We often burden our digestive systems with rich, oily, unhealthy food without caring about the waste that gets accumulated in the body. The solution: a detox diet. All it takes is the right diet to detoxify the system and get rid of all the toxins.
A detox diet gives the digestive system a brief break from all the junk food for a few days, while it removes the toxic components from the body. When a person follows a detox diet, he or she eliminates the waste products of certain harmful foods eaten on a daily basis and consumes certain protective foods instead to balance out excesses during the normal life course. According to experts, a detox diet should be followed for a week, every month.
The founder of the NOSH detox diet, Geeta Sidhu-Robb, believes that it’s very important to detoxify the body. She says, “If you look at what you put into the body, and at what comes out, there is a huge discrepancy. It’s a bit like a window that never gets cleaned; it starts off ok but gets dirtier and much harder to see.”
Detox diets are essential for Indians as they are prone to lifestyle diseases. “As a community and a nation, our diet predisposes us to certain types of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cholesterol. A regular detox is very helpful in preventing that kind of problem before it gets hold of your system. Staying cleansed regularly stops you from falling ill, becoming overweight or suffering from indigestion – all these symptoms are warning signs of more serious illnesses,” explains the London-based diet expert.
Ishi Khosla, a clinical nutritionist, adds, “The five best ways to detoxify the system is to increase one’s intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, eat light before a party or an event, drink plenty of fluids, minimise consumption of sugar, refined and fried foods, limit alcohol intake to no more than two drinks and avoid smoking.”
There are various other kinds of detox diets like the ‘juice fast’ where juice is extracted from fruits and vegetables to support the rejuvenating process of the body.
Another detox diet is the ‘mono fruit detox diet’ that involves eating only one type of fruit, it supplies organic liquid which bathes the body cells, allowing them to cleanse themselves.
‘Raw food detox diet’ goes back to a natural way of eating and avoids processed foods, preservatives and additives.
In the ‘diuretic’ diet, a person consumes certain food and herbs like parsley, watercress, celery seeds etc., which is mixed with other beverages and consumed.
However, there are experts who believe that fasting, as a means to detoxify the system, does not really help, which is especially true when feasting follows fasting. Ishi says, “What works best is healthy eating and lifestyle practices on a regular basis, rather than intermittent fasting and special detox diets practiced for a few days.”
This is the reason why the creators of detox diets ensure that they plan a wholesome diet without making a person starve or fast. Geeta explains, “The diet should have the right blend of fruits, vegetables and natural ingredients rich in antioxidants that speed up regeneration and rejuvenation process. The juices must be prepared with vitamin and antioxidant-packed combinations of beetroot, carrot and apple with a bit of ginger. The strategically planned meals include organic porridge, vegetable salads, mueslis, steamed vegetables and so on.”