin detoxification of the body, that includes the use of “dedicated” products or detox programs, ask yourself – Is this really necessary, or you just following the current trend?

In Category: Health

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Nick Donovan

Nick is nutrition enthusiast who is dedicated to finding ways to make healthy eating, and proper exercise, a habit in your life.

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