No matter what you do to avoid them, toxins are everywhere – from alcohol, junk or processed foods, caffeine to sugar, these have become an integral part our daily lives. Even if you decide to abstain from these foods, the pollution in our environment has toxins of its own. Our immune system is designed in a way by which toxic waste is eliminated through a natural process. However, at times body organs are overburdened and cannot do their job efficiently. In such cases people often tend to try a detox diet to eliminate all the impurities in the body.
What is detoxing?
Detox is the process of discarding or countering toxins like cellular waste, stomach acid and other contaminants.
The majority of illnesses occur from an accumulation of toxins in the body. Toxins, also known as ‘body burden’ are also responsible for deficiencies like hormonal imbalance, nutritional inadequacy, inefficient metabolism and a weakened immune system.
Symptoms
A Detox diet
Nutrition and fitness expert Ekta Vermani Tandon defines detox diet as, “a treatment or therapy that claims to remove toxic waste from the body”.
The most common technique adopted under a detox diet is fasting or juice (fruits and vegetables) fasting.
“A detox diet tries to minimize chemicals by promoting an organic diet”, says Ms Tandon.
A detox diet contains vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants which help in cleansing the system. It is also high in fibre and water which helps in discarding impurities through bowl movements and urination.
Side Effects
Since this is a low carb diet, you may feel excessively hungry and drained out. Some of the other side effects include:
A detox diet may not be feasible to sustain for a long time. Hence consume healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean protein to prevent toxic build-up in the body. Exercising regularly is another way of regularly flushing out toxins.
Watch: Ekta Vermani Tandon on Toxic Diet
As the toxic diet is low in carbohydrates, you may end up shedding a few extra kilos. However experts believe that our body and immune system are enough to curb the toxins and a detox diet may not be necessary.