Detox Diets: What's In It For Me?

For many centuries, the spring rituals of many societies have included a detoxification diet of some sort. These diets detoxify by incorporating some kind of fast and are used to cleanse the body and the soul. "Almost every religion has some type of fasting ritual - Lent, Ramadan, Yom Kippur...the Hindus and Buddhists fast, too" is an assertion from "Alternative Medicine for Dummies," authored by James Dillard, MD, an assistant clinical professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City.

Clearly, detoxification by fasting is not some recent invention of a new age guru. Versions of this process have been practiced for many, many years. The methods vary, but the objective is always the same. Cleaning out the junk, toxins, and waste from the body is the ultimate goal. This allows the body to operate more successfully. To start completely fresh, you clean your body from the inside out. You should ask a guru how long any particular detox diet should be followed, before its effects are complete.

Following its natural programming, the body attempts to remove waste and toxins daily. The colon, the liver, the kidneys, and even the skin serve to remove toxins from the body. To intensify and speed this process along, a detoxifying diet may be incorporated. Some detox diets consist simply of water. Water is the only liquid introduced into the system, and there are no solids. Other diets also incorporate fruit and vegetable juices along with water. Even others only allow liquids for the express purpose of taking a diuretic, laxative, or nutrient-filled capsule to help speed the detoxifying process. These are typically the more extreme programs. Fortunately, a more traditional meal plan can coexist with a supplement-based program. These typically have you take certain vitamins and supplements to help cleanse you while maintaining a more regular diet.

For healthy people, detox diets are not shown to be harmful. There's no certain proof that a detox diet actually does much good, either. Written accounts from the users of detox products are the main source of health benefits that detoxifying companies claim of their products. These testimonials detail out of the ordinary restroom experiences followed by absolutely no gastrointestinal issues, bouts of exhaustion followed by substantial increases in energy, periods of skin breakouts followed by perfect, glowing skin. With final results so fantastic, it is no problem understanding why many people try the programs, knowing they will endure some short-term distress. However, if you want to use a detox diet, you should first discuss it with your doctor and get his blessings, his advice, or perhaps even a prescription.