The Detox Diet

Continuing with our Weight Loss Month theme, I figured I would talk about a healhty way to cleanse your system and even lose a few pounds along the way.  There has been a lot of talk about famous, fit celebrities and their miracle diets.  When you actually look into most of them, they are starving their bodies of essential nutrients when they go on these diets to lose weight drastically.  That is not the point of this detox diet.

The Detox Diet focuses solely on giving a cleanse to your system for a short period of time to rid your body of toxins and waste remnants from all of the junk and chemicals that are in our food, drink, and air.  If you do the diet, you may notice that you lost some pounds and there's nothing wrong with that.  Also, after the Detox Diet is complete, you will most likely feel more energized, has fewer digestive issues, have clearer skin, and clearer sinuses to name a few.  I will tell you, you NEED to consult some sort of health professional before doing this Detox Diet as it is not for everyone.

So, here it is.  3 easy steps to follow and it lasts only 1 week.  (I'm not going to lie, it's not easy and it can be downright miserable in the first step but you should feel cleaned out and energized when it's all said and done)

Step 1:  "The Fast" - On days 1 & 2 of the 7-day Detox Diet, you will not eat any solid foods.  (Sounds crazy right?)  Drink at least 8, 8 oz glasses of water during the day.  With 2 of those 8 oz glasses of water, mix in 1 Tablespoon of psyllium husk (fiber).  The purpose of not eating solids, drinking tons of water, and taking fiber is to clean out your digestive tract.

Step 2:  "The Cleanse" - On days 3 through 7, you can add in some solid foods.  Try as best you can to limit yourself to fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes.  If you feel the need for some meat, stick to fresh, wild-caught fish in 4 oz servings once a day.  Also, continue with the 8, 8 oz glasses of water per day, 2 with the psyllium husk.

Step 3:  Once you've finished with step 2, you're done!  But that doesn't mean you can go to McDonald's and gorge because you've been so good for the past week.  This is the perfect opportunity to start eating a more healthy, balanced diet.  For the first few days, avoid any dairy, wheat, fatty foods, and processed foods as mush as possible and slowly add back in the foods that you eliminated during the detox.

Quick Bits of Info: 
 - It's essential to drink enough water during the detox to keep your body hydrated, especially during the fasting portion.
 - You may want to plan to start the detox during the weekend so you aren't fasting while at work which culd lead to more crabbiness toward co-workers.
 - Get plenty of rest (at least 8 hours of sleep) and don't do any strenuous exercise (limit yourself to a brisk walk) during the detox.
 - During the fasting step, you will most likely experience fatigue, irritability, and hunger.  They should subside once you start step 2.

Finally, remember to talk to a health professional before beginning the Detox Diet to make sure it's OK for you.