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    Added 3 months ago

    Give your body a break – detox!

    A detox diet is a short-term diet, usually between 3 days to 2 weeks, focused on removing toxins from the body. The body is actually very good at removing toxins, and is in fact constantly doing so. However, if our lifestyles are not quite as healthy as they should be (and let’s face it, who’s really are?) then we need to give our bodies a small break from time to time to play catch up. A detox diet allows our bodies to focus on self-healing, with the goal being to raise energy levels, stimulate digestive health, remove bloating, improve concentration and mood, restore our immune systems and prevent premature aging and disease. Keep in mind that detox diets are not intended to cure disease. Instead, they are designed to clear obstacles to health and allow all our body systems to run more efficiently.

    There are many different types of detox diets on the market these days from the popular lemon detox to liquidising all food to eating only grapefruits. Detoxification should not be about starvation or the complete removal of food groups! It is about eating clean, whole foods while reducing or removing that which the body finds hard to process.

    The role of the liver

    Your liver is the largest glandular organ in the human body and is located on the right lower side of the abdomen just below your diaphragm. It is one of the most important organs in your body, performing many different tasks to keep us healthy and active. One of its largest functions is to filter our blood. Liver cells are arranged in a way so that when harmful substances such as drugs, alcohol, metabolic waste, and chemicals are ingested and reach the liver, they are at least partially filtered out before the rest of the nutrients hit the blood stream. Healthy livers can usually filter nearly 1.5 liters of blood per minute - over 2000 liters of blood per day.

    The liver is also largely involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins by breaking them down into more usable forms in the body. Any excess carbs, fats and proteins are converted into forms that can be stored. (In lipids case, body fat!) It also the main storage site for vitamins and minerals (especially iron), where they can be released back into the blood stream as needed. Bile is also produced in the liver to be stored in the gall bladder to aid in the breaking down of dietary fats.

    So why detox?

    As mentioned above, the liver is very good at removing toxins. The problem is that modern lifestyles, diets and food production methods have all changed quite drastically in recent times. More and more toxins and chemicals are creeping into our diets. Even unprocessed foods are absorbing more toxins through polluted soil, water and air. The hectic modern lifestyle is also increasing stress levels in many people, and this leads to the overproduction of stress hormones that must be removed from the body. As awesome as our friend the liver is, like all of us, it needs a helping hand every now and then! It has a fantastic capability to regenerate itself, but needs the chance.

    Sensible dieting

    Many of the detoxification diets on the market are pure gimmick. You don’t need special pills or potions to help cleanse your body, and you certainly do not need to starve yourself! Any diet that advises the removal of a whole food group or drastic reduction in calories to the point of constant hunger is not only incorrect, but can actually be dangerous. (Certain exceptions apply, but only in exceptional circumstances.) The things we need to remove or limit are the substances that the body finds difficult to process or remove. A sensible detox diet is actually the way we should eat all the time. (But where’s the fun in that!) Below is a list of things to avoid. It sounds like a lot, but remember our bodies don’t need many of the things we put in our mouths! And it’s only for 1-2 weeks, so don’t stress.

    Avoid:

     

    It is also a good idea to reduce the amount of meat you eat during the detox. I’m not saying you have to go vegetarian – just cut back for a week or two. Animal protein is great for you, but it is a bit harder to digest than vegetable sources. And don’t worry – you won’t lose all that hard earned muscle. The steak will taste so much better if you abstain for a while!

    What should I eat then?!

    Basically a detox diet comprises of whole, natural foods. The closer it is to how nature made it the better. Eating raw food is very good for the body – very rich in enzymes that can be destroyed during cooking - so make sure you get in plenty of fresh fruit and veges. A moderate amount of whole grains such as brown rice and quinoa are great. It is important to eat low GI foods – http://www.glycemicindex.com/ is a fantastic website to learn all about the Glycemic Index and search the food database. You can also get wheat and gluten free bread and cereals – but watch for other additives that may be present. Eat a small amount of lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.

    How you cook your food is important as well – steaming or baking is best. Lightly pan fried with a good quality vegetable oil is fine as well; just don’t use olive oil as Jamie Oliver does! It may be very good for you, but fat has 9 calories per gram regardless if it saturated (bad) or unsaturated (good) and you’re not supposed to put on weight during detox! Which leads me to another point – detox dieting is about improving health, not a quick fix to lose a few kilos. Fat loss is a bonus, not the goal. However, this form of dieting is closer to how you should eat all the time, and if your diet is focused on health you should lose excess body fat anyway.

    Drinking enough water is very important for good health, and is especially important during a detox. Your body will be releasing toxins into your system, and you need enough hydration to make sure they can be easily washed away. Many detox diets recommend warm water with lemon juice. Lemon is rich in calcium and potassium, and can aid in digestion and waste excretion. The body utilises water most efficiently at body temperature, so make sure the water is not too cold or too hot.

    Your intestines are the home of your inner ecosystem, where the friendly micro flora (bacteria and yeast) live. The micro flora help you digest and assimilate foods and keep your immune system strong. Stresses and toxins – including many antibiotics – can damage your good bacteria and leave you with an imbalance. Supplementing with a probiotic drink will add healthy micro flora to your intestines, bringing your inner ecosystem back into balance.

    Finally – chew your food thoroughly! Your Mother wasn’t telling old wives’ tales when she said this to you as a child. The saliva in your mouth is the first stage of digestion. Swallowing large chunks of food make it harder for the stomach and intestines to break down, which can lead to incomplete digestion. Not only do nutrients not get extracted from the food but undigested food becomes fodder for bacteria in the colon which can lead to bacterial overgrowth, flatulence and other symptoms of indigestion. The process of chewing also activates signaling messages to the rest of the gastrointestinal system that triggers it to begin the entire digestive process.

    Give it a go!

    Some people can feel a bit worse off for the first couple of days when on a detox diet, but stick with it and I’m sure you’ll feel much better on completion. Also be aware that you’re energy levels may be a tad lower because of the reduced calories, so adjust your exercise accordingly. Try it for one week at first, and remember if you don’t do it perfectly that’s fine! Any improvements to your diet will be beneficial. It is often difficult to stick 100% to special diets – we have work functions and family celebrations and all sorts of other temptations and distractions to throw us off course. Just do it the best you can. It really is a learning curve, and I believe most people need to learn much more about what they put into their bodies! You will realise just how many of the foods we eat contain additives and chemicals. Eat well, exercise daily, be good to the people around you and you’ll live a longer and happier life!

    Posted by Oxygen Personal Fitness at 2:30 pm 0 Comments

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