The Detox Diet

Learn About the Detox Diet

Detox, short for detoxification, is the removal of potentially toxic substances from the body. Although detox is primarily thought of as a treatment for alcohol or drug dependence, the term is also used to refer to diets, herbs, and other methods of removing environmental and dietary toxins from the body for general health.

This is a sample two-week detox diet plan to support detoxification by increasing elimination from the body, cleansing the colon, enhancing circulation to clear toxic substances, eliminating foods from the diet that require detoxification or are allergenic, and providing nutrients to support and protect the liver, the main organ involved in detoxification.

Step 1: The detox screening quizAccordint to alternative practitioners, a detox screening quiz can help you become more familiar with possible symptoms of toxicity.

Many holistic practitioners believe that people with adrenal fatigue, brought on by prolonged stress, should not try the detox diet until that condition is addressed.

Step 2: Learn the basics about detox diets

This article, Detox Basics, has necessary information about detox diets, including:
What is the detox diet?
Side effects and safety concerns
Health benefits
Criticisms of detox diets
Guidelines

Step 3: Find out what foods to eat and avoid on detox diets

Step 4: How a detox diet can be customized Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India. Knowing your Ayurvedic "type" can help you learn what foods, according to Ayurveda, support an individual's health and what foods might detract from health. Try this simple quiz.

Step 5: Proper eliminationElimination of stools and urine is the body's primary method of getting rid of toxic substances. Especially important during a detox diet, regular bowel movements decrease the likelihood that toxins will be reabsorbed into the body.

Step 6: Sample detox diet menu Learn about a typical day's meals on a detox diet with this sample menu.

Step 7: Essential nutrients for detox supportThe liver requires certain nutrients in order to produce the enzymes and antioxidants needed for detoxification.

Step 8: The hypochlorhydria screening quizSome alternative practitioners believe that hypochlorhydria, also known as low stomach acid, may be involved in indigestion, food sensitivities, nutritional deficiency, bacterial overgrowth, yeast infections, weak hair, skin, and nails, and a host of other conditions. By the time people reach their 50's, many nutritionally-oriented doctors believe that many of their clients have hypochlorhydria. Step 9: What people drink on a detox diet

Step 10: Do you have positive or negative energy? Try this quick quiz, created for us by Judith Orloff, MD, to find out if you have positive energy or if you could use a mind/body detox. Dr. Orloff is a medical intuitive, psychiatrist, and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA.

Dr. Judith Orloff's first step for creating positive energy. Read this excerpt from her best-selling book, Positive Energy, to learn how to create more positive energy in your life
Steps 11 through 16 of the detox diet plan are on the next page>>