What is Detox ?

Regularly cleansing oneself of such toxins purportedly reduces the risk of disease and endows one with a feeling of good health, more radiant skin and having more energy.

Today, with more toxins in the environment than ever, "it's critical to detox," says Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D., the author of Detoxification: Programs to Cleanse, Purify and Renew. Page recommends detoxing for symptoms such as:

Your kidneys, lungs, bowel and skin – other major systems that help toxins find their way out. But none of these organs can take as much pressure as liver.

If a detox diet is continued for a longer time, it may result in low body weight and nutrient deficiencies, particularly protein (some diets omit animal products) and calcium.

Lungs eliminate the air you inhale but if there are too many chemicals in it – you start coughing. Some toxins can go out through the skin when we sweat – and it's really helpful during any fever.

there is no scientific evidence that any of these so-called cleanses really benefit a person's health, according to Stella L. Volpe, professor and chair of the department of nutrition sciences at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

First, lighten up your toxin load. Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars, and saturated fats, all of which act as toxins in the body and are obstacles to your healing process.

While there isn't enough research to say that detox diets can eliminate toxins from your body, a balanced plan that focuses on eating fruits and vegetables, drinking enough water, and eating foods that are rich in dietary fiber may help to cleanse your digestive tract safely and promote health and well-being.

Also, minimize use of chemical-based household cleaners and personal health care products (cleansers, shampoos, deodorants, and toothpastes), and substitute natural alternatives.

But if there is a substance in your body that is supposed to leave differently, you get skin reaction, such as rush, acne or other types of allergy or inflammation.

Too many toxins in the bowel cause diarrhea. And if you prone to constipation, it makes the situation even worse because the liver empties toxins into the colon and if the colon is full, the liver dumps the toxins into fat cells, and the toxins stay in the body.

There are many detoxification programs and detox recipes, depending on your individual needs. Many programs follow a seven-day schedule because, as Bennett explains, "it takes the body time to clean the blood."

Detox, short for detoxification, is the body's natural, ongoing process of neutralizing and eliminating toxins. Toxins are substances that can potentially harm body tissue, such as waste products that result from normal cell activity (like ammonia, lactic acid, and homocysteine) and chemicals that we are exposed to in our environment, food, and water. The liver, intestines, kidneys, lungs, skin, blood, and lymphatic systems work together to transform toxins to less harmful compounds and excrete them from the body.

"Increasing fruit and vegetable intake, whole grain intake and drinking more water over sweetened beverages would go a lot farther to improve someone’s health over the long-term than a 'cleanse.'"

His program involves fasting on liquids for two days, followed by a carefully planned five-day detox diet to allow the digestive system to rest. Page recommends a three- to seven-day juice fast (drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water) as an effective way to release toxins.

The same thing goes on with the kidney – too many toxins can cause water retention and even kidney failure.

It should be noted that the detoxification described here is different from the practice used in substance abuse treatment. Detoxification in that context is "the process of allowing the body to rid itself of a drug while managing the symptoms of withdrawal," according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice and organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.

Just your liver can cover up almost everything but even its ability to detox is not endless.

Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock, and milk thistle, and drinking green tea.

I have a burning desire to explain the difference between the very fashionable craze that is known as “detoxing” and the process of actual detoxification. Knowing a bit about the workings of the body will help you understand the reason for doing a “detox” and choosing a plan that will actually help.

If your liver gets overloaded, toxins begin circulating in your blood and, besides making you feel tired and sluggish, those toxins can damage your organs and glands, cause increased inflammation in your body, cause headaches, cause weight gain, and generally make you feel bad.

Detox, short for detoxification, is the body's natural, ongoing process of neutralizing and eliminating toxins.

Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.

Detoxification is what our bodies do naturally, without any particular diet or particular plan – all day, every day, our body works and interacts with other organs to neutralise, transform and remove harmful substances (toxins). Harmful substances are not just booze and ciggies, by the way! Cheerfully, they are everywhere, unavoidable and a normal part of life; metabolite end products, pollution, pesticides on and in your food, pollutants found in water, stress, pharmaceutical drugs… the list is endless and the body works away the whole time removing them from our system.