Natural detox is one of the several systems that our bodies are equipped to help it remove waste from the body. However, we all know that our natural systems are often overburdened with the stressful lifestyles we live today and our unhealthy eating habits.

Although our body is doing its best and struggles to keep up with the toxic matter removed from our systems it often falls behind and as a result the natural balance of our body is disrupted while a toxic waste begins to back up.

And to help improve the condition good detox comes to the help. It helps to eliminate the waste building up and make our systems run much more efficiently while restoring the body’s natural balance.

Detox Diets are the last craze not only in dieting but in keeping good health condition of your body. Even though you can still find many people who are skeptical about the mighty power of good detox it can’t change the fact:

• The real reason of why the number of people searching for detox diets is growing everyday is: the tremendous health benefits that good detox diet is offering.

The chances are you’ve heard about: toxins, detoxification, cleansing, purifying; they are all related to detox diets.

Toxins are harmful chemicals remaining in the body and affecting its proper function and later on even your body health condition.

Unfortunately, today with increased levels of pollution, toxins are all around you: in your food, water, air. Your body eliminates most of those toxins but a small amounts of them remaining inside your body as waste products of metabolism, are stored within body fat.

These stored toxins combined with stress can affect your health in very unpleasant ways:

• weight gain
• headaches
• feelings of fatigue and weakness
• heartburn
• sore muscles and skin
• joint pains

In a such condition it’s vital to cleanse your body and the symptoms listed above will fade when you start detox. Well, you may feel some discomfort in the very first days, but that is a normal body reaction.

You may feel headache or sore muscles, but that is because the toxins are released faster then your body can eliminate them. These symptoms will not occur again if you detox regularly.

DETOX and WEIGHT LOSS
Detoxification process is releasing and expelling the stored toxins through the elimination organs of your body – the intestines, liver, lungs, kidneys and skin.

Detox Diets are dietary nutritious plans that use detoxification, which helps you lose weight by cleansing out your body and improving your metabolism.

DETOX and Disease PREVENTION
Detox Diets are recommended for improving resistance to disease, mental state, digestion, strengthens the organs involved in detox.

Detoxification programs have been promoted as the remedy to today’s unhealthy lifestyles for years and this kind of diet can help prevent serious diseases such as cancer, ADD, ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivities, as well as treat heart disease, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disease.

Proponents of detoxification note that a good detox can help increase energy, slow the aging process, aid the digestive system and help relieve the symptoms of diabetes and asthma..

DETOX FOODS
Detox Diets recommend eating of foods that are beneficial for your health and necessary to weight loss – organic foods, fruits and vegetables.

• You should drink purified water and curb on processed foods, as well as give up alcohol and smoking.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Detox Diets are quite restrictive and once you start a detox diet, you should follow it strictly. Detox Diets are safe, but you should consult your doctor before starting.

TYPES of DETOX DIET

• Fasting — drinking only water, juices or broths, or eating one kind of food for a certain period of time. Your body starts burning fat for energy.
• Nutritional supplements — intake of nutritious powders, vitamins and packaged protein snacks.
• Hydrotherapy – detoxifying through your skin pores by taking special baths.
• Specific detox diets – last between 7 and 30 days; there are quick detox diets for one and three days, and long detox diets for 8 weeks.

There are several types of detox diets. There are those in which you can only eat fruits and vegetables, those in which you can only eat “clean” foods, those in which you can only drink fruit and vegetable juice, and the most extreme type where you can only drink water.

You can also do specialized cleanses designed specifically for certain area of the body, for instance the liver, kidneys, blood or lungs. However, most detox diets just involve cleansing the entire body. Below, there is a sample of a seven day detox diet that you can try.

A sample menu of a detox diet follows below. This is a diet that allows some food, since this tends to be easier for beginners. Remember, you can modify this to fit your needs and preferences.

UPON RISING

• 1/2 lemon squeezed into a glass of warm water
• 1 tablespoon of Bentonite clay and 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water

BREAKFAST

• breakfast smoothie made with pear, rice milk and rice protein powder
• supplements: vitamin C

SNACKS

• apple juice diluted with water
• water
• vegetable broth
• supplements: milk thistle
• celery sticks and hummus

LUNCH

• chunky vegetable soup made with vegetable stock and your choice of vegetables
• steamed broccoli with sesame seeds and beets sprinkled with lemon juice on brown rice
• apple sauce
• supplements: multivitamin

SNACKS

• dandelion root tea
• carrot sticks with hummus dip
• water
• supplements: milk thistle

DINNER

• curried lentils on quinoa
• salad with mixed greens, red peppers, artichokes and sprouts drizzled with salad dressing of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil
• vegetable broth

BEFORE BED

• 1 tablespoon of Bentonite clay and 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water

This body cleansing procedure can be followed for up to seven days.

First of all, it is important that you have regular bowel movements during a detox because this will lessen the likelihood of toxins being reabsorbed by the body. A good way to make sure you will eliminate regularly is to take 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds in lemon water in the morning, and drink lemon water throughout the day.

• Flax seeds provide the body with fiber and lemon water has a slightly laxative effect.
• It is also important to drink enough fluids on a cleanse. You should try to include at least 8 glasses of water daily to ensure that you are allowing toxins to be flushed out.

Have fun, and remember to be careful, because while you should expect to feel sluggish and slightly ill, if you are feeling very ill or fatigued, contact your doctor.