Health Detox Diet

A health detoxification diet is typically used by people who wish to flush toxins and pollutants from their bodies. Doctors may also institute this plan for someone who is overly obese. The majority of detox diets last anywhere from one to three days. Anything longer than that requires strict medical supervision. In fact, regardless of length, anyone planning to go on a health detox plan should consult his doctor first.

Basics

Detox diets help protect the liver from an overabundance of toxins. Toxins from food, beverages and even the air we breathe can pollute the body--flooding our organs and eventually causing harm to the liver. A health detox diet is believed to be an effective way to rid our system of such pollutants and be beneficial to overall health. However, it is not recommended that anyone "detox" more than once a year, twice at most.

Menu

A health detox diet consists solely of fruits, vegetables and water. All fruits and vegetables should be fresh and steamed, not frozen or canned. Also, most people on a detox diet choose organic produce, eating four or five small "meals" per day. The detox diet also consists of drinking 10 to 12 glasses of water each day, with each glass being no less than 8 oz.

Preparation

Before starting a health detox diet, you should eliminate alcohol, caffeine and high-fat foods for up to three days in advance. This helps the body adapt during the actual detoxification process. Once the detox portion is complete, continue to make lighter, healthy choices for another two or three days to ease your body back into regular meals.

Side Effects

Common symptoms for someone on a health detox diet include headache, diarrhea, nausea, acne, weight loss and feelings of lethargy. While some people consider weight loss to be a positive side effect, losing too much in too short of a period can cause damage to the liver, kidneys or heart. The majority of side effects are temporary and will last for only as long as you are on the diet. However, the diet should be discontinued immediately if symptoms become severe.

Conclusion

The health detox diet is a good way to not only rid the body of toxins, but to assist with weight loss. However, it is not recommended for the long term, as it lacks protein and falls well short of the daily recommended caloric intake. But it does effectively cleanse the system and promote healthy choices; any medical expert will tell you that fresh fruits and vegetables cooked the right way (and lots of water) are excellent centerpieces to any plan.