Detox Healthy Diet

A smart detox diet can yield healthy results for your body. "Detox" is a shortened term that refers to the process of detoxification, or the removal of toxic substances from your body. The human body is designed to perform detoxification on its own. Sadly, we no longer live in a pollution-free environment, and we intake chemicals that are harmful for our body by drinking polluted water and eating harmful foods, such as canned goods with preservatives. A healthy detox diet can counter the negative effects of our polluted environment.

General Guidelines

The purpose of healthy detox diet is to detoxify your body without risking your health through methods such as fasting. Maintain eating three meals a day, with one to two snacks in between meals. Eat a minimum of 3 to 4 oz. of lean protein with each meal. When cooking, use oils with high smoke point (the temperature at which your cooking begins to break down to glycerol and fatty free acids). Examples of oils with high smoke point include grape seed and extra virgin olive oil. Cook meals with foods with low glycemic load (an index that marks the food's potential to increase blood sugar and insulin levels), and eat ample vegetables and fruits. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of filtered water a day to help your body detoxify naturally. Take a multivitamin daily to ensure that your body is receiving its necessary nutrients.

Make sure your lifestyle is aligned with the detox diet. Exercise for at least 30 to 45 minutes a day. Do not eat past 7 p.m., and try to go to bed before 10 p.m.. This schedule will help your body establish a natural rhythm that will aid in its detoxification.

Harmful Foods

Some foods and practices are extremely harmful to the body and should be eliminated immediately. There are also foods that are less harmful and can be eliminated as you advance in your detoxification. Those that should be eliminated immediately include alcohol, packaged and processed foods, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, condiments, fats, processed meats, soft drinks and sweeteners. Those that can be eliminated from your diet gradually include beef, veal, dairy, nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant), nuts, egg yolks, vinegars and mustards. It is important to be consistent when you avoid these foods. Otherwise, your efforts will yield unsuccessful results. If you feel that it is difficult to avoid certain foods, start by eliminating foods that are most harmful (such as alcohol and processed foods) and gradually add to the list.

Beneficial Foods

A general rule of thumb when considering a healthy detox diet is to choose organic foods whenever possible. Organic foods are grown with ethical agricultural practices that avoid the use of preservatives and other harmful chemicals that damage our bodies and the environment. Lean protein should substitute beef, pork and veal in your diet. Examples of lean protein include skinless chicken, turkey breast and white fish such as cod or flounder. Green, leafy vegetables are particularly helpful in detoxification, as they aid in flushing toxins.