Detox Diets · 3 January 2006
An item in a news programme today (3rd January 2006) is telling us that scientists say that detox products are useless and not worth the money because they don’t do anything.
Well, I think they have a point. I think that all detox products are useless if you continue with the unhealthy lifestyle that led you to want to detox in the first place.
This is my recipe for detoxing:
Replace all drinks with good quality plain bottled water and aim to have at least 8 – 10 full mugs of water a day.
Avoid all sugar and products containing sugar including alcohol, dried fruit, honey, biscuits, chocolates, sweets, pastries, cakes and pies, bread and processed foods as they also contain sugar.
Eat vegetables and fruit as vegetables and fruit aiming for at least 5 portions of veg and fruit each day. Eating the whole fruit and vegetable gives the gut important fibre to aid detoxification.
Juicing is good as it gives vital vitamins and minerals in an easy to digest formula for the body to absorb but juicing takes out important fibre so only drink one juice drink a day.
Take a detox product if you want as they generally contain nutrients to help the organs to detox for example milk thistle supports the liver.
Take in exercise of a non strenuous nature – for example gentle walking. Never undertake strenuous exercise while detoxing.
Exercise burns nutrients. When nutrients are burnt the body needs to get rid of the burnt nutrients (toxins). If too strenuous exercise is taken then the body burns up a lot of nutrients and has to work hard to flush out the effects of the exercise ie detox. So if you are detoxing the last thing you need to do is strenuous exercise because strenuous exercise requires heavy detoxing of used nutrients.
On top of this, strenuous exercise requires loaded replacements of nutrients and if you are detoxing you cannot replace the required proteins, carbohydrates and fats that have been used when exercising. If you take in strenuous exercise and do not replace with good amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, water, vitamins and minerals you have the propensity to be very ill later in life.
Gentle walking over longer periods once a day is best. This gently increases the heart rate and circulation which aids detoxification.
So to recap:
1 Good quality bottled water
2 Fibre from whole fruit and veg
3 Gentle walk for 20 minutes or so
4 Fish meal with veg
5 Early to bed
Detox supplements if you still think they may help.
Do the 5 points above one day a week. Or for 5 days in one week for serious detoxing, no longer.
Please note that I am not a nutritionist. This is sensible advice from my sensible point of view based on personal experience and the experiences of my patients. If you feel unwell at any time before, after or during a detox diet then consult your GP immediately.
If you normally take in caffeine drinks then you may experience headaches and flu-like symptoms when you replace caffeine with water. This is caffeine withdrawal and it can be very uncomfortable for a few days to a week.
Next: 'Dr' Gillian Mckeith- 'Nutritionist'?
Previous: The Zinc Connection
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