I’ve been doing quite a bit of Googling the pros and cons of detoxing and the types of detox diets out there because 1. I wonder if they really help keep us healthy 2. If I’d be going through an extreme form of dieting for no good reason besides just losing my weight in water and muscle.
I liked what edetoxify.com had to say about the subject:
A detox diet is a diet or using herbs and other methods to remove the chemicals and toxins from the body in order to obtain optimal health. Usually a diet which consists of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, is encouraged and at the same time, cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, yeast and sugars.
Basically a detox diet is a short-term diet that
- Cleanse your body to boost your energy level
- Reduce the amount of toxins ingested into our body like (eating organic foods)
- Contains high fiber food and water that can speed up the process of eliminating the toxins through bowel movements and urination.
- Improved your metabolism rate and digestion such that the nutrients entering your body would be absorbed at an optimal level.
Do we know how much toxins are in your body?
The truth is no one is able to tell you how much toxins are in your body unless you go for a body checkup. Even if there is a study or research on our human body and prove that there are toxins in our body, everyone’s body may differ from one to another. The closest study ever done was the human toxome project which proves that there exists toxins like chemical, metals and pesticides in the bodies of the majority of the participants.
Other than chemical toxins, dietary toxins can also be very harmful to your body.
It occurs when we are not eliminating our wastes on a regular basis which can cause many health problems. In the short term, we may get ill and sick easily. In the long term, it may develop into cancer and diseases. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg believed that 90% of the diseases are caused by the improper functioning of the colon.
In traditional chinese medicine, when they treat a patient, one of the questions that the doctors ask is when is the last time the patient has eliminated its waste and whether the patient has constipation and diarrhea. The chinese believes that one of the main causes of illnesses and diseases lies in our elimination system. If our body’s sewage system is clogged, even if we consume the best nutritious or healthiest food, it would not benefit our body. The liver could not function well anymore which would also lead to our kidney suffering. As you can see, the colon indirectly affects many organs in our body. Take a look at the video below on colon cancer..
Why do our body’s sewage system get clogged?
When large quantity of junk or harmful food enter into our body, the stomach gets the signal and tells the brain that more work needs to be done to digest the food. This signals the colon to produce mucus which fills up the colons.
Once these food enter the colon, the mucus protect the colon from any damage into it be disintegrating it slowly. Nothing much damaging to your body if it only happens once in a while.
But can you imagine what happens when you filled your body with junk or harmful food daily?
When this occurs, the mucus will be secreted over the layer before and it will accumulate to about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. And it can be as hard as a piece of rubber. When people goes for a cleansing diet, they noticed the tons of waste being eliminated, some can be over 20 feet long. You will be shocked that these wastes can be stuck in your body for so long.
Once these wastes or toxins are eliminated or removed from your body, your colon would return to it’s natural state again.
Why Do People Start a Detox Diet?
Besides the benefits above you will receive from having a detox diet, people usually go on a detox diet because they realized they are overload with tons of chemical that can lead to illness and conditions like liver malfunction, kidney problems, hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies etc. Usually the most common symptoms that you should detox are usual fatigue, poor skin, and low tolerance to pain.
Overall, by going on a detox diet, many have comments on improved energy, clearer and fairer skin, a regular bowel movement, improved metabolism and digestion, increased concentration. Generally, it spells wellness and a better well-being.
Who Should Not Start a Detox Diet?
Words of caution – pregnant women are cautioned not to try a detox diet as they need the necessary nutrients to nourish the baby. Only when advice by a doctor, people with anemia, eating disorders, heart disease, low immunity, low blood pressure, ulcers, cancer, the underweight or those suffering from alcohol or drug dependency should try on a detox diet.
In any circumstances, all detox diet programs should be consulted by a doctor or a nutritionist before one tries it out.
The website also lists in detail the different types of detox diets out there. Of course this is just one side of a double-sided coin. Opponents of detox diets argue that there isn’t any true science or proof behind detox diets and that the body is perfectly capable of detoxing itself without the help of such extreme measures. But then again, back in the 70s high carb/low fat diets were popular too. Then came the Atkins diet. Then people said to eat lots of soy. Then too much soy was deemed harmful. Then dairy was bad, now dairy is said to help speed up weight loss. Science? Science seems to change its mind as quickly as I change outfits.
Some people have voiced concern over my decision to detox, but the important deciding factor here for me is that it is short term. It doesn’t hurt to try and then at least I can say I tried and failed and won’t do it again.. To me, its almost a better alternative than the needless steroids and antibiotics doctors keep trying to prescribe me. I think they’re out to get my liver. Haha, kidding!
Days without Monster: 4
Days without Zyrtec: 4
