A detox diet is one you follow to detoxify your body and free it of toxins as well as its byproducts. With the kind of fast-paced life that people are living now, detoxification is more important than ever.
Preserved and canned foods, fast food, fatigue and stress, alcohol, smoking, and salty and fatty foods are just a few of the things constantly bombarding people’s bodies with chemicals and toxins that eventually make them fall ill and hence the need for detoxification.
You can follow a dietary detox schedule for one to three weeks. In case you wish to follow the detox diet, you need to understand that you should never continue following the diet on a long-term basis. Ideally, you should follow the diet only three to four times a year.
Why follow a detox diet
The following are a few reasons why people usually get into detoxification.
• Getting rid of chemicals and toxins
• Losing weight and eliminating fat
• Getting the body back in shape
The benefits of following a detox diet
• Increased energy levels
• Better digestion and metabolic rate
• Balanced sugar levels
• Looking and Feeling Younger
• Enhanced mental concentration and focus
• Improved vigor and vitality
• Improvement of overall health and well-being
Best Detox Diet Foods
The following few paragraphs list down foods that comprise the best detox diet for beginners. It would be best if you also understood that nothing is fixed and that it is okay to come up with your own personal detox diet chart.
You can then use this personalized best detox diet chart religiously for around seven days or whichever timeframe suits your body the best.
It is good to keep in mind that all vegetables and fruits qualify to comprise the best detox diet and ensure that you keep away from all calorie-rich foods when you are detoxifying.
It would help if you also remembered that you have to drink plenty of water to two liters every day to help you optimize the process of detoxification. Water is one of the best and most efficient detoxifying agents.
Fruits are one of the richest sources of minerals as well as vitamins. You must ensure that you use them liberally as part of the best detox diet. You do not need to include any specific type of fruit in the detox diet. You should include those fruits that are either most accessible or affordable to you or simply those you love.
Vegetables are yet another great variety of detox foods. A good vegetable detox diet will comprise foods such as onion sprouts, beetroot, artichokes, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, garlic, onions, collard greens, Swiss chard, kale, carrots, turmeric, oregano, and cabbage.
The diet should also comprise of such sea vegetables as wakame, nori sheets, and kelp. As a word of caution, you should avoid consuming corn since it is an acid-forming vegetable.
It is not good because it can hinder the detoxification process. Some people might also be sensitive to particular vegetables belonging to the nightshade family such as eggplants, potatoes, bell peppers, and tomatoes.
Legumes and grains are another important part of the detox diet besides vegetables and fruits. The grains you can include liberally in your detox diet include wild rice, brown rice, amaranth, millets, oats, and quinoa.
Ensure that you avoid any refined or polished grains from your detox diet and include only whole grains. You will learn that the less refined the grains are, the more benefits you enjoy from them.
However, you can include grains included in the list above. Brown rice pasta, brown noodles, brown bread, and rice crackers are all okay to include in your diet. As for the legumes, you can consume green peas, adzuki beans, lentils, and yellow split peas.
It is also a great idea to include honey as part of your detoxifying diet. Honey contains several antioxidant and antibacterial properties that will help you achieve your detoxification goals faster.
When you are on the detox diet, you should also watch the type of oil you use to cook the detox meals. You can use flaxseed oil, avocado oil, cold-pressed extra virgin oil, chia oil, hemp oil, as well as coconut oil liberally when cooking your detox meals.
You should use oils containing mega-6 fatty acids sparingly or completely avoid them. Such oils include sunflower, safflower, and sesame oils.
Seeds and Nuts are another part of the detox diet that deserves a special mention.
Nuts and seeds form an important part of the detox diet since they also help in the detoxification process. Nuts and seeds you can consume include all kinds of raw and unsalted nuts.
They include walnuts, cashews, flax seeds, chia seeds, tahini, sunflower seeds, almonds, hemp nuts, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds as tender young coconuts. It is good to note that while on the detox diet, you need to avoid peanuts and their associated compound peanut butter.
You can include other foods in the detox diet but do not quite fit into any of the categories but deserve a special mention for their effectiveness, including Saltwater, filtered water, organic lemons, cayenne powder, and Grade B Maple syrup, as well as Laxative herbal tea.
People on organic diets have tested all these and claimed to have great results with them. There are also those foods that you need to keep away from your detox diet.
These foods are full of calories and include cream, eggs, cheese, full cream milk, margarine, and butter. You should also avoid chicken red meat, turkey, and meat products such as pate, burgers, and sausages.
You should also avoid cereal products made from refined flour such as croissants, pastries, cakes, bread, biscuits, and pies. You should also refrain from eating chocolates, sugar, jellies, jams, salted nuts, as well as tea and coffee.
Stay away from processed foods, including salad dressings, ready-to-eat meals, and ready-made sauces.
Follow the tips of a great detoxification diet discussed in this article and have a great time detoxifying!
