Detoxification is basically cleansing the mind and body of the harmful toxins that can cause many health problems. While there are some toxins we (seemingly) have no control over, there are many that we do have control over ingesting such as alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, additives, refined foods and sugars to name a few. Therefore, it benefits our bodies tremendously to periodically, if not permanently in some cases, give our bodies a chance to rest and recuperate.
First and foremost, before adopting a nontoxic diet, it’s important to work on clearing the mind and the spirit. There are various processes that you may go about to achieve this including prayer, yoga, meditation, tai chi, feng shui, etc. If none of these appeal to you, then at the very least get a few scented candles and endeavor to have a little “quiet time”. You would be amazed at how greatly it improves your energy level and outlook on life to eliminate the negative thoughts and daily stresses which weigh you down and replace them with peaceful emotions.
Now that you’ve gotten the mind & spirit together, you are better equipped to make and maintain a detoxification diet. With repeated implementing and as you become more in tuned with your body, you may gradually adopt a better overall diet with virtually little effort. In the long run that’s what you should be shooting for, achieving a healthy & well-balanced daily diet.
**source The Physicians’ Guide Natural Health for African Americans Marcellus A. Walker, MD & Kenneth B. Singleton, MD**
Make simple changes in your eating habits
You can begin the process of detoxification by switching from foods that are more congesting to those that are less so. Congesting foods contain more toxins and slow down the digestive system.
MOST CONGESTING: Allergenic foods, organ meats, hydrogenated fats, other fats, fried foods, refined flour, meat and poultry, sugars
MODERATELY CONGESTING: Milk, eggs, baked goods, wheat, rice, pasta
LEAST CONGESTING: Beans, oats, millet, nuts, seeds, water, herbs, green vegetables, other vegetables, roots
Limit your diet to fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains
For a deeper level of detoxification, restrict your diet to these whole foods, either cooked or raw. Keep your food consumption at a 3:1 ratio, with three parts vegetables to one part fruit per meal. Avoid breads or baked goods and dairy products. This diet eliminates all animal products. The leafy green vegetables are very cleansing for the gastrointestinal system.
Eat only raw fruits and vegetables
This diet takes the fruit-and-vegetable-and-grain diet one step farther, removing the grain and requiring that the foods be consumed raw. Maintain the 3:1 rule, choosing three servings of vegetables to one serving of fruit. Eating foods raw preserves the maximum levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Drink only fruit and vegetable juices
The next level of detoxification involves the exclusive use of juices, teas, and vegetable broths rather than whole foods. Fresh juices require minimal digestion, while providing essential nutrients. Miso, a form of fermented soybean, can also be eaten during this level of detoxification to encourage colon cleansing. We often recommend that our patients add spirulina, an algae powder available at health food stores, to their juices to avoid fatigue during a liquid juice fast. We believe juice fasts tend to be more healing than water fasts, since they flush the system while at the same time providing nutrients to nourish and rebuild the body.
Drink water only
A water-only fast offers the oldest and most intense process of detoxification, but this type of fast leaves many people weak. However, fasting is one of the oldest forms of natural treatment.
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