Do Detox and Cleanse Diets Work?
Yes, But ONLY If Done Correctly
January 12th, 2011
By Jackie Wicks PEERtrainer Founder
People want to know if detox diets work, especially for weight loss. The answer is that they do, however almost everyone does them the wrong way. Most people do detox diets and cleanses in a way that makes them feel bad, hungry and sick.
However, there are ways to do a detox diet in a way that will give you the results you are looking for, without making you feel bad and putting your health at risk. This article will go over everything you need to know to do a detox diet the right way, and it will also explain the science.
According to WebMD, "Most detox regimens urge dieters to strip down their diets to the basics of water and raw fruits or vegetables. Some diets also recommend laxatives, enemas, or colonic irrigation to speed up the detox process."
What is interesting about this common belief is that most people don't get enough water or fresh fruits and vegetables. Vegetables, especially green vegetables and cruciferous vegetables contain properties that are very effective in detoxifying your body. Additionally they are excellent for your health. According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman in his book Super Immunity, "the consumption of green vegetables has the most consistent and powerful association with the reduction of cancer of all types, including stomach, pancreas, colon and breast."
There is absolutely no question that green vegetables help people detoxify. When you consume these foods, they help to literally clean your cells. However, this represents only one phase of the detoxification process. According to nutritionist Jason Boehm, once you get toxins out of your cells, you then need to get them out of your body.
Detox Done Right Tip #1: Get Enough Protein, Especially From Plants
According to Boehm, this process "almost entirely depends on amino acids such as taurine, glutamine, and lysine." We know from science class that amino acids are the basic building blocks of protein.
The bottom line here is that without amino acids, the second phase of detoxification cannot occur. Rather than excrete the sometimes more harmful toxins that get released in the first phase of detoxification, they stay in the body, build up and create serious toxic overload!
Detox Done Right Tip #2: You Need A Ton Of Fiber
Amino acids help the body process toxins, and carry them to your digestive tract where they will be eliminated. However, if you are not regular, those toxins are going to stay in your system. You have got to get them out! Not only does fiber fill you up, which helps a lot with weight loss, but it also helps you "poop" on a more regular basis. This might sound gross to talk about, but if you are not regular, you are not detoxifying as well as you could be.
For many people it can be a challenge to get more fiber in your diet. A quick rule of thumb is that black beans, peas and berries have some of the highest amounts in non-processed food.
Detox Done Right Tip #3: Avoid Sugar No Matter What
One of the reasons that the Master Cleanse is particularly harmful is that it encourages the consumption of extra amounts of sugar in the form of Maple Syrup. Just the other day we were in our local Whole Foods and there was a "Master Cleanse" basket near the checkout, with a pile of lemons and bottles of Maple Syrup!
The sugar in maple syrup is primarily fructose, which is almost entirely metabolized in your liver. This burdens an already-overtaxed organ that you're trying to assist with detoxification. "When fructose reaches the liver," says Dr. William J. Whelan, a biochemist at the University of Miami School of Medicine, "the liver goes bananas and stops everything else to metabolize the fructose."
So with something like the Master Cleanse, not only are you not getting the amino acids and fiber needed to get the toxins out of your body, the added sugar places an additional burden on the liver.
If you are looking for more tips on how to do a cleanse, follow that link for an in-depth discussion on all the things that you need to do.
Related PEERtrainer Articles:
PEERtrainer 14-Day Fresh Start Cleanse User Testimonials
Should I Remove Gluten From My Diet?
[Editorial Note: For maximum weight loss results and overall better health, cleanses are often used. This aids the body with detoxification and balance, but also helps with weight loss reduction. But there are some things to be aware of before you cleanse. Nutrition, health and weight reduction expert, JJ Virgin PhD, has spent the last 15 years educating doctors and patients on how to cleanse properly.
She recently held an extremely popular webinar for the PEERtrainer community, sharing the "real deal" on cleansing to overcome weight loss resistance and more. To get this webinar, plus a free report containing JJ's top tips for cleansing, detoxifying, and dieting as well as the free PEERtrainer Cheat System, illustrating which foods to avoid when cleansing, please click here now]
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