Detoxification is a term used to describe all the processes involved with the processing and elimination of toxins from the body. These toxins may be generated outside the body (like pollution, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors/preservatives, alcohol/drugs, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, etc.) or inside the body (including metabolic byproducts due to the digestion of excess sugar or fats, infection and normal repair processes).
Whatever the sources, over time, these toxins can disrupt the proper functioning of many of the body’s organs and systems, causing a wide array of symptoms, ranging from fatigue and chronic pain, to headaches and poor sleep, to improper digestion and skin disorders. In order to obtain and maintain optimal health, periodic detoxification is necessary to assist the body in the removal of these toxins. The most fundamental way to do this is to change your diet to eliminate foods that slow down the detoxification process and include foods that help support detoxification.
7 Foods to Avoid When Doing a Detox
Many foods slow down the detoxification process and should be eliminated from the diet while doing a detoxification. In fact, most people would benefit from avoiding these seven foods not only during detoxification, but as much as possible. The seven foods to avoid when doing a detox include:
- Soda/carbonated beverages
- Alcohol
- Coffee/caffeine
- Refined sugars and artificial sweeteners, including table sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar/juice, glucose, sucrose, dextrose, processed honey, maple syrup; aspartame, sucralose,
- Hydrogenated fats/oils and saturated fats, including partially hydrogenated oils, fractionated oils, red meat, pork, and deep fried foods
- Gluten, including wheat, rye and barley.
- Cow’s dairy, including milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream, butter, margarine, ice cream, and non-dairy creamers.
These seven foods either slow down the detoxification process, rob the body of needed nutrients in order to be processed and/or are toxins themselves and should therefore be avoided during a detoxification process.
Foods to Include During a Detox
Detoxification is a heavily nutrient dependent process and requires a lot of energy. Therefore, it is important not only to avoid certain foods during a detox, it is also important to include certain foods to improve detoxification. A detox diet food list should include plenty of water and/or herbal tea, lots of cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale), deep green leafy vegetables (like spinach, watercress, lettuce, Swiss chard and kale), deep colored fruits and berries, garlic and raw nuts and seeds.
Making Detoxification Easy
It is often beneficial to have a detox diet completely laid out for you so you don’t have to think about what foods you need to include or avoid during a detoxification. It is also most beneficial to insure that the body is getting all the nutrients it needs to support optimal detoxification. The Clear Change 10-Day Detox Program provides you both. It includes a program guide that outlines exactly which foods you need to include and avoid during your detox as well as provides all the supplements necessary to insure optimal detoxification.
