A detox diet,standard practice for those interested in optimal healthy living, is one of the first prescriptions natural health practitioners will give you if you see them with any kind of illness or disease. As cold and flu season has come upon us, I thought it would be a good time to talk about how to incorporate that diet into your life should any nasty symptoms come upon you.
The detox diet has variations, depending on the health professional’s general philosophy of eating and the intensity of the patient’s illness. So the following list provides the five basic components of how to detoxify your body nutritionally. You should begin it as soon as any symptoms show up, and continue it–at least at a modified level–until the symptoms have been gone for three days or so.
Detox principle #1: Make at least 60% of your diet raw produce, and your overall diet 75% produce, cooked or raw.
(Um, this principle assumes, of course, that you’re not suffering from nausea and vomiting. If you are, see principle #3.)
Focus primarily on vegetables. Keep the fruit down to three servings a day, as too much of any kind of sugar–including fructose–causes the body to become more acidic, which can induce or aggravate illness.
Not used to eating a lot of vegetables? Add them gradually. Take a raw green supplement two or three times per day until you’re digestive system gets used to the extra fiber.
Or, if you have a juicer, juice your veggies. Drink green smoothies for breakfast. Eat a multi-colored large salad at both lunch and dinner. Include a heaping cup of steamed vegetables at either dinner or lunch along with the salad, or eat homemade vegetable soup that’s been pureed.
Detox principle #2: Become a temporary vegan.
If you’re familiar with my eating lifestyle views, you know that I do not believe that long-term veganism–the consumption of only plant-based foods–is healthy. However, when you’ve got anything from a moderate cold to stage four cancer, animal products contribute to the body’s acidity and can make your condition worse. At the very least, they hinder your body’s healing abilities. Your best defense in combating any sort of illness naturally is to avoid any acid-forming foods for the duration of the disease. And speaking of avoiding acid-forming foods…
Detox principle #3: Cut out all processed foods.
When you are on a detox diet, you are trying to cleanse your body of all toxins. Processed foods are full of them. So suck it up and give them up.
No potato chips. No saltines, Kool-Aid, or Jello. (If you’re nauseated, sip on broth to relieve hunger pangs. ) No mac and cheese, soda, cookies, bread, etc., etc., etc.
Instead, eat only whole foods–quinoa, millet, or brown rice instead of bread; sunflower seeds, tahini (preferably raw and organic), or nuts with fruit or vegetable sticks as snacks; beans and healthy fats (coconut and olive oil, and avocados) to fill you up at mealtime.
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Detox principle #4: Water, water, and more water
When you are detoxing, aim for at least six eight-ounce glasses per day. If you are thirsty for more, drink more. Yes, you will be running to the bathroom. A lot. However, every time you eliminate you will be clearing more toxins out of your system. Keep a filled stainless steel water bottle
Detox principle #5: Herbs and spices are your friends
If you buy fresh organic herbs and spices from a health food store, they are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that a sick body craves. Be sure to include them on salads, in soups, and sprinkled on steamed vegetables. Raw garlic and cayenne pepper are particularly famous for anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that help your immune system do its job more effectively.
Remember that food is nature’s best medicine, and that following these detox diet principles will go a long way to promoting healing of any physical condition.