You may be considering a detox diet, but you shouldn’t put your wellbeing on the line without first asking some important questions. With that in mind, we’re here to answer every wellness question you have about detox cleanses:
1. What is a cleanse? While cleanses vary in intensity, they generally involve eliminating all the “bad stuff” from your body. Sometimes this is done by only drinking water for a few days, while other cleanses ask you to stick to juice, whole foods and/or fruits and vegetables. The name of the game is ridding your body of processed foods filled with refined sugar, white flour, and sodium.
2. Do you need to detox? Everyone has a different approach to detoxing; some people choose to do it once in a blue moon, while others detox several times per year. Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to do a detox if you’re feeling run down or lethargic, you’ve slacked off on healthy eating and/or you’ve put on added pounds.
3. How do you get started? Once you’ve chosen a detox cleanse to suit you, head to your local greengrocers or supermarket and stock up on everything you need for the week. The general rule of thumb is to eat nothing but whole foods, and stick to water where possible. Fresh juices and herbal teas are also good options, but make sure these are the only things you have in your home. If you only have your detox options available to you, you’re less likely to give in to sugary temptation.
4. What size portions should you eat? Check the recipes of your detox cleanse to find out the recommended serving size, and then stick to it! We often have a warped idea of what constitutes a “serving” so it’s good to keep within official limits.
5. What foods should you avoid? When you’re shopping for detox cleanse ingredients, make sure you read the label on everything you purchase. It may seem like a lot of effort, but it’s vital that you avoid all refined sugar, white flour, fizzy drinks (including diet), and fried foods.
6. Will you be hungry? How hungry you feel during a detox cleanse depends on how much you normally eat. Since these programmes are all about clean eating and portion control – rather than starving yourself – you should feel free to add an extra snack from the options listed in your plan.
7. Will you lose weight? While weight loss will depend on how much you were eating before and how “unclean” your diet was, it’s very likely that you will lose some weight. Exercising during the week of eating clean will also rev up your weight loss results. The idea of a detox cleanse isn’t to just lose weight in a seven-day window and then stop; it’s to lose a dramatic amount of weight to kick-start a long-term weight loss plan. Seven days alone is not enough for sustainable weight loss.
8. How will you feel? It’s easy to see how switching from processed, unhealthy foods to eating clean can help you feel better all over. That said, some people do experience a not-so-great transition period as their bodies detoxify. Giving up caffeine, for example, can lead to temporary minor skin breakouts or headaches. To speed this process along, you should drink plenty of water to flush out the built-up toxins in your body.
9. Can you return to eating as you did before once the week is over? While you can return to your old diet, the likelihood is that the amount of energy you feel after eating clean will make you want to continue eating a healthier diet. It is OK to indulge in a “cheat meal” ever so often, but your goal should be to eat clean 99% of the time.
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