It seems like everyone is detoxing these days, but before you take the “plunge” to flush poisons from your body, purge pounds of excess fat, clear your complexion and bolster your immune system please consider this, experts (American Dietetic Association) says there’s little evidence that extreme regimens such as the Master Cleanse or Fruit Flush do anything more than lead to unpleasant, unhealthy side effects. The idea of detoxifying or purifying the body of harmful substances has been around for centuries and cycles back into popularity now and again. That’s what has nutrition experts sounding the alarm over possible risks from lengthy or repeated fasts. Vitamin deficiencies, muscle breakdown and blood-sugar problems — not to mention frequent liquid bowel movements — are some of the seriously unpleasant drawbacks to these plans, which are skimpy on solid foods and often call for laxatives. “Long-term fasts lead to muscle breakdown and a shortage of many needed nutrients,” says Lona Sandon, aDallasdietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Depriving the body of the vitamins and minerals we get from food can “actually weaken the body’s ability to fight infections and inflammation,” she says. Because the crash diets can upset blood sugar, potassium and sodium levels in the body, people with diabetes, heart or kidney disease or women who are pregnant or nursing shouldn’t try them. Children, teens, older adults or people with certain digestive conditions should also steer clear. The idea behind these plans, which can last anywhere from three days to about a month, is to rid the body of toxins absorbed from the environment and the less-than-healthy foods we eat. This cleansing is supposed to leave you feeling energized. Many intestinal experts say we don’t need an extreme diet to cleanse our insides, your body does a perfectly good job of getting rid of toxins on its own. Here is how your detox naturally…cut back on high-fat foods, consume more vegetables and fruits. Spring foods have an exceptional natural detoxifying power. Listed below are some of springs produce that help detox and rebalance your body naturally.
Alfalfa Sprouts
Artichokes
Asparagus
Bean Sprouts
Beets
Bell Peppers
Bitter Melon
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Apples
Blueberries
All dried fruit
Grapefruit
Lemons
Limes
Papayas
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
*reference- American Dietetic Association
