Nutritional Benefits of Detoxification Essay
Even though some people think detoxification is just a diet fad that will soon slide under the radar again, it is known that specific foods will aid your body in the natural elimination process of toxins. The idea of detoxification is not a new concept, in fact it dates back as far as four hundred BC, according to Pamela Nisevich, with the soul purpose to remove toxic substances, and wastes that over time build up in the body from the things we eat. Historically, Nisevich says, many detoxification diets were grounded on religious beliefs and usually implicated fasting.
Today, a diet is categorized as “detox” if it implicates making a change to your daily eating habits, primarily geared toward the removal of toxins, encompassing the whole basis of eliminating particular foods, and maintaining hydration by drinking a great deal of water. The premises of detoxification covers many areas such as, eating specific foods that will enhance beauty, sweating out the toxins with exercise, taking detoxification pills, however the nutritional side of what you can do with food to aid in detoxification is far more beneficial.Focusing on the food side of detoxification, Isaac Eliaz wrote an article called the “7 Gentle Cleansing Tips for Improving Energy, Immune Function, and Vitality”, in which his first two tips directly related to the topic at hand and were very useful in beginning the concept.
First thing first, reduce the exposure to toxins. Eliaz says we are being “BOMBARDED” with toxins from processed foods, fried foods, and nonorganic foods. These things “accumulating over time can damage our DNA, create inflammation, and impair critical biological functions”, therefore choosing all natural foods, is the best way to decrease your contact with these foods.Eliaz also recommends having yourself tested for sensitivity to gluten, dairy, eggs, or other allergenic foods that could increase the permeability of your digestive tract consequently allowing toxins to more easily enter your body. The following tip was to alkalize your diet, increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables that are high in alkalizing minerals and increase your water intake considerably.
In another article by Sarah Jones, comparable beliefs are also noted.In her article she quotes Kathy Freston, an LA based author who declares “Artificial flavors and colors, pesticides, and herbicides are just a few of the many toxins regularly consumed by the average person, these chemicals are stored in fatty and other tissues in the body and build up over time” much as Eliaz stated in his article. However Freston goes as far as then backing that statement up with a very vital answer to a question that many who oppose the idea of detoxification ask, can’t our bodies eliminate toxins on their own?To which she answers: ”Yes, our bodies are supposed to be capable of eliminating what it doesn’t need on its own, but the sheer quantity of toxins we’re now exposed to forces our organs to work overtime upping our risks for chronic illness and disease. ” As mentioned in the beginning the idea of eliminating certain foods and drinking water is already showing itself. It cannot be stressed enough in any article concerning detoxification how important just those two concepts alone are in the process of detoxifying.
While the route for many when thinking of detoxifying with food is to do detoxification diets, others choose to simply add detoxification “super foods” to their daily diets. As an illustration of exactly what a detoxification diet consists of, Jones recommends “The Quantum Cleanse” in her article that was developed by Freston. This particular diet is intended to last twenty-one days, as a typical detoxification diet lasts, or she adds, “ as long as your ambition and willpower will allow”.Before she gives the actual meal suggestions she does of course throw in a few tips before starting your diet because it is highly overshadowed how difficult following a detoxification diet can be. First she offers the usual get rid of the wrong foods that have been mentioned repeatedly, secondly she recommends obtaining a detoxification buddy, someone to help keep you committed, such as you would a workout partner. Next, which may be the biggest tip she offers, is to ease into it, cutting out foods from your daily diet cold turkey may not be as easy as believed, so taking a wean week before starting is probably a good idea.Finally she finishes with conquer the caffeine, and conquer your cravings, two biggest setbacks in a detoxification diet.
Shadowing that is meal options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that are meant to be followed closely. For breakfast she recommends three choices: 1. Steel cut oatmeal topped with chopped nuts, apples and dairy free milk, 2. Gluten free bagel or brown rice cakes with nut butter or vegan cream cheese, and 3. Vegan yogurt mixed with two tablespoons flaxseed oil, almonds, and chopped apples, pears or blueberries.For lunch three more choices are offered: 1.
Kitchen sink salad with raw vegetables topped with seeds (chia, sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, ground flaxseed), avocado, dried cranberries, legumes, and a veggie burger, 2. Smoothie made with vegan protein powder, and coconut or regular water, and 3. Any vegan soup. Four choices are presented for dinner: 1. Baked sweet potato with grilled vegetables, and tofu, 2. Brown rice and beans, and vegetables, and 3. Mediterranean platter, with hummus, cucumbers, and gluten free crackers.Finishing with a few snack options, she recommends: 1.
Hummus and crudites, and 2. Goji berries and nuts. This diet is just one of many that are out there, such as juice diets, diets that involve eating only one type of fruit, raw food diet, eating foods only in the raw; picking and choosing what diet is best is the greatest part of detoxification.
On the other hand, if going on a detoxification diet isn’t desired, simply adding detoxification “super foods” to a daily diet can also be done.Michelle Schoffro Cook wrote an article on the top twelve super foods that can be added to a daily diet and what exactly they help the body do. Starting out at the top of the list, only listing a few of the main choices, is almonds and avocados; almonds have the ability to stabilize blood sugar and remove impurities from the bowls, while avocados lower cholesterol, dilate blood vessels while blocking artery destroying toxins, and blocks over thirty different carcinogens while helping the liver detoxify synthetic chemicals.
In addition is beets and blueberries; beets contain natural plant chemicals and minerals that make them superb fighters of infection, blood purifiers, and liver cleansers, whereas blueberries contain natural aspirin that help lessen the tissue damaging effects of chronic inflammation while lessoning pain, it also acts as an antibiotic by blocking bacteria in the urinary tract. Last on the list of twelve is one that Cook stresses to be the most overlooked food available, seaweed.Seaweed binds to radioactive waste in the body allowing for easy removal as the seaweed passes. Others mentioned in the article were garlic, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, kale, legumes, and lemons, all containing the ability to help the body rid of toxins.
While many believe that detoxification diets are just another diet fad that has been seen before and will slowly make its way back under the radar, certain foods have been proven, as mentioned, to help the body and aid in the removal of certain toxins.The soul purpose of detoxification is to rid the body of harmful toxins that accumulate over time by the foods we eat. The most harmful foods we encounter are the processed foods, fried foods, and nonorganic foods, that are now available everywhere, therefore making contact with them on a regular basis. The best thing we can do to detoxify is to eliminate harmful foods, and drink a plentiful amount of water everyday.
Works Cited Eliaz, Isaac. “Fall Into Detox. (Cover Story). ” Better Nutrition 74. 0 (2012): 34-38. Health Source – Consumer Edition. Web. 2 Dec.
2012. Jones, Sarah. “Come Clean. ” Natural Health 42. 3 (2012): 62-68.
Health Source – Consumer Edition. Web. 2 Dec.
2012. Cook, Michelle. “Top 12 Detox Super foods.
” 01 2012: n. page. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. <http://www. care2.
com/greenliving/dr-michelles-top-12-detox-superfoods. html? page=2>. Nisevich, Pamela. “What’s the deal with detox diets?. ” 02 2010: n. page. Print.
<http://www. ideafit. com/fitness-library/whatrsquos-the-deal-with-detox-diets>.
