The advent of social media has accelerated the popularity of detoxing. So, what exactly is this concept of detox? How does it work? Is it scientifically proven? Is it just a fad? In this article, I will try to give a holistic picture of the detoxing scenario today. I’m hoping this article will decode detox for you, and as readers, you can make informed decisions in case you do decide to become a part of the detox movement.
What is detox?
Natural Detox: Detox is short-hand for detoxification. It is a body’s natural, the self-regulated process of removing toxins from itself. Toxins, with reference to the human body, are the wastes that are produced as by-products of the foods we consume. The body undergoes a regular detox through the work of four organs – skin, liver, kidneys, and the gastrointestinal tract. These organs are continuously helping our body pump out waste.
So, if detox is a natural process, why are people selling detox products? The answer is in two words – catalysis and acceleration.
Detox Diet: In the past, the term Detox was primarily used as a treatment for alcohol or drug abuse. But these days, detox is often used to refer to a short-term diet that catalyzes and accelerates the elimination of toxins from the body.
The supporters of the detox diet claim that short-term detox diets can help you kill two birds with one stone – lose weight and also eliminate toxins. So, how does this exactly work? The toxins that are being referred to primarily include the chemicals that we ingest through food, water, and air. Some of these toxins get deposited in our fat cells. The detox diet helps burn the fat, while also accelerating the elimination of the toxins, especially the ones deposited in our fat cells.
Fundamental principles of a detox diet
Whether you are taking a tea-tox or a juice detox or any other form of a detox diet, the fundamental principles of a detox diet remain the same.
- Reduce the amount of chemical intake in your food.
- Emphasize eating a balanced diet rich in vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants.
- Include foods rich in fiber and water to help in smooth bowel movement and frequent urination.
Common ways to detox
If you go online, there are many theories available on how to detox. They range from moderate to radically weird to (sometimes) radically extreme. I am not advocating any (extreme or otherwise) theory or process. This section is more about informing you of the most common ways of detoxing:
The most important way to detoxify is a healthy diet. There is a wide range of detox diets available ranging from juice fasts, starvation fasts to food modification approaches.
- Drink plenty of water – Keeps your body hydrated with zero calories. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of filtered water every day. Try and carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go.
- Eat fresh fruits and vegetables – A colorful plate of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole foods, legumes and small amounts of nuts and seeds helps in detoxification. These foods are rich in enzymes that aid digestion and improve nutrient absorption.
- Reduce your sugar intake – Minimizing the level of processed sugar you consume, and replacing it with natural sweeteners like honey, jaggery, etc. helps in detoxifying the body faster, and maintain overall health.
- Exercise – Sweat out your toxins. It helps in digestion, lubricates joints, and strengthens the body. Exercising regularly excretes toxins through perspiration and burns fat faster.
- Drink green/herbal tea – Green tea is full of antioxidants. Keeps you hydrated and fills you up. This reduces overeating. Read my blog on Green tea for more information.
- Minimize exposure to pollutants and allergens – Avoid being around building materials, plastics, etc. Flush your nasal passages regularly using steam.
- Exfoliate your skin regularly – Massaging and dry-brushing your skin removes toxins through pores.
- Sleep well – Insufficient sleep causes a toxic build-up. Getting a minimum of 8 hours of sound quality sleep, helps the body detoxify effectively.
- Reduce inflammation – Inflammation increases toxicity in the body. Include anti-inflammatory foods like seafood, plant foods rich in omega-3 and fatty acids, flax seeds, and chia seeds into your diet.
So should you detox or not? Before you answer that, let’s weigh the pros and cons of a detox diet.
As popular as detox diets are, they are also the subject of a lot of debate. Some of the pros of a detox diet are at a physical level, others at a mental level. Physically, a detox diet has the potential to amplify your kidney and liver function while also boosting the immune system and helping shed the extra kilos. Mentally, a detox diet can, in the medium to long term, help you feel fresh and energetic.
As good as that sounds, there are some notable cons associated with a detox diet. Although most of them are short-term, there are some potential risks to health too. A detox diet leads to a sudden change in consumption. This can cause acidity or diarrhea as your system takes time to adjust to the change. Furthermore, detox diets, if not planned well, put you at risk of taking insufficient nutrition and calories in the short term. Unfortunately, detox diets are still debated in the scientific community. Detoxes may be faster, but not necessarily better.
Popular detoxes
If you are hell-bent on doing a detox, or simply curious as to what are the different types of detoxes, here’s a list of some of the popular (in no particular order) detox diets.
Fruit and Veggie Detox: By eating fruits, salads, and proteins for 3 days, you can cleanse your system with minimum effort. It’s called ‘the food flush diet’.
Smoothie cleanses: Smoothies are simple and delicious ways to eliminate toxins from your body and lose weight. Integrating smoothies made of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet can have some positive health benefits.
Juice cleanses: By consuming fruits and vegetable juices for 1-3 days you can detoxify your body.
Sugar detox: Cutting out sugar completely from your diet comes with great health benefits and some withdrawal symptoms.
Hypoallergenic detox: These diets are clinically designed to minimize the chances of provoking an allergic reaction. Foods are identified based on your body's sensitivity and included in your diet to eliminate toxins.
My take on the detox drama
I wrote a blog on the Keto Diet a few days back. Whether it is a type of detox diet or a keto diet, or any other popular means of losing weight, what you have to remember is that the short-term results will not necessarily equal the long-term benefits. Furthermore, while these diets are promoted, a lot, by influencers such as celebrities and other public figures, the scientific community does not back up their claims. There is a distinct lack of advanced clinical trials on the benefits of detoxes. Yes, there is a nascent level research that shows the mental and physical benefits that I have discussed earlier, but most of it is at an initial level on animals or in the lab environment.
In my opinion, what you have to remember is not to willy-nilly follow anything mentioned in an article or a video, or a blog, but to do your research and implement the diet that works best for you. Detoxification and detox diet may be fancy-sounding terms and concepts, but ultimately it is all about replacing unhealthy foods with eating things that do not take a hammer to your body and its immune system.
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