Many diets come with the promise of detoxifying the body, but their proponents often misunderstand what the word really means. Detoxification came into prominence with diets like Master Cleanse, which is essentially a juice fast involving only water, lemons, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. A number of celebrities have credited it for their drastic weight loss, but you will find that those pounds can be gained back just as easily as you lost them. The correct way of detoxing is not about restricting your body of nutrients, but flushing away these so-called toxins.

 

What’s the deal with toxins?

Any person would want his/her body to be free of potentially harmful substances. Another term for toxins is free radicals, and Live Science notes that they can be found in a number of substances including food, water, medicine, and even air. What makes them so bad is that they can essentially destabilize, destroy, and even mutate cells. In fact, the presence of these toxins have been associated with the growth of tumors, cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists believe that free radicals also accelerate the aging process of cells.

A person who is undergoing this process may be experiencing headaches, fatigue, noise sensitivity, cognitive impairment, muscle and joint pain, and reduced immune function. This is when detoxing comes in, because one of the sources you can control is the food you eat. The aim of detox diets is to rid your body of impurities before they can cause extensive damage to your cells.

The role of antioxidants

The problem with modern detox diets is that they’re focused on calorie restriction while still promoting unhealthy eating. For instance, there are some that actively encourage the consumption of low-fat dairy products. These food still contain microbial toxins that are associated with chronic illnesses, one of which is cancer of the reproductive system.

The type of food fit for a detox diet should be high in antioxidants. Healthline identified some of the best sources of this substance, such as dark chocolate, kale, beans, beets, and spinach. They all contain properties that can protect your cells from free radical damage. You may also add acai berries to the list, which I’ve previously mentioned to be high in antioxidants.

While on a detox diet, avoid packaged food, dairy, processed meat, deep-fried food (including chips), and produce grown with pesticides. Focus on getting in as much organic produce as you can and stay away from those that contain chemicals and additives. The primary goal of detoxing is to clear harmful substances from your bloodstream. Losing weight is just a byproduct of it and normally, when the liver and intestines are cleaned out, the amount of fat absorbed is also reduced. This is because free radicals attack your digestive system, particularly the liver, which plays a big part in filtering and flushing out toxins.

At the end of the day, a detox diet works hand in hand with discipline. Once you start feeling good on the inside, it is but natural for that wellness to also reflect on the outside, making you look great too.