What is a detox diet?
We encounter the word detox everywhere in magazines, on television and on the Internet. The name Detox comes from the English word “detoxication”, which means detoxification. Detoxification is the basic idea of the detox diet. It is based on the assumption that too much stress, work, stimulants and an unhealthy diet cause harmful substances to be deposited in the body. Within a seven to twenty-one day fasting cure these toxins, which are also called waste products, should be eliminated from the body.
Procedure of the Detox Diet
There are different ways to design the detox diet. Depending on the program, you can avoid solid food completely for one to three weeks. The detox diet corresponds to a more modern fasting cure than a diet.
The most important thing is that you drink a lot. At least 2.5 to 3 litres of water or unsweetened tea should be drunk. Instead of solid foods, you may eat vegetable broths and preferably freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices.
Sweetened drinks and alcohol are prohibited. At best, coffee should also be avoided. After the detox diet, the body should only slowly get used to solid food again.
Start with small, light meals such as soups and salads. Fat and sweet meals should be avoided at the beginning. After about one week of changeover, eating is allowed again. In order to avoid a yo-yo effect, however, it is advisable to have a healthy and balanced diet in the long term.
Which detox juices are available?
There is the possibility to buy detox juices in packages for cures or simply make the juices at home. There are various manufacturers of ready-to-drink detox juices in different price ranges and flavours of the juices. “Cleanse Starter” from frankjuice, “Super Cleanse 3” from Dean&David and the “Juice and Soup cure” from Detox Delight are examples for complete packages for a period of 3 – 5 days.
There are different possibilities to combine juices and soups. Green juices with cucumber, kale, avocado and salad are very popular. You can also prepare juices or smoothies yourself. Possible ideas are: Mango-pineapple smoothie, ginger-spinach smoothie, seaweed-avocado-green cabbage smoothie, strawberry-apple-banana-coconut milk smoothie, beetroot-pear-apple-carrot-lambicot juice. Dairy products, sugar and honey should be avoided in the preparation of the drinks.
How much can I/should I lose weight with this diet form?
According to nutritionists, you can lose between 1 – 4 kilograms in one week with the detox diet. Especially in the first few days, however, more water is excreted. The weight loss, however, depends strongly on the initial situation, possible sporting activities and the amount of calories consumed. Especially if you prepare the drinks yourself, you should make sure that the food contains as little sugar and calories as possible.
