What is Detox Dieting? Meaning, Benefits & Detox Foods

The detox diet is gaining increasing popularity among youngsters. This is primarily due to the prevalent news of celebrities opting for such a diet in recent times. Detox dieting claims to clean the blood by flushing out toxins. However, the mechanism of this cleansing is unclear, leading to unspecified results.

Read on to know more about detox diets, including their benefits, effectiveness, and food sources.

Detox diet refers to a dietary regimen involving alterations in consumption habits to eliminate toxins and other contaminants from the body.

A typical detox diet involves a period of fasting, followed by a strict diet of raw vegetables, water, fruits, and juices. In addition, some detox diets include herbs, supplements, and colon cleansing food items.

Fast-paced lifestyle, poor food choices, pollution, and exposure to harmful chemicals lead to toxin accumulation in the body. These are chemicals that harm the body.

Detox dieting helps to get rid of these toxins.

Besides providing mental peace, detox dieting offers numerous benefits. These are discussed below –

Supports the Digestive System and Aids in Weight Loss

A detox diet removes toxins from the body, aiding in better absorption of vitamins and other nutrients. Also, such a diet is known to change metabolism and promote long-term weight management.

Uplifts Mental Health

The benefits of a detox diet are well reflected on the mental health of individuals practising it. This diet plays a crucial role in ensuring sound sleep, bringing clarity and focus, and overall improvement of mental health. Also, a detox diet delays signs of ageing.

Promotes Healthy Skin and Hair

The Detox diet claims to remove toxins from the body, which ultimately results in healthy and glowing skin. This diet plan may help fight acne germs, thus reducing acne problems and ensuring clear skin.

Also, this diet is believed to make hair shinier and longer as the toxins at the follicles get removed, making way for hair growth.

Boost Immune System

During detox dieting, a significant amount of vitamins and minerals gets absorbed into the bloodstream. Hence, all the vital organs receive enough nutrients leading to a healthy and strong immune system. 

Increases Antioxidant Content

A detox diet includes a wide variety of fruits. So naturally, when individuals opt for a detox diet, they get enough antioxidants, including vitamin A, C, and E. Higher levels of antioxidant content helps improve blood circulation.

Besides knowing the advantages of a detox diet, individuals must learn about other important facts about it.

Detox dieting can be of various types. It may range from days of complete starvation to lesser food consumption and simple food habit modifications. 

Notwithstanding the type, most detox diets include at least one of the following –

• Complete fasting for 1-3 days.
• Intake of supplements or herbs.
• Relying on specific liquids such as lemon juice.
• Drinking fruit and vegetable juices, tea, water, and smoothies.
• Avoiding heavy metal-rich foods.
• Introducing laxatives, enemas, or colon cleansers.
• Eliminating refined sugar, coffee, cigarettes, alcohol.  
• Avoiding food allergens and slowly reintroducing them after some time. 

Individuals can begin with a detox diet by following the steps mentioned below:

• Step 1: First, visit a doctor or nutritionist and consult about the consequences of staying on a detox diet.   
• Step 2: Stop taking stimulants, including caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes, before starting the detox diet. Individuals can replace these items with water, lemon water or herbal tea. 
• Step 3: Select the type of detox diet and detox foods as per your suitability. The dietary intake can vary from person to person based on their physique and calorie consumption. 
• Step 4: Initially, a detox diet can cause headaches and nausea due to toxin removal. Hence, individuals must prepare themselves beforehand. 
• Step 5:  Avoid exercising while on this diet. As the body has a reduced-calorie supply, exercising would cause loss of energy and fatigue. 
• Step 6: During this diet, one’s tongue can get coated. In such cases, one must use a tongue scraper to remove layers of bacteria. 
• Step 7: After completing detox dieting, individuals can start consuming solid food items if they have omitted the diet. However, they must introduce these items slowly as sudden intake can disturb the digestive system after an interval.

Following is a list of foods that detoxify one’s body.

• Lemon
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Beetroot
• Cabbage
• Fresh Fruit
• Artichoke
• Watercress
• Brown Rice

Here is a list of detox drinks that individuals can choose for their diet.

• Lemon and Ginger Drink
• Cucumber and Mint Drink
• Orange Carrot Ginger Drink
• Green Tea
• Cinnamon Water With Honey
• Honey, Lemon Ginger Tea
• Ginger Litchi Lemonade
• Cumin Lemon Water
• Coriander Water
• Vetiver Water
• Fenugreek Water

As stated in the introductory paragraph, a detox diet claims to eliminate toxins from the body. However, there is no proof of how this diet works or the number of necessary nutrients it flushes out of the body. But detox dieting is considered to be effective in getting rid of toxins from the body.

Here, one must note that the effects of a detox diet vary from one individual to another. For example, some people report feeling more energetic and focused after completing this diet. This may result from lesser consumption of processed food, alcohol, and other high-calorie and low-nutritious food. On the other hand, various reports show people feeling unwell during the detox period.

Though a detox diet helps lose weight, it is not considered safe for certain people. These include children, teenagers, pregnant women, people with a history of eating disorders, and people with medical conditions like heart disease and diabetes. 

Further, detox dieting has some side effects. These are discussed below –

• Headaches
• Tiredness and Fatigue
• Restlessness
• Sleeping Problems
• Irritability
• Skin Problems
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation (depending on the type of detox diet one takes)
• Anxiety
• Low Blood Sugar
• Cramping
• Bloating

Now that you know the meaning of a detox diet, its benefits, and its impacts, you can prepare yourself and plan a suitable diet accordingly.

However, individuals must consult a doctor or nutritionist before taking up detox dieting to avoid unwanted health issues.