† Detox & Detox Diets †

Detox is the short-form word for detoxification, where it is a natural ongoing process of neutralizing or eliminating unwanted toxins from the body.

What is toxin?
Toxin, also known as substances that can potentially harm our body tissues. Toxins that we usually encounter in our daily life include those that being produced in the body such as ammonia during breakdown of protein, pesticides, food additives, cigarette, etc...


How to detox?
There are a few ways of performing detoxification effectively. One of the natural detoxification processes is via proper elimination of stools and urine and thus one of the aims here is to improve elimination of stools and urine in order to decrease absorption of toxin into the body. Another way of detoxification is via detox diets.


What is detox diet?
Detox diet is mainly a short-term diet that helps to minimize the amount of chemicals ingested by replacing our routine food with organic food. Detox diet also emphasizes food that provide sufficient vitamins, nutrients and most importantly antioxidants that helps in enhancing the effect of detoxification.


What is the detox diet plan?
I find a meat-free-7-days detox diet plan is the easiest to comply.

1. Upon waking up: lemon (can be added with sea salt to enhance liver cleansing effect) to be squeezed into a glass of warm water (it is proven that warm water has calming effect to the gastrointestinal tract) + honey (best to be royal jelly but remember not to use metal spoon).
   
2. Breakfast: blended fruit including mixture of cucumber, big root, green apple and celery as a drink mixture, Brown rice cereal or oat meal will be good. Supplements such as vitamin C 500 - 1000mg can be taken as well as grape seed oil or flaxseed oil.
3. Snacks: diluted apple juice (best with sugar-free product), vegetable mixture and drink plenty of plain fluid.
4. Lunch: use brown rice instead of normal rice as it contains fibers that help to increase HDL, as well as acting as a bulk laxative in cleansing the colon. Steamed broccoli is best to be taken however in certain people who's taking warfarin (anti-coagulant) should avoid it. Apple vinegar can be used as a taste enhancer.
5. Snacks: carrot (beta-carotene) or celery sticks, along with supplements such as milk thistle (a supplement that helps in cleansing of liver). Our liver works well and its natural detoxification process usually takes place at 11pm - 3am.
6. Dinner: low amount of macaroni or spaghetti, along with vegetables. Best with boiled tomatoes (boiled tomatoes are nutritionally better) and garlic (powerful anti oxidants that is believed to protect the stomach from cancer). Supplements such as flaxseed oil up to 1000mg or

As you can see from the plan above, it may look complicated but if you see it properly, it contains no meat at all. Therefore I think a detox diet is not only about supplements or organic food or special diet but simply by cutting down intake of meat at the same time increases consumption of vegetable will be good enough for the body.