Detox diets, or detoxifying diets, are intended to help the body rid itself of toxins accumulated due to improper diet, after the holidays, environmental pollution, use of drugs, smoking, stress ...
The body has autonomous detoxification systems which, however, need to be stimulated to function well through a correct diet and a healthy lifestyle.
There are many detox diets, some of which are too restrictive from a nutritional point of view and should never be followed for long periods. The most famous are: the grape detox diet, the minestrone detox diet, the liquid-based detox diet, the citrus-based detox diet.
There are also detox habits that can be part of the normal daily routine and help the body very much to keep itself healthy and fit: drink lots of water, do not smoke, drink a glass of water and lemon in the morning, consume many detoxifying foods, avoid the junk food, limiting alcohol and drug use, doing a lot of physical activity.
Detox diet, when to do it
When is it advisable to do a detox diet? It obviously depends on the type of diet. Diets such as minestrone or liquid based diets are highly restrictive and, for this reason, unsustainable in the long term.
Although they have been designed with the main purpose of detoxifying the body, they allow you to lose many pounds in a very short time and are, therefore, recommended above all in cases where it is necessary to quickly eliminate excess fat, especially that located in the area of abdomen, and restore acceptable cholesterol levels, triglycerides, blood glucose and blood pressure.
These detox diets can have serious side effects and should never be followed without expert advice . The habit, unfortunately widespread, of drastic DIY diets is wrong and very dangerous.
If, on the other hand, we talk about detox habits such as: drinking a lot of water, avoiding junk food and following a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grains, it is clear that, as these are healthy gestures, we should make them habitually fit into their eating style.
Detox: what does it mean?
Detox diet, how to do it
Restrictive detox diets can be structured on periods ranging from 1 to 7 days; which to choose and how to do it depends on the specific case and on the results to be achieved; consequently, only an expert on the subject will be able to guide this choice.
Detox habits, on the other hand, should be placed in a context of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
There are also schemes that are not too rigid, which can help detoxify the body and which can be inserted, from time to time, into the normal food routine .
By way of example only, we see a possible detox scheme for a day.
Detox diet plan for a day
Here is a diagram purely as an example of a detox diet to be followed for a day, from awakening to evening.
Just get up
Drink a cup of warm water, in which you have squeezed the juice of a lemon. Sweeten with a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup.
Breakfast
After about an hour, have breakfast with a seasonal fruit + a vegetable or classic yogurt to which you will have added 30 grams of homemade muesli (for example, ground flax seeds, natural oat flakes and raisins).
Mid-morning
In the morning, drink a cup of green tea without sweetening. If you need to add a breathtaking food, eat an apple, rich in fiber and useful to cleanse the liver.
Lunch
70 grams of brown rice with zucchini, to be seasoned with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and one of toasted sunflower seeds. Second, fennel and tomato salad.
Snack
A cup of cooked fruit and a cup of barley, without sweetening.
Dinner
A portion of baked sea bream, a bowl of mixed salad topped with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and the juice of half a lemon, a wholemeal sandwich.
