Importance of Detoxification

Many people today are not aware of the detox diet and its significant contribution to one's health. The reason to this is that numerous people everywhere in the world, particularly in the U.S. are more so concerned with what they eat. However, it is equally important to have a detox diet as well as a healthy diet.

There are so many man-made chemicals in our food, water, soil, and air, which serve as the primary cause for the alarming rise in cancer since the last 75 years. It is common knowledge that we ingest an array of toxic substances daily. Those who take prescription and over-the-counter drugs have accumulated residues in their bodies from such substances.

Detoxification can clean out the liver, digestive system, kidneys, lymph, and the bloodstream. A variety of detoxification approaches are used, including colon cleansing, fasting, chelation, water therapy, heat therapy, nutritional, herbal, and homeopathic methods. In the early 1900s, Max Gerson introduced coffee into the enema procedure, which causes the liver to release stored up toxins into the digestive system to be eliminated.

Chelation can clear toxins, particularly highly toxic metals like mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and lead from the bloodstream, tissues, and organs. It has proven to be extremely effective in fighting various diseases and even prevent cancer.

Kidneys are flushed by drinking large amounts of water containing special herbal preparations. The liver is cleansed using various means. The coffee used in enemas, stimulates the liver to purge itself. Colonic irrigations help remove built-up waste products in the colon, some of which may have been there for years.

This therapeutic approach goes back literally thousands of years to the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. Although a normal procedure in Europe for generations, Americans are still getting used to this idea.

Detox diets can come in numerous ways and to find the best way possible for detoxification, one should consult his or her doctor. Nevertheless, here is one way to go about one’s detox diet for dinner.

Dinner
· curried lentils on quinoa
· salad with mixed greens, red peppers, artichokes and sprouts drizzled with salad dressing of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil
· vegetable broth

Before bed
· 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water

Michelle Kim

The Detox Diet: Lunch Menu

Most detox diets just involve cleansing the entire body. Below, there is a sample of a detox diet made for the lunch menu. First of all, it is important that you have regular bowel movements during a detox as this will lessen the likelihood of toxins being reabsorbed by the body. A good way to make sure you will eliminate regularly includes the following:

LUNCH

1. Chunky vegetable soup made with vegatable stock and your choice of vegetables
2. Steamed broccoli with sesame seeds and beets sprinkled with lemon juice on brown rice
3. Apple sauce
4. Supplements: Multivitamin

SNACKS

1. Dandelion root tea
2. Carrot sticks with hummus dip
3. Water
4. Supplements: Milk thistle

Michelle Kim

The Detox Diet

Detox, short for detoxification, is the removal of potentially toxic substances from the body. Detox is primarily used as a treatment for alcohol or drug dependence, but it also can refer to diets, herbs, and other methods of removing environmental and dietary toxins from the body for general health.

The following is a detox diet plan for breakfast, which will support detoxification by increasing elimination from the body, enhancing circulation to clear toxic substances, eliminating foods from the diet that require detoxification or are allergenic, and providing nutrients to support and protect the liver - the main organ involved in detoxification.

For starters, a detox diet sample menu for breakfast can include a 1/2 lemon squeezed into a glass of warm water and 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water. Then the actual meal can include a smoothie made with pear, rice milk, and rice protein powder and supplements that consist of vitamin C.

Detoxification comes in many forms and refers to many different programs that cleanse the body of toxins. Today, our environment is toxic and the foods we eat, even the air we breathe and the water we drink is laden with chemicals foreign to our system. Many different approaches to detoxificaiton and wellness will work, even though they attack the problem at different levels. Furthermore, other factors must be considered in detoxification such as nutrition, water, exercise, rest, sunshine, and fresh air. Ultimately, any program that augments detoxification will improve health.

Michelle Kim