The Importance of Detoxing

The most common reasons to detox are:

• To improve digestion
• To lose weight
• To Remove Toxins
• To feel better/healthier/cleaner
• To improve the skin's appearance

I've completed a few detoxes in my time; usually for the above reasons too; you have to plan, set goals, routines and get the support of those around you. This article is set to highlight some of the out the various Detox methods that are now hitting the Media and the various Markets and also share an example of what works for me..

During my previous cleansing experiences I became painfully aware how food & drink centered our socialization activities tend to be. We love a chat over coffee; we catch up over brunch; a weekend date is dinner and a movie.

For many of us, food has become the backbone of our social lives and so if your social life has to rely on something that you must 'shake well before serving', I'm just not entirely convinced this thing is for me.

Fasting: This regime is the abstaining from food to allow the body time to focus on its own cleansing without introducing further toxins that slow down the process. All fasts allow and encourage the consumption of water that is necessary for the purification process and to keeping the body well hydrated. Depending on the fast and its intensity, they can last 24 hours or up to several weeks.

A lot of these detoxes I've noticed are celebrity driven, the Lemon Detox, 48 Hour Rapid Detox, 12 Day Detox, Fasting, Juice Fasting, Colon Cleanse, Liver Cleanse the lists are endless. Water Fasting is no doubt the most difficult of fasts, as nothing but water is permitted to be consumed. Juice Fasting is abstaining from solid foods, but freshly blended fruit and vegetable juices are still ingested. Lemon Fasting is the solo consumption of a lemon based drink (and of course water) throughout the duration of this fast. Lemons are said to have antioxidants that aid in the detoxification process.

I should also add that I have type 2 diabetes; I'm actually quite fond of chewing. So, I think five liquid-filled days may leave me with a yearning for something to sink my teeth into.

Most detox diets contain:

• Organic food and drink
• Whole, unprocessed foods (grains, nuts, seeds, etc)
• Lots of fresh vegetables and fruit
• 2 liters of water per day
• Certain herbs to aid the detoxifying process.

Most detox diets avoid:

• Dairy, Red Meat, Sugar
• Processed and refined foods
• Alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and drugs

So my daily start to the day is with a glass with half a fresh lemon squeezed into warm water. My 14 day detox includes adding to my Grander Filtered Water my detox herbs of choice 2.5 to 3 pints a day, I cut out all wheat dairy and meat. I have a boiled egg, an apple or firm pear and fresh juice for breakfast I prepare almonds or a trail mix of seeds, almonds, walnuts dried fruit only to have a nibble on (remember sugar control) and look for fresh and living vegetables for lunch and dinner.

The key is fresh organic living vegetables you can eat a good amount to fill you and it is a great opportunity to experiment. Try grated fresh beetroot over your salad, (tasty and good for the blood). Toasted sesame seeds instead of salt even growing your own sprouts.

I've seen other people who are fasting going I am so hungry right now. I am cranky. I am empty and just about going mental over the smell of a piece of toast with peanut butter.

With a few gulps, of their dinner' (and yes, the term is used very loosely), dinner is over. They are still hungry, even crankier. As lethargic as a corpse and peeing like a racehorse. It was very clear to me that detoxing in this manner was NOT for me.

I can confidently say that I am not likely to benefit from any program that involves a deprivation of solid food. That's not to say that a detox is not something I wouldn't embark on again though. In fact, I have incorporated detox methods into specific times of the day. I have detoxed a few times before now, using poop-inducing pills that apparently 'clean' out your innards. And whether they actually do or don't physiologically work (there is so much controversy surrounding their effectiveness), the psychological sense that they do and the side effect of weight loss from the 7 or 14-day program, is usually rewarding in itself; even if only a little.

Please always note what works for one person may not work for another, so your best bet is to talk to people who have done it, find out what options are available and try them out for yourself if you are still keen to do so. If you are interested in finding out more information about a liquid-based detox visit a health or fitness professional.