A few benefits of detox

With several debates out there for and against going through a detox diet, it’s could be understandable why you may feel a little hesitant about considering undertaking a detox.

True, you may have even been a victim of a detox program that promised loads of amazing benefits only to find out that after the program, you had considerable side-effects instead.

Seriously though, the question of whether a detox program is necessary or not to maintain a healthy life would only come into play when you don’t really have an understanding of what carrying out a detox really does in you and for you.

Advocates of no-detox program argue that your natural detox process is sufficient to help you live healthy. They do have a point until you realize the shortcoming internal organs face with detoxifying your system as you age, you would readily embrace undergoing an “ unnatural” detox process.

Now, to make sure we are on the same page on what detox is all about, how about shedding a little light on what the word “ detox” really means?

Detox is the short name for detoxification. It’s a form of internal cleansing in which you abstain from or rid your body from toxic substances. It’s a natural process initiated by your body—liver, kidneys, skin, blood, lungs, and immune system to neutralize, convert, and get rid of waste products or toxins.

According to 1800health, your brain starts to age at 24, your lungs at age 35 such that at 70, your kidney function would have decreased by 50%; your kidneys slow down effects at 35; so the ability of your kidneys to filter waste reduces by 50% from the age of 30-75.

In the same vein, your muscles at the age of 40 could lose 2% of muscle mass a year, while your heart declines in function at age 40; as it reduces its ability to pump blood. Your liver declines in function at 70 as it’s the only organ that has the ability to regenerate half its size in 90-days.

Given the statistics, it’s no mystery why the body needs detox program as a way to support the workload on the internal detox organs. The impeccable truth is that this exercise comes with myriads of benefits that you can’t afford to contemplate missing out on.

Boosts Your Energy

Usually, when one begins a detox, you cut down on most of the foods you would normally eat. You are more conscious of what you take in and as such, you cut down on processed foods, caffeine, cigarette, saturated fats, and trans fat.

In their stead, you will feed on healthy greens and fresh fruits which become natural energy boosters. Now, since the entire blockage posed by some of these unhealthy meals is cleansed, it’s only natural to feel vitalized and energized.

Weight Loss

There are debates on whether a detox helps with weight loss or not. But it’s easy to see how you can easily lose weight especially when you cut down on all those cabs you have often ingested when you hadn’t commenced a detox.

The bane of staying fit is using the energy you’ve recouped in the course of the detox to continually stay active through exercising and other healthy lifestyle techniques that could help you burn calories with ease.

If you become inactive after a detox, you can be sure to amass back that excess weight which as you know is unhealthy for you; especially as you age.

Eliminates Excess Waste

A detox program basically assists the internal detox organs on their jobs thereby reducing the workload they would usually carry out.

In a detox, you cleanse you purge yourself and get rid of excess weights that have accumulated in your body; some that the internal organs can’t handle. The liver can’t detoxify metals that have found their way into your body from eating foods packaged in tins.

The liver also cannot detoxify toxin from alcohol; so for those who keep pumping alcohol into their systems, it’s important to note that some of the toxins cannot be naturally eliminated because it’s beyond your detox organs.

However, a detox diet could help cleanse your system from all of these excesses that your natural detox organs cannot handle.

Cleanses Your Colon

The cleansing of your colon is a very vital part of the detoxification process. The colon is like a passage through which toxins are eliminated out of the body.

Hence, if you leave your colon unclean, there’s a high probability that toxins that are meant to exit the body by virtue of the detox won’t have a passage out. This will cause a reintroduction of the toxins back into the body.

Improves Your Skin Outlook

The skin will naturally reflect the happenings within your body system. That’s why it’s easy to observe some allergic reactions on your skin based on the internal processes going on within your system.

One of the signs of a successful detox program is an amazing skin; which typically depicts a body system that is rid of toxins.

A steam bath for cleansing and refreshing the skin is often recommended in the cause of a detox so as to clear the skin pores. That way, toxins that are emitted in form of sweat can also have easy outlet.

In the cause of your detox, it isn’t unusual to discover that if you have acne or patches, they will tend to become more elaborate. But no fears should be entertained, it’s actually a good sign that your detox is working.

However, the blemishes and acne soon clear off if you persist with your detox.

Boosts Your Immune System

During detox, your organs are free from radicals that would usually inhibit the absorption of nutrients; including vitamin C. The lymphatic system which is in charge of keeping you healthy reserves a boost as you ingest herbs in your detox programs.

The light exercises that you are encouraged to indulge in during your detox programs would also help facilitate the movement of the lymph fluid through the body; thereby boosting your immune system in the process.

More Energetic Mind

The fatty and sugar based food you feed on causes you to feel lethargic and most often dulls your ability to think clearly. Most times people don’t realize this, until they cut down on their sugar and fat intake.

In the cause of your detox program, you are encouraged to meditate; and this would involve learning to focus and dousing distractions around.

Now, most detox beneficiaries attest to the fact that these meditations clear off the foggy effects and they are better able to have clear and focused thoughts.

This can be easily be related to because most of the diets you consume that inhibit clear thoughts are already rid off.

Stirs You on a Path to Healthy Living

When you venture into detox, one of the amazing things you would experience afterwards is the consciousness to stay healthy.

The detox process creates an awareness of health and wholeness in you such that you are now more sensitive to your lifestyle and environmental toxins and ensuring that you curb on them as much as you can.

It creates a healthy mentality in you, such that all the cravings for caffeine, cigarette, alcohol, and cola that you used to have prior to detox are replaced with a desire for only meals that sell health to your body.

Healthy Hair

It’s amazing how all the organs in our body are all closely knit. You may have hardly considered that your lifestyle could play a role in retarding the growth on your hair or even causing breakage, but that’s the reality.

Some of the hair shampoos or even creams you apply on your hair have the tendency to produce toxins that block the hair follicles and inhibit hair growth.

The sad part of hair breakage is that you don’t see your hair begin to fall off until it is dead; which is why maintaining a healthy lifestyle and detoxifying your body regularly could act as a preventive measure to hair loss.

Even though its not be proven if detox can help check baldness in men, there have been reasonable testimonies to suggest that it does increase the rate at which hair grows.

One of the signs of a successful detox is growing a healthy, vibrant, lustrous and shinier hair.

Preventive Mechanism

Most of the toxins that you accumulate inside your body either exogenous or endogenous; if they aren’t rid off have a tendency to put unnecessary strain on your body and form a blockage on vital passages which could be the reason for most ailments.

Detoxifying your body helps gets rid of toxins before they start constituting nuisance into your general well being.

Imagine leaving metals ingested from tinned foods inside your body; obviously this is a toxin that could cause a major mishap. Hence, to be on a safe side, regularly detox your body.

Slows Down Aging

It’s important to keep abreast with the fact that your organs slowly degenerate with age. However, how you maintain your body undoubtedly will play a significant role in when these organs start to diminish in function.

The ability to eat healthy meals, exercise often, stay well-rested etc are smart ways to slow down aging.

Yet, detoxifying your body is even a smarter move especially when you realize that you are predisposed to toxins—exogenous and endogenous; no matter how hard we try to avoid them; plus as we age, our natural detox organs are hardly strong enough to meet up with the demands of detoxifying our bodies from excessive toxins

One of the reasons people age is when they overwork their body organs. When your kidneys, livers, skin, etc have to do more than it bargained for, it starts to decline in effectiveness and you start to feel weak and see wrinkles signifying aging.

However, through the kind of lifestyle you choose to lead, you could slow down the aging process. In fact, rather than leave detox to your internal organs seeing that they could be overworked, you initiate detox programs to reduce the workload on your organs.

When your organs are healthy, you would look young and vibrant.

Detox will help clear off all those toxins that cause wrinkled skin, arthritis, inflammation etc. So much so that you look way healthier and younger than you should be at your age.

General Sense of Wellbeing

It’s easy to feel the difference after you have undergone a detox, there’s a new energy and radiance about you. The meditation you went through helps keeps your mind in shape, and the sauna accords you a beautiful and healthy skin.

You definitely are looking more trimmed with a more radiant complexion, healthy hair etc.

This naturally rejuvenates a general sense of wholeness around you; it’s not surprising as when your mind is beautiful and you are free from stress that would normally produce toxins that kills you slowly; what’s next? You live life to the full.

Feeling Light

When you rid yourself from all the excess baggage through detox, the natural thing is to feel light. Eating meals that have that effect of making you lethargic is stalled during detox and as such, you are gayer and evolve more joy.

The key remains staying clear from revisiting those excessive starchy foods and fats that have the propensity to release toxins that keeps your liver busy digesting and makes you sick in the process.

Stay with meals such as fresh organic vegetables and fruits to perpetually stay light and healthy even after the expiration of your detox program.

Deals with Food Addiction

Addiction to particular foods that are clearly toxic to your body can be overcome by undergoing a detox diet that’s focused on recovery from food addiction.

Usually, addictions to toxic foods go beyond just craving for them. Just like a chain smoker or alcoholic becomes powerless until their longing has been serviced, the same applies to a food addict. Even when you know that you are pumping toxins into your bloodstream, you just cannot seem to help it.

Manufacturers of junk foods try to take advantage of people so that they become addicted to their junks by using additives in their production.

Now, if you have very high level of dopamine receptors, the tendency to become addicted to food just as you could be to alcohol or drugs is really high.

Food addicts need help to overcome their addiction and a detox program can help. Dietary changes combined with particular herbs and supplements could be especially effective.

Supplies your Body with Micronutrients

A deficiency in micronutrients is one of the major reasons people become predisposed to illnesses study has shown.

A deficiency in Iron causes anemia, lack of vitamin A causes night blindness, lack of iodine predisposes you to thyroid issues while respiratory and immune conditions can be attributed to a deficiency in zinc.

When you embrace a diet detox that deals with nutrients, you would have taken a major leap into ensuring that your body gets the nutrients needed for your sustainability and overall well-being.

Deals with Bad Breath

It has been suggested that one of the causes of bad breath is a back up colon. Now, when toxins that are meant to exit your body don’t, they tend to affect your breath.

However, carrying out a detox and cleansing your colon is one way to check on the bad odour emanating from your mouth.

It’s important to note that in the course of the detox, the bad breath tends to worsen, just be relaxed because it’s actually a good sign that your detox is working fine. After which, your bad breath is sure to be gotten rid of.

Cures Insomnia

Insomnia is one condition that is very difficult to ascertain its cause due to the fact that several reasons may be responsible for your inability to sleep very well.

Most times even when several possible causes may have been lined up as the cause for insomnia, improper detoxification is often overlooked as a likely cause for insomnia.

However, research has shown that the human body carries out most of its detoxification process when we are asleep; usually within the first four hours of sleep—from 10pm-2am. While psychological restoration is done within the last four hours; typically between 2am-6am.

Hence, when you don’t avail yourself of sleep, you miss out of the body’s natural detoxification/healing process.

It is suggested that the reason people usually wake up around 2am when detoxification is ongoing is because their body doesn’t have the nutrient reserve to support proper detox. So, each time they wake up before detox can take place, the accumulated detox burden is what disrupts their sleep.

When you undergo a detox program, it can help with insomnia in that it gives the needed support to the body to detoxify without drawing from the nutrient reserves.

Improved Digestion

During detox, the primary diet is fresh fruits, naturally-grown veggies and nuts and seeds. Fruits and veggies are natural ways to help digestion take place with ease.

Foods that are difficult to digest are usually off the diet during detox, but even if you had to stay on some meals that would often be difficult to process, due to the natural fruits and veggies that act as fibres, it becomes increasingly easy to digest meals.

Even after the detox program, because the digestive tract has been cleansed from toxins and radicals, digestion in itself is enhanced.

Helps you enjoy Healthy Food

When you detox successfully, there’s a tendency that you would enjoy eating food more. Usually, during the detox, this isn’t the case as you are only getting introduced to eating healthy.

For some, it’s often a time of torture as they have to resist cravings for their favourite food that’s starched up cabs or high in sugar.

Soon, embracing healthy foods and enjoying it would become your way of life.

Detox programs help create the discipline needed to stay true to a cause that you probably may not have been able to embrace without being on the detox program.

Reduces Inflammation

When you cleanse your liver with a cleansing drink and then give an opportunity to your digestive system to rest from having to digest carbs, fats, proteins, and sugars; and instead feed on smoothies and detox drinks, you build up resistance against disease-causing inflammation and swellings that could occur in the body.

Detox drinks that include watermelon, cucumber, strawberries, and ginger would undoubtedly help improve your digestive system and reduce possible inflammation.

Removes Toxins from Your Body

The very essence of embarking on a detox is to assist the natural organs of the body expel toxins from the body.

In fact, the natural detox organs are limited in the kind of toxins it can eliminate from the body. Hence, depending strictly on the natural detox process to have a healthy body may be very risky for your health and wholeness.

In concluding this chapter, it’s important to note that caution is to be employed while carrying out a detox else it could lead to very major side effects. Typically, the duration of detox varies from one type to another and the longer the detox, the greater the risks involved.

A detox diet is usually very low on solid foods, proteins, and sugar which even though could contribute toxins is essential to the smooth running of the body system.

There are some health conditions that could become hazardous if you embark on a detox. That’s why aside the very myriads of health benefits a detox offers, you may want to talk to your doctor first before setting out.

This way you are informed about how long your detox can stretch for and if you are in a good shape to even participate in it at all.