FitnessCrew

If you want to create your own detox diet plan using healthy, natural foods, here are some ideas to get started, and many of these ingredients can be incorporated in your long-term recipes to keep you in shape and feeling well. The first thing you need to do is to cut out the toxins you’re putting into your body, so that means no coffee, tea, alcohol or smoking during the one or two weeks you give your system a good clean. Make sure you drink plenty of water as your body will be flushing out the toxins and you don’t want to dehydrate.

The correct foods for a detox diet contain the nutrients your liver needs for this process, and during the one or two-week period you should be increasing the flow of bile which carries stored fat-soluble toxins away from the liver. You may have headaches or fatigue if your body has trouble coping with the lack of caffeine, and if this is too bad you might need to slowly reduce your coffee habit before attempting a full detox. Apart from that you should feel better during a detox diet, although your body will be flushing out the toxins more so you’ll have more trips to the bathroom. If you’re constipated you’re doing something wrong and need more water to help the fibre get those toxins moving.

To create your own recipes you should concentrate on the following ingredients. Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables are needed, especially organic to reduce any chemical intake. You need the vitamin C and glutathione from these to aid detox. Some vegetables have a greater detox effect than others: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and kohlrabi (a turnip-like vegetable) all help the enzymes in the liver to clear toxins. Glutathione is best taken naturally in food because a supplement can be destroyed by the digestive system.

Artichokes contain caffeoylquinic acids which increase the flow of bile from the liver, and this digests fats. If you like beets they contain betaine which is also excellent for the liver, helping the regeneration of liver cells and promoting the flow of bile. Betaine also works on fat metabolism. Onions and garlic have compounds that contain sulphur which causes a chemical reaction called sulfation. This is very important in the detoxification of environmental chemicals and various drugs and food additives. Some of the worst toxins in our bodies are heavy metals we have absorbed from pollution and food, and sulfation also helps eliminate these.

Dandelion root also assists the flow of bile and it makes a tasty cup of tea so it can replace the coffee and tea you normally drink. Green tea is another detoxifying drink that makes a pleasant substitute. Along with these hot drinks don’t forget the water – which some people like to drink hot and claim that this helps the cleaning process. Freshly squeezed fruit juice is also delicious during the diet.

A vegetarian diet is typical for a detox, and although some people eat fish I would cut this out temporarily as fish can have taken in pollution from the water. Protein is needed as the liver uses it to function well, so it’s important to include it. Good sources are beans, nuts, seeds, quinoa (I love this grain in place of rice), or protein powder from the health store.

You might want to supplement this set of ingredients with vitamins and minerals. Multivitamin and multimineral pills with selenium, molybdenum and zinc are recommended. Vitamin C helps in the detox process and can also help avoid headaches and nausea due to withdrawal symptoms. Choline and methionine can be included to regulate fat metabolism and promote the flow of bile. If you can find the herb milk thistle in your health store it is said to help the liver’s cell regeneration and to aid detoxification of chemical pollutants and also alcohol and the results of rich, fatty food.

These are some lovely, fresh ingredients to play around with for a diet that will leave you feeling less bloated after the festivities. A detox diet can last for anything from a day to two weeks, letting your system clear itself out. There’s no need to stop exercising while on this diet as you should feel energised, and exercise will help. Try to walk as much as possible, leaving the car at home, and, if you feel up to it, take a run. Swimming and the gym could be part of your routine for the duration of the diet to give you a feeling of all-round fitness, or spoil yourself with a personal trainer from Fitness Crew to keep you motivated in your own home!

If you have detox tips or recipes I would love to hear them, so post them here. I’ll be writing more on the best foods for optimum health and will also give ideas for meal plans for your detox diet and trying them myself as we get fit and stay fit together.