Detox Diets For Dummies
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How do you know when your toxin-free diet is really making a difference in your life? How can you be sure the healthy choices you’re making through detoxification are having a positive effect on your body?

Here are some ways to tell if your detox diet is playing off and helping to create a healthier you.

You lose weight

When you cut down on the amount of toxins you take in with your food and water, and when you eat the kinds of foods that boost your ability to get rid of toxins, you experience an overall decrease in the amount of toxic materials present in your body. When toxin levels go down, your body no longer needs the multitude of growing fat cells necessary to sequester all those toxins. So your body begins to do away with them.

This nifty sequence of events is one of the main reasons why detox dieting is such a great way to help you reach your ideal weight. (It also doesn’t hurt that detox diets focus on healthful, low-fat foods, which can only give you another step down the path of healthy weight management.)

You don’t get sick as often

A decreased toxic load takes away a major threat to your immune system, and all those wonderful, efficient parts of your body are able to work together to keep you healthy and feeling great.

Your gas doesn’t smell as bad

Making wise food choices will help to create an environment in your intestines that helps good bacteria to succeed and makes it hard for harmful bacteria to get a foothold. And that will work wonders if you’re one of the many people who suffer from offensive, foul-smelling gas.

You have more energy

Your thyroid gland is responsible for regulating your metabolism, which is the root of your energy levels. The thyroid can be a fickle gland, and it’s prone to acting up when you have too many toxins — particularly mercury — in your bloodstream and elsewhere in your body.

If you want to enjoy healthy, comfortable amounts of energy — not too much, not too little — put a detox diet at the very top of your priority list.

Your skin looks and feels better

Sweating is one of the most effective and important methods for detoxification. Slashing the amount of toxins in your body using a detox diet helps to limit the toxins that you sweat out onto your skin. When you combine that effort with a careful skincare regimen and a commitment to drinking plenty of purified water, you’re bound to end up with softer, healthier skin.

Your blood pressure decreases

It’s a little known fact that several toxins can have a harmful effect on your blood pressure. Lead is the worst of the bunch, and it also happens to be one of the most common toxins. Cut out those toxins and take an active approach to flushing them out of your body, and you’re almost certain to lower your blood pressure and help keep it down at a healthy, comfortable level.

Your bowel movements are more regular

A detox diet greatly reduces the amount of toxins that enter your body, which helps improve the quality and regularity of your bowel movements. Also, a detox diet provides you with plenty of fiber and other food substances that contribute to healthy bowels and bowel function.

Your mental state improves

Quite a bit of evidence suggests that detoxification and the avoidance of toxins can help your brain and the rest of your nervous system operate on a higher, healthier level. Detox diets make people feel calmer and more at ease, and they also help people think more clearly and avoid the “brain fog” that makes it hard to excel at work and enjoy personal time.

You live a long, healthy life

If you make the commitment to maintain a detox diet for life, you’ll be less likely to suffer from the diseases that now afflict so many people as they age, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and many forms of cancer. Going on a detox diet and following a detox protocol is probably the best chance you have to avoid facing these illnesses. And a detox lifestyle will positively affect every other aspect of your health in the meantime.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

Dr. Gerald Don Wootan, DO, M.Ed., is a board-certified osteopathic physician and the medical director of Jenks Health Team, a medical practice that specializes in integrative medicine with an emphasis on natural detoxification and nutritional supplementation. M. Brittain Phillips is a freelance writer.

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