6 Body Detox And Cleansing Myths And Facts

There are a lot of detoxing diets around as well as items or foods that claim to “detox” the body. Detoxification is designed to rid the body of unnatural chemicals and pollutants that are said to damage the liver, damage the kidneys, and help you lose weight.

Unfortunately, if detoxification were really all that helpful, everyone would be doing it.

Doing detoxification the wrong way can be damaging to your health. Before you get out the juicer and gather a bunch of healthy vegetables to eat at your next meal, you should really think about these myths and facts about body cleansing and body detoxification.

• Detox Myth #1: Detoxification is the quickest way to lose weight. The truth is that while detoxes actually do help you lose the weight very quickly, most of the weight lost is body water and the weight will come right back on as soon as you stop doing it.

 Detox can also help you lose stool through diarrhea and that will cause your weight to drop fast but as soon as you eat, the stool will build up again. You can lose only so much weight when participating in a cleanse diet. It is much better to lose weight the conventional way—through eating a low calorie diet and exercising in order to lose the pounds. It is much easier to stick to a diet this way as well.

• Detox Myth #2: Detox diets are better for you than a diet consisting of exercise and eating a fewer number of calories. While a diet claiming to be a detox diet is able to get rid of a few toxins from the body, it won’t help you lose a lasting amount of weight. It is much safer to eat healthy unprocessed foods and get to the gym for some exercise.

• Detox Myth #3: You don’t have to exercise with a detox diet. While it is possible to lose weight with a detox diet without exercise, you are losing muscle mass by engaging in a detox diet and avoiding exercise. If you want to gain or tone muscles, going to the gym or exercising at home or outdoors is the best way to keep those muscles healthy.

• Detox myth #4: You need to take it many strange juices and avoid eating food when detoxing. There are many healthy foods that will cleanse your system without needing to take in only expensive juices or eating so little food that you quit eating solids. Instead of juicing your way through a detox diet, you should eat a lot of sesame seeds, leafy green vegetables, and lemons (in a recipe or as the juice).

Green tea is another inexpensive thing to add to your diet that will clean your body out without starving yourself; it is a natural detoxification drink for those who really want to detox but don’t want to buy a juicer and juice up veggies and fruits.

• Detox Myth #5: Drinking an excessive amount of water will detoxify the body. This is a myth that has some partial truth to it. Water does help the kidneys and liver function better but if you drink too much of it, it can be dangerous to your body.

Too much water can negatively affect the electrolytes of the body and can cause your kidneys to work overtime trying to get rid of the excessive amount of water you are trying to take in as part of a detox diet. Drink plenty of water while dieting but don’t go overboard.

• Detox myth #6. You only have to go to the sauna to detoxify the body. While saunas are an excellent way to get rid of toxins after working out at the gym, this isn’t a way to have longstanding detoxification. If you spend too much time lounging in a sauna, it is just too easy to become dehydrated. In addition, trying to use sweat to get rid of your toxins, you can block your ability to detoxify your body over a period of time.

While many people take on these types of detox diets with the best of intentions, you need to know that it is possible for them to be dangerous to your body if you don’t do them right.

Start your healthy diet and exercise plan the right way, by lowering your caloric content, continuing to eat healthy foods in moderation, and exercising hard at the gym or in your home (or outside) in order to keep your muscle mass up or to tone your muscles as you help your body lose weight.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Have you decided to finally get rid of that addiction? If so than you might be interested by this article which was just published on the Healthy Living section of the Huffingtonpost blog:

Let’s face it: Any way you look at it, detoxing is not an easy thing to do. Whether you’re coming off cigarettes, sugar, alcohol or crack, who wants to do go through the intense cravings, the sweaty nights of lying awake, chills or the flu-like symptoms that can make you want to crawl up in a hole and die? I have experienced all of the above, and believe me I never want to go through that pain again.

In the early ’90s when I got clean and sober, after having used for years, it took a while for the fog to lift. However, when it finally did, I had a profound realization that was crystal clear: I wanted to help other addicts and alcoholics get clean as well. After taking a series of required courses I got a job as a counselor in a local detox center at Brotman Hospital.

While working there over the course of five years, I met many clients whose lives had been downsized to a pill, a crack pipe or a bottle of Jack Daniels. Others who laid in the fetal position in their beds, swearing they would never drink again. There were our frequent flyers and some we’d never see again.

We averaged about one death a month and those were just the ones we knew about. Others would simply go MIA, and when an addict goes missing, it’s usually not a good thing.

During that time one of the most common questions I was asked was, “What can I expect from my withdrawal?”

Here’s what the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) says about it:

Read on

Detoxing With Smoothies: The Way To A Healthier You

Have you been thinking about starting a natural body detox? If you feel fatigued day and night, sluggish or worn out and tired all the time, you might want to consider getting a natural body cleanser. A lot of folks, do experience these problems and just accept them as common everyday living, they don’t realize that these sensations are not normal in healthy individuals. It may be that your body is just trying to tell you something is not quite right. By using a natural body cleansing strategies, you are helping your body to purge the accumulated toxins and kickstart your natural digestive process.

What Are Smoothies?

Detox smoothies are the nutritious and delicious way of detoxing your body. Among all the detox drinks, they are one of the most preferred as they contain vitamins and minerals to function at its best.

fresh green smoothie with ingredients

Making Detox Smoothies

When you have the right ingredients, smoothies are easy to make. In this present times, it Is not only easy to discover the recipes that are required for good health, but also reasonable. The best thing about these ingredients can be found in powder form. These powders are easy to work with since they have all of the nutrients in the product and are not difficult to combine for the drink that tastes so good.

Power Foods For Detox

 All-About-the-Berries Smoothie: When it comes to detoxing, berries are your good friend because they all have the fiber and antioxidants. To purge toxins, and replenish your body, detox berries through a smoothie is just the thing your body needs. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries have a lot of vitamins.

Ginger Spice Smoothie: If you are trying to detox your body, Ginger root is a great way to keep you around. As far as flavor is concerned, ginger wakes up the taste buds and offers a power that are refreshing. Mixing it with cinnamon makes the detox smoothie a generous drink that gives anti-inflammatory benefits. It also kicks up the spiciness of the drink.

Green and Clean Smoothie: Smoothies of this kind is straightforward. The word green means the drink is incorporated with green fruits and some vegetable. Open your fridge and use anything that is green.

Extreme Detox Smoothie: Extreme is an intense word to use in a smoothie. This smoothie is labeled as a “kitchen sink” as it adds you in whatever you in your hand. Some of the foods that are presumed to work best in detox do not work well in a smoothie since most of them contains minerals and vitamins that support a healthy lifestyle.

Smoothie Detox has the power to cleanse the body of dietary and environmental toxins accumulated to lose weight or improve health. A detox diet minimizes the necessary intake of chemicals and emphasizes the foods that are high in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Additionally, smoothie detox emphasizes the foods that promote the elimination of toxins via excretion such as water and high fiber food.

Become a water warrior

It’s no secret that we need water. It doesn’t just detoxify and hydrate us, it literally keeps us alive. The cornerstone of good health is water and proper hydration. In fact, drinking the correct amount of water is essential to live life at your optimum level.

When most people think of water, they think about hydrating their system. But the reality is that water does more than just hydrate the system, it actually flushes the system. What’s the difference? Hydrating is essentially adding moisture or water to something, while flushing means that there is so much water in the system that it literally pushes the bad things out of your system.

Flushing yourself with water is recommended for getting rid of excess fluid in the body, (also known as ‘water weight’), oxygenating the blood, aiding in the digestion of food and even keeping dirt from getting into your eyes. Just to be clear, flushing your system does not mean that you drink as much water as you can as fast as you can. When you drink the correct amount of water throughout the day every day, you are flushing your system.

Of course, when most people desire water the most is when they are in the middle of a heavy workout. While it might seem like it is simple thirst that has you reaching for your water bottle at the gym, it might be even more. Water is able to regulate the body temperature and fight muscle fatigue. Even if your mind feels like it is simply thirsty for water, your body likely has many reasons it wants you to hydrate during these times.

Another great reason to drink water is to keep your bowel movements regular. While this is not a popular topic there is no way around it, everybody has to move their bowels every day to be healthy. Only when you are moving your bowels every day is your body able to remove all of the waste buildup that gets created on a daily basis.

Do you ever find yourself reaching for that second helping even though you know you are full? Water can save you from that. Because it helps you to feel fuller faster, drinking a bottle of water before your meals can help you to eat only what you truly want to eat during your meals.

in addition to drinking throughout the day try drinking a bottle of water first thing in the morning and before you go to bed to really feel the cleansing effects, for an extra kick add a few drops of lemon to a glass of warm water first thing in the morning – this is a great detoxifier.

Most of us are already aware of the importance of water to our well being, but struggle to drink enough and are actually walking around in a dehydrated state. Many people think of dehydration in relation to being violently ill and needing to be hospitalized, but that is just not the case. Many of us are suffering from some level of dehydration and don’t even know it. If you have dry skin, blackheads, brittle nails, or even itchy eyes you may be dehydrated.

If you get bored with taste of plain water, try some simple fruit infusions to liven up the taste such as lemon or strawberries. A bit of stevia can also help. Herbal teas can also serve as a substitute for water, although nothing is as pure as the real thing It is also important to note that coffees and soda cannot substitute for water.

The healthiest way to consume water on the go is by investing in a portable water bottle with a glass insert or one made from stainless steel. Keep this bottle with you and refill it throughout the day.

Do these detox diets actually work?

Have you ever done any of these detox diets? I personally tried some of those green juice diets but must admit I never felt much better.
Maybe I should not have given up so fast and keep at it but still I remain skeptical.
Below is an article on this very subject that might interest you too:

Does a Detox Diet Really Cleanse Anything?

Toxins can damage your organs, sap your bones of calcium, increase your body’s inflammation, and reduce your ability to fight off cancer.

Meanwhile, detox diets—from juice fasts to intestinal cleanses to strict elimination diets—promise to rid the body of toxins to help you drop pounds, reduce your risk of disease, increase your energy, and give you better skin.

“But all experts in modern medicine know this is a scientifically ridiculous concept,” says Brian Quebbemann, M.D., a bariatric surgeon with the Chapman Medical Center in California and president of The N.E.W. Program in Newport Beach.

“The human body itself is a powerful detoxification machine. It uses numerous sophisticated physiologic systems to prevent toxic substances from hurting our bodies,” Quebbemann says. Before toxins such as alcohol, excessive caffeine, phosphoric acid from carbonated beverages, vegetable oil, or even metals reach your blood stream, intestinal enzymes modify many of them to detoxify them or prevent their absorption. And if they do enter your blood stream, your liver and kidneys can pretty much take care of them.

Still, it’s worth mentioning that the liver can sometimes fall short—as is the case in people with liver disease—and toxic substances can accumulate in the liver and other organs. But there’s no evidence that a detox diet can do anything to prevent or treat liver disease…

Read on:https://www.yahoo.com/health/does-a-detox-diet-really-cleanse-anything-121691191610.html

What you should know about Detox Teas

Have you tried any of these detox teas yet, I did and must admit not having been impressed by the effect on my waistline. Funny thing is one tends to buy these also because they’re supposed to be good for your health but are they? I suggest you read the story below before you do that:

5 Things You Should Know About Detox Teas

So-called “detox” teas have been popular for years, primarily among people who frequent health-food stores, or consult with alternative practitioners. These days, though, they’ve become big business, and a handful of celebrities are touting their weight-loss benefits on social media. In a way, detox teas have become the liquid version of waist trainers–the before and after results are often dramatic, and their celeb backing generates buzz, but you may be wondering: Do they really work, and are they safe? Before you plunk down your hard-earned money and start sipping, here are five things you should know.

You still have to diet and exercise for them to work
One detox tea brand, recently Instagrammed by Amber Rose, advises per their website that for “best results,” the tea should be consumed along with plenty of water, healthy, balanced meals, and three to five workouts a week. Another, which has been Instagrammed by several celebs, including Kourtney Kardashian, Christina Milian, and Hilary Duff, states online that the tea “…is recommended to be taken in conjunction with a healthy energy-controlled diet and regular exercise” and the website offers an accompanying meal plan for sale. Personally, I’d love to see a study comparing outcomes generated by a detox tea compared to a placebo, with both groups following the exact same eating plan, but I haven’t found any. That makes it difficult to know whether the weight-loss results people are getting from these teas are actually due to drinking them, or simply the result of a cleaned-up diet and consistent workout routine, which we already know can lead to weight loss. In any case, simply sipping detox tea while continuing to skip the gym and order takeout is unlikely to help you shrink your shape. ;

Here’s the link to the full story in case you’d like  to read on:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/healthcom/5-things-you-should-know_b_7648864.html

Give Your Body a Boost in Chemistry During Detoxification

Give Your Body a Boost in Chemistry During Detoxification

Everything that you put into your body and all the places that you go impact your body’s health. That’s because everything that enters the body, whether through eating it or absorbing it through your skin or lungs can cause changes to your chemistry.

Even if you’re the type of person who regularly exercises and you practice a healthy way of eating, you’re still exposed to toxins that hurt your body. Getting rid of these toxins can give you a much needed boost in health.

You gain many vitamins that you may have been deficient in. Vitamins have many different ways that they help your body. Your bones need vitamins to help them stay strong.

Vitamins work to repair damage inside and outside of your body. They create a stronger immune system to help stave off disease, and they help you process the food that you eat.

There are two kinds of minerals your body needs. These are trace and major minerals. Major minerals are ones like calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium.

Calcium is instrumental in keeping your bones healthy. Sodium works to help balance the water content in your body. These major minerals work together in harmony.

When one of them gets out of balance, it can throw your body for a loop. For example, people who eat too much salt can end up with a calcium deficit because the body gets to work trying to keep your sodium level from staying high.

Trace minerals are ones like iron, fluoride, and zinc. You need iron to help transport oxygen. Zinc is needed to help your body stop bleeding because it clots blood.

Fluoride helps keep bones strong. When trace or major minerals get out of balance by the toxins, you won’t feel well and it can have an impact on certain bodily functions.

You must have essential fatty acids for healthy cells. You need them for proper brain function, for healthy adrenal and thyroid performance. In order to have good blood pressure, you need essential fatty acids.

You need the omega 6 and 3, specifically. When your body is full of toxins, it impacts how well your body can or can’t utilize these acids. Amino acids help your body with many major functions.

They’re responsible for getting nutrients where they need to go. They help your tissues and organs work the way that they should. They’re essential for healing. But unlike essential fatty acids, toxins in the body can make it difficult for amino acids to work the way that they’re supposed to.

When you detox, all of your chemistry gets a boost – including antioxidants. You can get antioxidants from food and from supplements. Some sources of antioxidants are vitamin A, C and E.

But these antioxidants have to stay in balance within the body or they end up doing harm. You need to detox to keep your chemistry in balance. It’s good for everyone, but especially for those who do use vitamin supplements.