Detox Diets for Weight Loss

Detox diets for weight loss appeal to many dieters. After all, doesn’t the idea of cleansing your system sound appealing when you’re feeling fat? The main idea behind detox diets for weight loss is to only consume pure, natural foods that will aid your liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system in their important filtering tasks. Detox diets are very controversial because they can be extremely restrictive. Anyone contemplating this type of plan should do so only after careful thought and research.

What do Detox Diets Include?
Some cleansing diets are so restrictive that they only include liquids such as juices or herbal teas. Because these plans border on a starvation diet, they are not recommended for more than a day or two. The typical items that are included in detox diets that last for several weeks include organic food and drink that remove harsh chemical pesticides and fertilizers from your diet, whole foods that have not been processed, about two liters of water each day, and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Certain herbs that are thought to help cleanse toxins from your system may also be included. Common supplements include yucca root, milk thistle seed, licorice root, psyllium root, and gentian root.

What do Detox Diets Exclude?
While many everyday food items will be excluded, they are grouped together as processed and refined foods. This includes most baked goods, processed meats from the deli, fried foods, and sugary sweets. Alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and other drugs are also excluded when you take part in a cleansing diet. Although cleansing supplements are usually included, most others are specifically excluded because of the amount of additives that are contained in some of the capsules. In addition to restricting your intake of chemicals, a detox diet also instructs you to reduce stress levels as much as possible to allow your body’s natural healing process to rid itself of chemicals and toxins.

While most detox diets for weight loss are short term programs, you may be able to include some of these items to long-term lifestyle changes that are always necessary to maintain any weight loss. Remember than it’s important to not only learn about healthy diet choices, but to also take steps to put your new plan into action.