Spring Cleaning -

#3 Most Searched Subject on Yahoo today - Detox Diets. Warm weather is here which usually means one thing, revealing clothing.

Whether they are popping up on the news, through an online advertisement, in a health magazine, on your celebrity gossip source of choice, or you are actively searching for them - you are no doubt hearing about these “fad diets”.

Cleansing diets, often referred to as "detox diets", focus on the elimination of toxins and harmful compounds from the body. By excluding toxins and stimulants from one's diet, among other mechanisms, a cleanse allows the body's clogged filtering systems (i.e. liver and kidneys) to release its stored toxins and return to its natural function.

First of all, let’s look at where these toxins come from: chemicals such as pesticides, household cleaners, food additives, drugs, pollution, cigarette smoke, and heavy metals like lead that enter the body when we ingest or inhale them.

All too often, “Detox Diets” are grouped together and unfairly analyzed as a whole. Detox Diets/Cleanses are not created equal and should be examined on an individual basis.

When analyzing a Detox Diet –

Don’t:
1) Approach it as an extreme and short term weight loss technique
2) Pay a company a lot of money to provide you with what you already have access to for free – raw and healthy whole foods. While some herbs and vitamin supplements can aid in detoxification, it is primarily the abstention from some foods and consumption of other foods that provides the mechanism for detoxifying your organs.
3) Eat packaged foods labeled as "healthy" that are really filled with preservatives or stripped of their nutrients. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

Do:
1) Consider a cleanse as a springboard to more healthy eating habits.
2) Have realistic expectations
3) Use common sense and listen to your body (or a physician, if you need to)

Possible Benefits:
1) More efficient absorption of nutrients
2) More efficient digestive process
3) Increased energy levels
4) Improved concentration
5) Improved sleep patterns
6) Improved eating habits
7) Sharpened sense of smell and taste
8) Weight loss
9) Clearer skin
10) Improved metabolism and/or a lowered "set point" for your body

Possible Objections:
1) Some suggest that detox diets are not needed because the body can detoxify on its own without the help of a detox diet.
2) There are a lack of studies to evidence that detox diets work.
3) Herbal detox products are unproven and expensive. In some cases, they can even be harmful. 4) Detox Diets often have the unwanted side effect of rebound overeating

No matter how extreme the Detox Diet you wish to embark on, remember the goal – to eliminate as many toxins and stimulants from your diet as possible. This means cutting out caffeine, processed or refined foods, sugar (refined, high fructose corn syrup, etc.), alcohol, and smoking.

Keep in mind that Detox Diets are not recommended for the following:
1) Diabetics
2) People taking Medication
3) Pregnant Women
4) Children/Teenagers
5) People with existing health conditions

Lastly, most good detox diets center around eating raw/fresh/whole foods. If you are pursuing a detox diet and you slip up, it may reduce the effectiveness, but don't beat yourself up about it – you are still helping your body by eating those truly healthy foods!

If you want an example of a FREE whole food based cleanse, that has been proven to create great results, follow the link below:

http://www.inspireimagine.com/index_files/reaptotalbodycleanse.htm