If you’re thinking of doing a detox diet, read on for tips on cleansing the healthy way.

Detox diet is a meal plan that is essentially taken to enhance the natural process of the body by changing or alternating the food you consume. Information provided by the Mayo Clinic affirms that detox diets have not been proven scientifically as an effective measure.

But despite the lack of scientific confirmation, detox diets are endorsed by practitioners of natural healthcare as an effective treatment against many symptoms including headache and fatigues. According to Thara Vayali, a naturopath based in Vancouver; toxins in the context of a detox diet are substances that we have consumed in excess, as a matter of fact, just about anything can change to become harmful or toxic if it is excessive in the body.

Detox diets and weight loss

In case you are planning on using detox to lose weight, you may need to think again. Vayali advises that a detox meal is not made for weight loss. Contrary to popular opinion, it is even more dangerous to drastically cut back on the quantity of calories you consume.

She warned that if the body is deprived of adequate quantity of calories, carbohydrate, fats and protein, the body may wrongly perceive it as a sign it will not get the needed calories adequately, therefore it begins piling them up rather than releasing them. This can later put you in a very bad condition. Be careful of any plan which suggests that you should stop taking food in order to clean your system.

Starting a healthy detox

The best approach to begin a detox is to visit your doctor and talk to him about your plans and if you are experiencing any symptom, explain that too. You could be thinking that it is just toxins disturbing but the fact is that they could be more devastating. According to Vayali, the naturopath or doctor can give you a good advice on the lifestyle and the kinds of food you need.

When you are set to begin your detox diet, you need to put into consideration the following changes in your lifestyle:

Replace processed foods with natural ones

It is strongly recommended by Vayali that all her patients exclude processed foods from their meals. Such foods include pastries bought from stores, dinners cooked in micro waves, candies and most of the products that are already prepared which are easily located in the middle rows of your local grocery stores. Rather than these items, you are better off eating whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish and lean meat.

Boost your fibre

Fibre is vital to aid the movement of your bowel and ensure that you get rid of metabolism waste. If you are indeed cleansing but not getting rid of wastes, you are essentially creating bigger problems for your system. There are two kinds of fibre important in promoting regularity. They include insoluble fibre and the soluble fibre. Insoluble fibre, found in leafy greens like spinach and kale, helps keep things moving through your intestines. Soluble fibre, which comes from foods such as apples, pears and beans, helps bulk up the contents of the bowels.

Drink water

When you increase your quantity of fibre consumption, you also need to have sufficient quantity of water in your body to prevent dehydration, nothing should be done in excess though, while you need water, drinking excess water is as dangerous as not taking the adequate quantity. Vayali warns that taking too much water is not in any way healthy. In order to know the quantity of water you need to drink daily, Vayalli suggests that you divide the weight of your body in half, then change the number obtained to ounces. For instance, if a woman weighs 140 pounds, her target is to consume 70 ounces or 2 litres of water per day.

Cut back on sugar

According to Vayali, we shouldn’t consider sugar itself to be harmful because carbohydrates are digested by breaking them down into simple sugars. However she highly recommends the elimination of processed sugars in the course of undergoing a detox since we consume them in excess. Though reducing our consumption of sweet foods might seem difficult, but the increased quantity of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains you will be consuming will help put the sweet tongue in control.

Get your sweat on

The biggest organ in our body is the skin, but one usually overlooked in detox. According to Vayali, sweating enhances the general well-being and health of an individual, include adequate exercise in your detox programme, but it should be done slowly. In case you are not familiar with doing exercise, start by including a day of physical activity in your schedules for the week. And if you already love fitness and exercise, you can take it to the next level by including exercises that will really leave you gasping for breath in your routine.

Stick with it

The duration of every detox varies and is dependent on both the mind set and the needs of the individual. It is however important that you stick to the changes made to your meals and lifestyles for no less than two weeks. For the first few days of the programme, you might notice some side effects such as fatigue, irritability and aches. But notwithstanding, you have to stick to your detox plan for not less than two weeks so that your body can adjust.