How to Do a Healthy Detox and Effectively

Detoxification is the action of removing toxins from the body due to alcohol, drugs, or other toxic substances. But the benefits of detox is more extensive. You can do a detox to get rid of all the negative effects on our body from environmental influences, such as for industrial chemicals, pesticides, addictive substances in food, cigarette smoke secondhand smoke, or pollution.

When you have started frequent headaches, without cause, back pain, memory decline, hair loss, or an allergy to something, that's when you should start doing the detox.

Detox taken to remove toxic substances and cleanse the kidneys and intestines, because in these organs,  chemicals and toxins stay in the body. The detox process can be done in various ways, such as nutritional supplements, herbal medicines, injections, and others.

One of the advantages of detoxification is to improve the function of the liver, kidneys, and blood. It also stimulates the immune system, improve the hormonal system, and reduce dependence on sugar, caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol.

Nutritionist Christine Gerbsatdt, author of The Doctor's Detox Diet provides a healthier and more effective way to remove toxins from the body as follows:

1. Increase liquid

Water will cleanse your system by keeping the kidneys, liver, intestines, and spleen work well. Drink two liters of water every day plus one or two cups of tea. There are ways to find out if we consume enough fluids, that is, if we can urinate every few hours once and the color of urine is not concentrated.

2. Reduce calories

If you normally consume about 1,800 calories, this time reduce slightly to around 1400-1600 calories. Although reduced but the body stay energized. If you cut back to 1,200 calories the body will begin to burn muscle instead of fat. In addition we are also at risk of vitamin deficiency.

3. Start with a healthy breakfast

Many people felt did not have time for breakfast. In fact, skipping breakfast can make you hungry throughout the day. Select the menu of healthy breakfast such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, or scrambled eggs.

4. Expand vegetables

For lunch and dinner, vegetable smoothie consumption. Blender as well as some vegetables plus fruit to get a hint of sweetness and protein (egg whites, tofu, or plain yogurt). This combination will give you the vitamins, minerals, fitokemikal, and antioxidants needed. One serving of this smoothie contains about 300 calories, so you need to drink 2-3 times a day.

5. Add protein

Of course, sometimes a glass of smoothie is not giving enough energy if you are pressed with work. Add lean protein into your dishes, such as fish, skinless chicken, or beans.

6. Avoid these foods

During this detox program, avoid foods that contain sugar are being refined, flour and rice, high-fat meats, dairy (except non-fat), as well as all kinds of soda and alcohol.

7. Moving

Perhaps you feel underpowered to perform high-intensity exercise, but low-intensity exercise should still be done to keep the blood circulation so that the toxin spending more smoothly.

8. Do not be afraid to gluten

Although the trend is currently gluten-free diet, but Dr.Gerbstadt said that whole grains actually helps us remove toxins from the body by getting rid of cholesterol.