We are constantly inundated with the importance of doing a detox; this detox will make you slim, you must detox to give you more energy, help you sleep better, stay youthful looking and so on.

But are detox diets necessary and do they work?

Let’s look out how our body naturally detoxifies. The human body eliminates toxins through 5 channels; bowels, kidneys/bladder, skin, lymphatic system and liver. So on it’s own, the body detoxifies every minute of every day. The need to have a detox or cleanse, is to assist these natural processes. This obviously depends on each person’s state of health and the choices they make around diet and lifestyle.

For instance: illness may require you to detox more often, especially if the body is struggling with a dis-eased state of health.

A diet high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, alcohol and fatty food will create more inflammation in the body. In this case a detox is absolutely essential, as an inflamed body will not function optimally.

So if this is you, what detox will be ideal?

In my opinion, I don’t believe starving yourself by being a liquid diet will create a positive effect on the body.

By creating immense hunger, a person is more likely to binge eat food that is unhealthy. Although, there absolutely is benefit to reducing your calorie intake; such as reduction in inflammation in the body, reducing insulin resistance, speeding up your metabolism, can regulate eating pattern and improves mental clarity.

So a detox diet or I prefer to say A CLEANSE should have the following:

• Stay on the Cleanse for 7-14 days.
• Eat organic and biodynamic fresh produce.
• Fruit consumption should be 3 pieces maximum.
• Meat should be biodynamic and lean.
• No alcohol, sugar, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, fatty foods and fast foods.
• Drink 2-3 litres of filtered water.
• Meditate or do any type of relaxation technique every morning for at least 10-20 minutes.

Most importantly use this time during the cleansing process, as a time to reflect your circumstance in your life; job, school, personal goals, direction in life, relationships with family and friends, and what you need to do to truly be happy.

As your body cleanses, so do your thoughts; you will be amazed with the enlightenment that comes from the time you spend on reflection.

I’d love to hear your experience with cleansing your mind and body. Share with us what worked for you and what you could have possibly done differently.

If you think this article will be beneficial for someone you know, share it with them. Knowledge empowers us to create the necessary changes in our lives and allows us to freely move towards great health and vitality.

Irene