A detox diet is a way to quickly lose a few extra pounds without exhausting the body with nutrient deficiencies. This is the best option if you want to get in shape after the holidays, holidays or, conversely, a difficult period when you had to eat only semi-finished products.
For all their effectiveness and a whole range of benefits, detox diets are not suitable for everyone. They create positive stress for the body, but in some cases this effect is extremely undesirable. Therefore, they are not recommended for people who have not reached the age of 18, as well as for pregnant and lactating women. Where do these restrictions come from? Let’s see what a detox is.
How does the detox diet for weight loss work?
The concept of detox was created in the 19th century by an Austrian doctor. It was a time when science was developing rapidly, scientists put forward many new hypotheses, but only certain concepts were later confirmed. Felix Mayer was not lucky in this regard: his theory was not confirmed, but it was a great commercial success – and not without reason.
Its suggested that the cause of poor health, fatigue, excess weight is in toxins and metabolic decay products that accumulate in the body. Toxins poison a person so much that special purification is necessary to bring him back to normal. The cleansing program proposed by the doctor included a variety of water procedures, physiotherapy exercises, massage and, of course, a fruit diet.
Practiced at the popular resort of Karlovy Vary, where wealthy people came for “treatment with waters.” Of course, there, his concept of cleansing was in demand, because patients really felt better! However, from the point of view of modern science, medicine and physiology, the assumption that the body needs to be cleansed of toxins is nonsense.
Toxins, that is, poisons, are dealt with by a separate branch of medicine: toxicology. If poisons really accumulate in the body, the person no longer needs water and diet, but emergency medical care.
However, supporters of the purification theory may object: we breathe polluted air every day, and food contains not only useful components! Indeed, potentially dangerous substances constantly enter the body. But if a person is healthy, the body itself successfully copes with their excretion: the liver, kidneys and other “participants” of the metabolism and excretory system. If for some reason the liver and kidneys cannot independently remove the excess from the body, the person again needs medical help, and not cleansing with a diet.
The theory of toxins in the body today is recognized as pseudoscientific as having no basis. It is impossible to “cleanse” the liver, and cleansing the body as a whole from certain toxins is pointless. That is, with the rationale, Felix Mayer hit the sky with his finger. But he came up with a good way to improve overall health, lose weight and put the body in order.
Detox diets do not rid the body of toxins, because no toxins exist. However, they create a slight calorie deficit while still providing a full complement of nutrients. Therefore, a person does not suffer from a lack of vitamins, amino acids, his working capacity does not decrease, his state of health does not worsen, but he loses weight. For greater effectiveness of the diet, it can be combined with additional detox procedures.
What is included in the detox program
- Diet.
- Massage.
- Sauna or bath.
- Therapeutic exercise, stretching.
- Wraps, lymphatic drainage.
Also, many recommend putting enemas, taking special solutions for “cleaning”. However, such things should not be done without the advice of doctors. Yes, and many items on the list have contraindications. For example, a sauna or bath is contraindicated for people with high blood pressure, hypertension, heart disease and many other health problems. Massage can not be carried out in the presence of inflammatory processes, fever, skin diseases.
A more or less universal addition is light stretching or physiotherapy exercises, they have a minimum of contraindications. In addition, regular, easy activity is beneficial to the body, so it is useful to do exercises in parallel with the diet. They should not be too hard or exhausting, this is not work for the sake of a record, but rather a warm-up.
Basic principles of the detox diet
- Gradual preparation and exit from the diet. The preparatory period for detox diets is always longer than the main stage. This is due to the fact that a radical change in diet is a serious shake-up, and if you try to completely redraw your menu at one moment, your well-being may deteriorate sharply. In addition, with sudden changes, the risk of “breaking loose” is too high and, without waiting for weight loss, switch to the usual diet.
- Rejection of bad habits. For the duration of the diet, smoking, alcohol, as well as coffee, black tea, and chocolate should be excluded. You will also have to give up an unhealthy sleep pattern: you must sleep 6-9 hours a day, depending on the need. You will also have to add light physical activity.
- Selection of herbal products. Already at the preparatory stage, you gradually refuse food of animal origin. But if the diet lasts longer than 7 days, periodically you need to eat a little steam fish, goat light cheese.
- Refusal of heat treatment. The detox does not allow for frying, baking, and other types of aggressive cooking, including microwave cooking and the use of factory and home-processed foods. You can pour boiling water over food, cook them in a blender.
- Fractional meals throughout the day. One of the features of detox diets is the organization of a diet that is easily and quickly absorbed. For this, the daily portion is divided not into 3 meals, but into 5-6 meals. In addition to breakfast-lunch-dinner, you should have at least 2 snacks.
- Short cycle. Detox diets cannot be long-term. The main period is no longer than 10 days, otherwise, instead of health benefits and quick weight loss, you risk getting health problems.
- Diverse menu. Surely you have heard of mono-diets, when a person is offered to eat one or two main foods. For example, only kefir or only buckwheat. In the case of detox, such restrictions are absolutely prohibited: the diet must be varied, otherwise you will feel a nutritional deficiency.
Preparation for the main stage lasts 3-4 weeks. Before starting, you must make sure that you feel good: there is no fever, exacerbation of chronic diseases, and no pain in the stomach. After that, you gradually give up bad habits, convenience foods and fast food, as well as fried, fatty, salty, all foods high in fast carbohydrates. Gradually, you should also give up animal foods, including eggs, milk and fish.
The right choice of products
There are many forbidden foods during detox:
- Food of animal origin, including meat, sausages, eggs, milk, kefir, yogurt.
- Sweets: sweet pastries, chocolate, muffins, cookies, sweets, sugar, honey, syrups.
- All products with a low content of nutrients: chips and other snacks, fast food and the like.
- Acid foods, including fresh oranges, lemons, limes, and orange juice. Lemon or lime juice can be added to salads, water.
- Fatty, fried, salted, smoked, as well as everything that has been heat-treated at home or in a factory.
- Carbonated drinks, coffee, black tea, alcohol, drinks high in sugar.
- Ketchups, most sauces, mayonnaise, dressings.
Everything you eat should contain a maximum of useful substances: vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids. But if all of the above is impossible, then what is possible? For example, fresh salads seasoned with fresh lemon juice, fruit and vegetable smoothies. They can be made delicious by adding apples to the composition. You can also eat nuts and berries in small quantities.
To avoid bloating, fresh fruits are eaten half an hour before the main meal. But at the same time, we exclude oranges and grapefruits, since they have too high an acid content. It can be harmful to the stomach. You can also cook miso soups with seaweed. Be sure to drink a glass of green tea or water half an hour before meals and half an hour after. It is good to drink herbal tea before going to bed.
Cereals are also not prohibited, except for barley and unsprouted wheat. But we do not cook them, but pour them with boiling water. Sprouted seeds of flax, wheat, oats will also be an excellent addition to salads.
You need to stick to such a specific menu for an average of a week. But, as a rule, three days are enough to achieve the result. After that, you smoothly add foods to the diet, leaving the dietary cycle. The more difficult a particular food is to digest, the later it should be reintroduced into the diet (or you may change your mind about returning it to the menu at all). In order not to get better again, you should reconsider your eating habits and physical activity.
Who is the detox diet for?
Detox is a good solution for an adult man or woman without chronic diseases who wants to get in shape quickly so that they can keep their figure in order. However, detox is not a universal tool for normalizing weight. This option suits you if, in addition to excess kilograms, you also notice fatigue, lethargy, lack of energy. If the condition of the skin and hair has worsened, and you want to put yourself in order without exhausting the body with strict diets.
Detox diet contraindications
Detox programs are prohibited for people under 18 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, as well as those who notice an exacerbation of chronic diseases. You should not resort to such measures to normalize weight in the presence of diabetes, inflammatory diseases of the digestive system, as well as disorders in the work of the heart. Such recipes for weight loss are prohibited after operations, severe shocks and stress. You can not use them before significant physical exertion such as sports competitions.
Benefits of a Detox Diet
This approach to normalization of weight allows not only to become more slender, but also to significantly improve overall well-being. You give your body a rest from unhealthy food, while getting enough vitamins and minerals. You create a slight calorie deficit, but you start to feel energized. Eternal fatigue is replaced by energy, you do not get tired of physical and mental stress longer.
In addition, it is a great way to improve the condition of the skin and hair. With many strict dietary diets, they suffer, but in this situation, the opposite is true: the skin is cleared of acne and other rashes, it becomes smooth and radiant. Many even say that such programs contribute to rejuvenation. If you do everything right, correctly enter the diet program, your sleep will normalize, you will need less time to recuperate. In addition, you will become more calm, although with other approaches to weight loss, people often become, on the contrary, nervous and irritable.
A detox diet requires preparation and planning. One of the most difficult aspects is the need to think over an unusual menu for a few days in advance, buy groceries and cook daily. A busy city dweller rarely has time for this. Therefore, the BeFit service offers a ready-made detox menu for a week. Order a ration and we will deliver delicious and healthy meals divided into portions! With our menu, you will eat varied, without spending a minute on shopping and cooking.
