Detox diet: how to properly cleanse the body with detox nutrition

The detox diet differs from other diets in that it pays special attention to the functioning of all the excretory systems of our body - the liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs and skin. In other words, detox promotes more efficient functioning of the organs responsible for natural cleansing. In addition, such a diet does not imply a deficiency of mineral components and vitamins, which has a beneficial effect on health.

What is a detox diet

Detox became known at the end of the 19th century. Felix Mayer, a well-known doctor from Austria at that time, suggested that the cause of various diseases, fatigue and uncontrolled weight gain were toxins accumulated by the human body. Allegedly, toxic substances and waste products have a poisonous effect on humans. To eliminate toxins (a pseudoscientific term common in alternative medicine, which refers to harmful components that come to us from food and the environment), accordingly, a special cleansing system is required.

Despite the fact that Dr. Mayer's theory had not received scientific confirmation at that time, the program he proposed became very popular. According to his method, it was supposed to cleanse the body through physical activity, massage and water procedures, as well as a fruit and vegetable diet.

Of course, at that time no one took into account that the doctor carried out his work at one of the best resorts, where he treated his wealthy clients through hydrotherapy. And people did feel better, but not thanks to getting rid of toxins. Detoxification is a complex process aimed at removing toxic substances from the body. It requires immediate medical attention, not diet or massage. The need for purification from toxic components arises only in a number of special cases (alcohol, drug poisoning, chemical attack at work, etc.).

Of course, every day we breathe polluted air, eat junk food, drink less than clean water, and potentially dangerous substances enter our bodies on a regular basis.

But for a healthy person this is not a problem! The kidneys, liver and other systems involved in metabolism successfully cope with the removal of harmful components.

Thus, one should leave alone the theory of the famous Dr. Mayer and turn to modern science. A detox nutrition program will not rid you of toxins, since cleansing from non-existent toxins is an obviously pointless exercise. But a detox diet helps create a calorie deficit, while simultaneously providing the body with all the necessary vitamins and microelements. As a result, a person does not suffer from a lack of nutrients, does not lose performance, and feels good.

To enhance the effect (especially important when losing weight), such a diet is combined with additional procedures: lymphatic drainage massage, visiting the sauna, physical activity, body wraps.

What is the essence of the method?

Over many thousands of years of evolution, the human body has improved and learned to independently cope with any diseases. What does he need for this? Temporarily minimize or completely cancel the intake of food so that he can stop the process of digesting food and begin cleansing.

When we stop eating, this is what happens:

all the energy that was spent on digestion now goes to cleansing the body, getting rid of toxins. This happens at the cellular level. A healthy body removes harmful compounds naturally through the liver, kidneys, and sweat.

Cleansing allows the body to remove these toxins because it no longer has to process food. Now he can concentrate on other matters, the most important of which is cleansing the blood of harmful impurities.

Basic rules of a detox diet

To get the maximum benefit from detox and not harm the body, you must adhere to a number of prerequisites:

Prepare for the transition to a detox diet in advance to avoid putting too much stress on your body. 1-2 weeks before starting the diet, limit your consumption of sweets, flour, and fatty foods. It is also a good idea to give up alcoholic drinks and coffee during this time. Replace meat and fish with cereals, vegetables and dairy products. Instead of sweets for dessert, drink a smoothie made from fresh fruits.
Don't ignore your diet. Have dinner no later than 3 hours before bedtime. Eat more often, but in small portions.
Every morning on a diet, start with a glass of water and a slice of lemon. This combination helps activate the digestive system.
Do not plan a detox for weight loss during a particularly busy period when you are facing serious stress. A rush at work, passing exams at the university or organizing an important event (for example, a wedding) are not the best conditions to start with. After all, a detox diet involves not only dietary restrictions, but also the opportunity for the body to fully recover. You need to sleep at least 7-8 hours a day.

Combine detox nutrition with physical activity, massage, and water treatments. This way you will be able to significantly increase its effectiveness.
Don't forget, detox is not fasting. Feeling hungry all the time won't do you any good. Eat regularly and create a schedule that suits you. Eat little but often (at least 5-6 times a day).
Drink enough fluids. You need to drink at least 2 liters per day. In addition to regular water, you can drink herbal tea, smoothies, juices and detox cocktails.
Remember, a 10-day detox diet is not the best option for beginners. The body must get used to dietary restrictions. Therefore, start introducing the diet menu gradually. Take the smallest 3-day course first, then increase the duration later.
Longer doesn't mean more effective. Do not expose your body to excessive stress. Detox should be practiced no more than once a month.
Before starting the course, be sure to consult your doctor. It is possible that for health reasons the detox diet may be contraindicated for you. In this case, you will not improve your well-being, but will only worsen existing diseases. And of course, pregnant women and nursing mothers should forget about the detox diet.

Cleansing the body with yoga - Shank Prakshalana

This very effective method of cleansing has been practiced by yogis for several thousand years. It is based on the fact that water drunk before performing asanas passes through the intestines and naturally removes all fecal deposits, waste, and toxins from it. The procedure is carried out in the morning on an empty stomach. First you need to prepare 3 liters of water by adding 3 tablespoons of coarse salt to it. The amount of water needed depends on the amount of slagging in the body (3 liters is the maximum dose). Typically 4-16 glasses of this saline solution are required.

First you need to drink one glass and complete all 4 exercises, then the second one - repeat the whole complex again. There should be a urge to go to the toilet. After visiting him, the exercises must be repeated until clean water begins to come out when emptying. All exercises are performed 4 times in each direction, and the tension in the anterior abdominal wall must be felt.

Exercise one

Feet shoulder-width apart, hands clasped at the top. Bend left and right so that the pelvis remains motionless.

Exercise two

Feet shoulder-width apart, one arm extended to the side, the palm of the other resting on her shoulder. Turn back, move your outstretched arm behind your back as far as possible, without bending it. The pelvis and abdomen remain motionless or move in the opposite direction.

Exercise three

Lying on your stomach, raise your upper body and support yourself with straight arms. Turn your head in different directions as much as possible, without moving your shoulders, to feel the stretching of the anterior abdominal wall.

Exercise four

Squatting, perform alternating turns of the torso to the side, bending the knee of one leg down and pressing the thigh of the other leg on the stomach.

At the end of the entire procedure, you should drink 2 glasses of clean water, then induce vomiting. This will close all the sphincters, which will stop the urge to empty (otherwise they will not stop). Do not consume food or water for the next 40 minutes. Then you need to eat some boiled rice so that it absorbs the remaining salt. You can drink it 20 minutes after eating. During the day, you should not include raw vegetables and fruits, milk, alcoholic beverages, coffee, meat, and white bread in your diet.

List of permitted products

A detox diet involves consuming mainly plant-based foods. Below is a list of foods that you can eat with almost no restrictions:

Beet. This vegetable helps restore iron levels in the body.
Broccoli. Rich in fiber and vitamin C.
Grape. It should be consumed in moderation due to the abundance of sugar.
Asparagus. It has a moderate diuretic effect and contains B vitamins.
Oranges, grapefruits. An excellent option for replenishing vitamin C reserves. But you should not eat them on an empty stomach, in order to avoid irritating the mucous membrane.
Bell pepper. Stimulates the activity of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas, rich in vitamins A and C.
Bananas. A tasty and healthy source of magnesium and potassium. You shouldn’t go too heavy on them because of the large amount of sugar.
Apples. A real storehouse of vitamin P and fructose.
Artichokes. A good choleretic agent, they also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Sea kale. Gives us the iodine necessary for the body.
Dried fruits. It’s a good idea to replace your usual sweets and desserts with them.
Cereals. Recommended to be consumed in moderation.
Sprouted oats, wheat, soybeans.
Various detox cocktails, juices, smoothies, herbal tea.

What not to eat during a detox diet

To achieve good results, you need to exclude the following products from the menu:

Mushrooms, carbonated drinks, fried and fatty foods.
Vegetable oil in large quantities. At most, you can season a light salad with it.
Coffee and strong black tea. These drinks should be replaced with herbal infusions, natural fruit drinks, and green tea without sugar.
Baked goods, any confectionery, sweets. You can learn more about the dangers of sugar in this article.
Ketchups, mayonnaise, other ready-made sauces.
Fast food (forget about burgers and fries for a moment).
Chips, crackers, snacks.
Alcohol and canned foods.

Advantages and disadvantages of a detox diet

A well-organized detox nutrition course will help:

quickly lose a few extra pounds;
strengthen the immune system;
eliminate sleep disorders;
make hair healthy;
improve skin condition;
forget about feeling unwell;
feel a surge of natural energy;
get rid of irritability and nervousness forever.

There are very few disadvantages, but you should know about them before planning a detox diet course:

such a diet requires careful preparation;
the menu must be thought out several days in advance;
You have to cook every day, because you only need to eat freshly prepared food.

Contraindications

You should know about them first of all when planning to take the course. So, detox is contraindicated:

boys and girls under the age of majority;
pregnant women and nursing mothers;
people with chronic pathologies (diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal diseases, cardiovascular system disorders);
after surgery and nervous shock.

And of course, you shouldn’t put additional stress on your body during a stressful period (rush at work, session, significant physical activity).

Detox diet for 3 days

For convenience, all product calculations in the tables are given in grams.

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Afternoon snack	Dinner
1	fresh juice – 200, fruit and berry salad – 200	1 cup fresh beetroot, celery, ginger and apple juice	steamed vegetables - 150, vegetable soup with seaweed - 300	freshly squeezed juice – 200	vegetable salad - 100-150 plus 200 soup
2	1 glass of juice	berry smoothie – 150	vegetable soup – 300	glass of green tea	puree soup - 250-300
3	herbal tea – 200, cookies – 30	1 glass of vegetable smoothie	menu identical to the initial day of the diet	baked apple with raisins or prunes	soup - 300

Recipes

Possible recipes for this diet are quite simple, because part of the food is consumed raw. You can make a smoothie : take half a kilo of peeled pineapple, two bananas, an apple, one and a half glasses of raspberries. Place all ingredients in a blender cup and blend until smooth. The resulting cocktail can be drunk; it has an unusual and quite pleasant taste.

Vegetable salad: you will need two cucumbers, two tomatoes, radishes, greens, a little onion. Cucumbers and tomatoes are cut randomly, radishes - into half rings, onions - as small as possible. Place the ingredients in a deep bowl, add lemon juice and mix well.

Diet planning for 5 days

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Afternoon snack	Dinner
1	a glass of smoothie made from pear, ginger, cucumber, pineapple and mint	cocktail of avocado, ice, almond butter and cabbage - 150-200	asparagus salad – 150	a glass of juice	banana puree with added spinach - 200 g, vegetable soup - 200 ml
2	fresh - 150-200	150-200 ml berry smoothie	salad with lean sea fish and vegetables – 250	berry puree with almonds – 200	steamed chicken fillet with carrots, onions and green beans – 300
3	green smoothie – 200	a glass of juice plus 30 grams of walnuts	vegetable mix with the addition of boiled sea fish - 250	fresh cucumber and carrots	vegetable stew – 200
4	green tea	vegetable smoothie – 200	carrot, tomato and cabbage salad plus 200 soup	banana puree - 200	steamed turkey - 150, fruit and berry mix - 100-150
5	fresh vegetable - 1 cup	2 boiled eggs, cucumber, cabbage	salad of vegetables and boiled fish – 200	baked apple with raisins or peanut butter	boiled chicken fillet with green beans or asparagus – 300

Fruit and vegetable combinations to cleanse the body

Prepare natural juice from the following ingredients:

300 ml. pear juice
400 ml. melon juice
300 ml. cucumber juice

Healthy cocktail recipe:

400 ml. celery juice
100 ml. parsley juice
500 ml. pineapple juice

Prepare a juice cocktail from the following ingredients:

400 ml. mango juice
200 ml. celery juice
400 ml. cucumber juice

Mix in a blender:

400 ml. plum juice
300 ml. papaya juice
300 ml. carrot juice

For the central nervous system

Prepare a cocktail from the following ingredients:

300 ml. salad
400 ml. grapes
300 ml. celery

Also interesting: More than 90% of diseases are associated with the inability to properly cleanse the intestines

Detox menu for the week

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Afternoon snack	Dinner
1	Herb tea	a glass of juice plus almonds - 25-30	vegetable mix – 200	berry smoothie – 200	fresh fruits or vegetables – 250
2	some berries plus low-fat yogurt	vegetable smoothie – 200	stewed vegetables - 150, boiled fish - 100-150, herbal tea	baked apple with prunes	sugar-free muesli, low-fat yogurt, fruit
3	berry cocktail	puree of spinach, tomatoes, green onions plus boiled potatoes - 300	steamed or boiled turkey - 150, vegetable salad, green tea	banana puree, natural yogurt with a spoon of honey	seaweed and vegetable soup – 250
4	brown boiled rice - 100, fresh berries	green vegetable smoothie - 1 glass	soup of celery, spinach, broccoli and garlic - 200, salad with boiled fish - 100	berries plus yogurt	stewed chicken fillet with carrots and onions – 150, herbal tea
5	glass of green juice	yogurt plus cookies – 30	seaweed soup with vegetables - 150-200, 1 boiled egg	jacket potatoes - 150, a glass of juice	low-fat cottage cheese plus fruit and berry salad
6	fruit puree, natural yogurt	fresh berry cocktail	vegetable salad, boiled brown rice - all together 200	baked apple with a spoon of honey	boiled chicken fillet with green beans – 200
7	berry smoothie - 1 glass	green juice and almonds – 40	salad with boiled fish, seafood soup no more than 200 ml	berry puree, cookies - 35-40	stewed turkey with vegetables – 250, herbal tea

Diet for 10 days

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Afternoon snack	Dinner
1	ginger tea, whole grain bread	berry cocktail – 150-200	boiled brown rice with vegetables	1 banana plus almonds – 30	2 boiled eggs, fresh vegetables - 100-150
2	fruit and berry salad – 150, green tea	glass of green juice	cream soup - 200, one apple	natural yogurt, cookies	vegetable salad - 100, seaweed soup - 200
3	low-fat cottage cheese - 150, berries	vegetable smoothie	boiled chicken and fresh vegetables - 350, ginger tea	grapefruit	steamed fish - 150, 1 boiled egg, greens
4	yogurt plus apple	fruit and berry cocktail	salad with boiled fish - 150, vegetable soup - 250	2 kiwis, walnuts - 25-30	salad with boiled turkey, tomatoes, cabbage – 250
5	carrot juice - 1 glass	fresh vegetable - 170-200	boiled brown rice plus fresh vegetables – 300	baked apple with a spoon of honey	yogurt, vegetable stew - 250-300
6	apple and low-fat yogurt	herbal tea and jacket potatoes – 150	green soup with seaweed - 250, boiled turkey - 100	1 banana plus nuts	low-fat cottage cheese - 100, 1 boiled egg, berries
7	herbal tea, whole grain bread	fruit and berry salad – 250	puree soup of tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, green onions - 250-300, 1 boiled egg	vegetable smoothie - glass	stew of vegetables and chicken breast – 250
8	freshly squeezed juice, yogurt	fruit and berry cocktail	vegetable salad, boiled fish, green tea	berry puree, cookies - 30-40	low-fat cottage cheese - 100 seaweed soup - 200
9	green vegetable smoothie	boiled brown rice - 150, green juice	stewed vegetables, boiled chicken breast - 300, ginger tea	baked apple with raisins or prunes	2 boiled eggs, fresh vegetables
10	carrot juice	yogurt, 1 whole grain bread	vegetable soup - 200, boiled seafood - 150	low-fat cottage cheese with berries	fruit and berry salad - 150, yogurt, glass of herbal tea

When creating a detox program, remember that the most important thing is a competent approach and regularity. Yes, after a three-day diet you will already feel favorable changes in your body. But if you then return to your usual sedentary lifestyle with an abundance of junk food in your diet, the positive effect will quickly disappear.

Reviews

Kira Sh. (18 years old)

What are you talking about gastritis and all that! As if you don't know that it always gets worse in the beginning. This is a pattern that was explained to our grandmothers in Health magazines. When a medicine or diet starts to work, it always gets worse. This is how the body gets rid of all the nasty things that have accumulated in it. I always drink water with apple cider vinegar for breakfast. Then I eat all sorts of green vegetables and measure out the food in cups. Yes, heartburn after this, but from fatty foods it is even worse. Moreover, when you eat something fatty, you get the same heartburn, but without losing weight. I don’t go to the gym and generally move little, but I remain very thin, which is what I brag about. You need to eat less - that’s the whole secret.