There is a lot of talk about detox diets these days. It seems everyone is trying to find the best way to detox. Many people have chosen to detox naturally without the help of medications, supplements or other evasive procedures that are commonly used. Naturally detoxifying is probably the most healthy way to do it and the safest for your body. Here is a guide to help you understand what detoxing is, why you should do it and how you can do it naturally.
How Detox Works
Detox simply means to remove chemicals and other harmful elements from the body. In the past the term detox was often used in conjunction with drug addicts and how they would detox to get off the drugs to which they were addicted. Detoxing for the average person is quite similar. A person will stop putting things into their body that can cause harm or that can keep the body functioning normally.
Over time, eating foods that contain artificial ingredients and additives or foods that were grown using chemicals, can cause your body to start acting sluggish. Your liver, kidneys and colon often are the most damaged by the foods that you eat. These organs are not made to process these foreign agents and therefore may end up being “clogged”.
When you detox your organs and your body are cleaned of all the foreign agents that have been building up. When you naturally detox you are simply sending foods and other natural ingredients through your body while refraining from subjecting your body to anything unnatural.
When you start to detox, your body may react by making you feel ill or overly tired. This is simply your body’s reaction to the extreme changes. This is something that will pass. You may notice you use the bathroom more and that your bowel movements are loose. This is completely normal and actually what you want to see. This is the toxins and the build up that was in your body that are being released as a result of the detox.
You can minimize side effects of detoxifying by just sticking with your detox diet and drinking as much water as possible to help your body get flushed out.
Detox Options
There are many different ways that you can detoxify naturally. The main idea is always the same. You want to make sure that you are only putting natural things into your body and staying away from chemicals. At the same time you also are trying to flush out the toxins from your body. No matter how you choose to detoxify, you will want to drink plenty of water. Water will be key to getting the best detox and to help you bounce back from any side effects you may experience.
Some people do a juice detox where they make their own juices from organic vegetables and fruits and mainly just drink juice as their diet. By drinking vegetables and fruits you are able to make sure you are still giving your body the vitamins and minerals that it needs. You are also ensuring that you are not consuming anything that is not natural.
Heat can also be used to help detoxify the body. Heat therapy is done by getting the body to sweat. This can be done in a sauna or even in your own bathroom. The idea is that you will be sweating out the toxins. Of course, for this to work you must sweat a lot and you also must be careful about what you are putting in your body. You should be eating only natural foods and not consuming alcohol or smoking cigarettes.
Many people simply just switch their diet to only organic foods. This works quite well. It can take a little longer to work than a juice diet or heat therapy, but it is gentle and usually the easiest method.
Benefits of Detox
When you detoxify naturally you are being gentle on your body while also flushing out all those toxins that have been stored in your body your whole life. It is a major change for your body so you should expect to get some benefits from it. Your body will be going back to the state it was in when you were a baby, before you started eating junk foods that are filled with chemicals and artificial ingredients. You will feel energized. You may notice a boost in your immune system and notice that health issues you had before the detox are gone or the symptoms are greatly decreased. You will regulate your bowels. Many people even lose weight.
If you want to detox your body the natural way, then you should discuss it with your doctor. While detoxifying is something beneficial for your body, some people, like those on medications, may need a doctor to oversee the detox process to ensure that their health is not put at risk. Detoxifying can flush out the medications you take before they have a chance to work. Just be careful and talk to your doctor before you start to detox so you can be sure to do it as naturally and safe as possible.