Detox Diet Benefits And Side Effects: Healthy Or Unhealthy?

What are the health benefits and side effects of the Detox Diet? Is it healthy or unhealthy to start a Detox Diet? Let’s check it out.

What is the detox diet?

A detoxification cure or diet should bring the ultimate feel-good effect, including rapid weight loss, especially after phases such as the Christmas holidays or the carnival celebrations. The Detox diet is almost a must to detoxify the body and lose pesky pounds. 

How does a Detox diet work correctly, and is this diet form the right way to reduce weight in the long term? And is this form of food even suitable for everyday life?

A rigorous diet program and a natural detoxification cure make the Detox diet a significant challenge. But the body, especially the digestive tract, will thank you for it because the detox process feels excellent.

What is the detox diet
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After a few good detox days, you will feel fresh and well again and feel like eating healthy and light food. Detoxifying the body works wonders and can have a magical effect on your well-being. A detox cure can provide relief even against persistent everyday complaints such as sluggish digestion, tiredness, or lack of strength.

A few days of Detox with positive tea made from beneficial herbs are merely suitable for you. But is a detox diet a consistent form that also brings the desired effect in the long term? Or is a detox cure rather a short-term possibility to detoxify in the meantime? 

How does the Detox Diet work?

The body and organism are mostly getting cleansed in this diet in detoxification. A strict dietary program is getting applied to this process, which completely avoids the intake of sugar, salt, and fat. 

This diet is something for a bite through people. Here, everyone must genuinely show discipline. There are no special days, no carbohydrates, and absolutely no failures in the form of a piece of cake or a cup of cappuccino.

How does the Detox Diet work
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 The feeling of hunger and associated side effects such as mood swings, possible headaches, or even disturbances of the sleep rhythm can be harmful side effects of the detox treatment. Why? Well, the Detox diet is as follows:

Detox Diet

You abstain entirely from solid food for at least two weeks. It doesn’t just sound like this but structures itself like a form of fasting. You eat liquid food during this diet period, which most people are not used to, so the Detox diet is challenging to keep up with.

Detox Diet
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Besides, those drinks that are part of the daily routine for many people are taboo. Since the detoxification process is the main focus of this diet, the relaxed beer after work, the energy drink at work, and also the coffee on Monday morning are radically getting removed from the menu:

Alcohol, added sugar, chemical substances (including sweetener), and caffeine have no place in a detox diet. So if you already know that it can’t work without a double espresso in the morning, you don’t even need to try a strict detox diet.

How long does the Detox Diet last?

As already mentioned in the introduction, here are the cold facts. No solid food for two weeks; that’s a real challenge. You have to want this diet, and you have to see the desired effect of a purified, slim, and detoxified body and look forward to a fitter life. Without motivation, it won’t be long before you have your first “relapse” and long to get something tasty to eat between your teeth.

 Only with a concrete goal can one manage not to give in to the “stomach growl” prematurely. So much for the theory. In practice, the topic of the detox diet looks rather bland at first glance. It is necessary knowledge that you should drink a lot in any form of food. But with a detox diet, this is the essential factor. Three liters of still water and unsweetened, supporting herbal teas must be drunk daily.

How long does the Detox Diet last
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Even particular kinds of tea are helpful during fasting and detoxification and can sometimes also moderate the feeling of hunger—varieties such as nettle tea, green tea, and ginger tea. Still, also herbal tea blends specially created for the fasting period for a tight detox program can be found in almost every supermarket.

The ingredients must dehydrate, purify, and positively affect digestion and metabolism. It is especially true of nettle tea, known for its detoxifying effect and can work wonders for the body’s purification process.

Drink plenty of Water and Tea on a Detox Diet

Drinking above average amounts is necessary for the phase of a detox diet. The lack of food causes the body trouble in the first days. A feeling of weakness and a fragile circulation are two probable side effects that you will feel in the early days without solid food. Water and tea are essential to keep the flow going and relieve nausea caused by an empty stomach.

After the first days of consistent water drinking, the “food” plan is by fresh fruit, green juices, and clear soups or broths. When you have gone through the first days of fasting and have nourished your body for three days by hydration alone, you will feel like a delicious green smoothie, for example, made of celery, spinach, and limes, or a light carrot soup like the most delicious dish, promised!

Drink plenty of Water and Tea on a Detox Diet
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A different juice cure and a delicious vegetable broth at lunchtime and still drink no less water or tea, keep this up for another two to three weeks, and the fasting phase of the detox cure is complete.

It is not quite finished with a phase of drinking tea and a healthy meal afterward. Because if you think that it is already over after this challenging time and that you will be able to go back to fast food and sweets, you are wrong. After this phase of liquid food, follows the multiphase detox diet:

Here the digestion is to be accustomed again slowly to solid food, and the healthy lifestyle, which one got through so well-behaved, is to be put to the test. Light meals are gradually taken daily in this build-up phase: Cooked vegetables, a crunchy salad, or even fresh fish should be consumed again for lunch.

Weight Loss with Detox Diet

What are the benefits of the detox diet – how much do you lose weight?

If you take in liquids over a more extended period instead of eating a complete diet, you will lose body weight. It is entirely accurate. Of course, you lose a lot of weight quickly if you only consume the few calories that come together through juices and vegetable soups over a more extended period.

A strict detox diet consumes about 1,700 calories less per day than a healthy everyday diet. This diet shows its effect very quickly and is suitable for people who can motivate themselves by these instantly visible results. However, the disadvantage of such a strict fasting phase is that one quickly falls into the come-and-go effect trap.

Weight Loss with Detox Diet
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One long for solid food and delicious ingredients like butter or sugar makes the food delicious. Here, you should know that every bite will set in much faster after this diet. The body has eaten its reserves during the detox period and lost weight in muscles and fat deposits.

Every gram of sugar and all excess carbohydrates turn into annoying “hip gold” much faster than before fasting because the body changes very quickly to new events or eating habits in a healthy state.

Therefore, a detox diet is only for people who want to change their lifestyle permanently, long-term, and strictly. Those who know in advance that this cure will have a subtle effect but is not getting intended to change their lives should choose another diet.

Diet Plan for Detox Diet

Menu for the successful Detox Diet

A few keywords could already be getting ready from the above paragraph, but how can you put together a compact and precise detox diet “menu”? 

Diet Plan for Detox Diet
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We should process the following ingredients into delicious ingredients for juices and smoothies during a vibrant and healthy detox diet.

  • Nettle (whether in dried form as tea or fresh in the blender for a smoothie)
  • Spinach (this leafy vegetable has already given Popeye the sailor tremendous strength and should, therefore, gets mixed into the smoothies as a vitamin-rich fortification)
  • Celery (must not be missing in any juice or broth, and thanks to its detoxifying effect, it is also ideal for a detox cure)
  • Ginger (healing and antioxidant properties and helps to regulate digestion)

Risks of the Detox Diet

Every diet is a challenge and a chance for the body to which it must first get used. In most cases, the detox diet, in particular, is a particularly radical intervention in eating habits.

Due to the drastic omission of solid meals, drinking water and tea for days on end, and suddenly withdrawing all the food substances it used the body to out (as in many cases caffeine, white sugar, flavor enhancers, etc.).

It is possible that an enormous feeling of weakness and physical complaints such as headaches, indigestion, or circulatory problems may occur.

Risks of the Detox Diet
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A strict fasting cure should always get followed by medical supervision. From a medical point of view, you should clarify whether this diet is suitable for you, whether you are in the proper health condition, and whether your cholesterol level, blood values, blood pressure, and internal organs are in good health.

Otherwise, depriving the body of the energy that it gains from food can cause severe side effects. Instead of a successful diet, you may suffer from poor circulation, diarrhea, etc. So caution is called for here.

Benefits of Detox Diet

If you consider a detox treatment, you should get your doctor’s OK before. You should also find the side effects of such a diet.

Cures that, for example, restrict the supply of protein or prescribe a rigorous fast can cause tiredness, dizziness, and listlessness. Long-term fasting can also create severe vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Benefits of Detox Diet
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The most significant health risk associated with a fasting cure is the insufficient supply of energy and nutrients. Therefore you should at least make sure that you drink enough. Every diet is a change for the body and a challenge to which it must first get used.

Therefore, the beginning and end of the detox period should not be abrupt but relatively slow and well thought out.

The benefits of a cure are clearly defined:
  • The acid-base balance of the body comes back into balance
  • Purification of the whole body
  • Gentle intestinal cleansing
  • More power
  • Improved concentration
  • Improved skin texture
  • Healthier hair
  • Less halitosis
  • Increased well-being
  • Fast weight reduction
  • Strengthened immune system

Have you clarified everything with your doctor, and would you like to try out such a detox cure? If so, we have a few helpful tips below to help you with your fasting.

Side Effects of a Detox Diet

Side effects and accompanying symptoms of a detox cure

If you have decided to undergo a detox treatment, this means a considerable intervention in your metabolism. It is already in the word Detox. “De” is the Latin prefix for “away” and “tox,” the short form of “toxicum,” which means poison.

So you discharge all kinds of toxins. However, a detox cure is also often a significant change in your everyday life and has side effects. But which detox side effects must you expect?

Side Effects of a Detox Diet
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Side effects are part of the detox purification process.

Over the years, your body has stored toxins and heavy metals in the tissue. These harmful substances are gradually dissolved and finally eliminated during detox treatment. According to how much and how long you have stored these toxins, you may experience side effects from this Detox.

Depending on your general condition at the beginning of the cure, the side effects may be more or less severe. It irritates you because many people have probably told you that you will feel more free and weightless than ever before when detoxing.

But as unpleasant as the side effects, maybe – they are the sign of a purification and healing process. They are also not unique. Side effects of a detox cure occur relatively frequently.

The pollutants leave your body step by step.

Dense metals and other environmental toxins accumulate in your fatty tissue. Only when there is no longer anything going on, do the toxins accumulate in different body areas.

While the first few days of a detox cure are a significant change for some people, others feel almost exhilarated; around the third or fourth day, many people experience side effects of the treatment.

The organism has to tap into its fat reserves to get enough energy from this point on. The toxins are thus set in motion and enter the bloodstream first. Here the first detoxification symptoms, such as headaches, can already occur. In the next step, the liver and gallbladder work at full speed to finally dispose of the toxins.

The toxins end up in the small intestine via the gall bladder. Here, a portion is sent directly to the large intestine for excretion. Any part that is not absorbed gets reabsorbed via the liver.

The cycle starts all over again. The dissolved toxins circulate in the body until they are finally getting excreted. These wandering toxins are responsible for the discomfort during a detox cure. Some people feel very little of it, and others react very sensitively.

These detox side effects may occur.

Existing symptoms may worsen when you start with something supposed to heal your body. It is similar to a detox cure. Already existing symptoms can intensify shortly after the start. Besides, the body works at full speed to get rid of all toxins.

Your liver also has only a limited capacity to break down toxins. It is flooded with toxins during a detox treatment and needs your time to get back under control. You must also remember that your body has been experiencing this state of poisoning for years.

It is, therefore, difficult for it to suddenly let go of it. The good news is that these healing reactions only last a few hours or days.

The typical side effects of the detox treatment are:
  • A general feeling of weakness
  • Concentric problems
  • Dry or impure skin
  • Headache
  • Hair loss or blunt, lackluster hair 
  • Digestive issues such as bloating and diarrhea
  • Gastric probes
  • Poor body odor
  • Dizziness 
  • Feeling cold

In the case of total abstinence from food over a more extended period, doctors warn of even more severe side effects such as:

  • Vision problems
  • Lumbago
  • Heart rhythm disturbances
  • Kidney stones
  • Gout

Many toxins are also getting excreted through the skin; you do not need to worry about a possible worse or more intense body odor, which is entirely normal. Even the urine smells different when detoxing.

After a few days, acetone, a final product of burning ketones, is excreted. It causes a somewhat strong smell and discoloration of the urine, and you may have several or only one of these symptoms.

How to get through the Detox Diet crisis?

During every detox treatment, there is that moment when the toxins released are at their highest concentration. The detox side effects can be correspondingly strong. Stay calm, relaxed, and accept this discomfort as a healing reaction on the way to recovery.

Treat yourself to even more relaxation and support your metabolism with dietary fibers. Linseed or psyllium husks stimulate intestinal activity and help to eliminate the toxins. Healing earth can also be helpful, as it binds harmful substances.

How to get through the Detox Diet crisis
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If necessary, increase the amount you drink. Training and guided meditations will also help you deal with this detoxification crisis more quickly.

However, if you notice that the symptoms are getting excessively severe or persisting, you should seek the advice of your family doctor.

Alternativ to Detox Diet

What makes more sense than Detox

Alternativ to Detox Diet
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It makes more sense to keep the intake of potentially harmful substances to a minimum:

  • Pay attention to hygienic preparation in the household. 
  • Drink enough. 
  • Avoid overweight. 
  • Take regular exercise in the fresh air. 
  • Avoid nicotine and alcohol.
  • Eat little meat, but lots of vegetables and fruit.
  • You can prefer seasonal and regional products.
  • Give preference to organic food (without pesticides).
  • Wash or peel vegetables and fruit thoroughly.
  • Remove the outer leaves and stalk (protect against heavy metals).
  • Only eat offal and wild mushrooms occasionally (heavy metals, radioactive contamination).
  • Boil rice with plenty of water and pour off the water (to protect against arsenic contamination).

FAQ Detox Diet Benefits And Side Effects

What can you eat at Detox?

You can eat these foods during your Detox treatment in between:

  • Oils
  • Herbal tea
  • Water
  • Buckwheat, millet, or soya flour
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Legumes
  • Soy or tofu

For how long can you detox?

With as natural, ripe vegetarian food as possible, full of nutrients and vitamins, the detox process in the body is then set in motion (with base fasting); usually, a cure lasts one to two weeks. We should not take a detox cure with juices and smoothies for more than three days.

Most Asked Questions About Detox Diet
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What is meant by Detox?

We should free the body from toxic substances and generally relieve and purify them. In short: the purification of the body is meant. A stressful and modern lifestyle can disrupt the process that is usually entirely naturally responsible. Detox comes from English and stands for detoxification.

For what is Detox Tea good?

Detox Tea – Detoxifies the body and brings new energy. People who are tired, exhausted, and exhausted often suffer from “too many” stressful substances in the body. Detoxing with Detox tea is proven and helps you healthily lose weight.

What is a detox mask?

The cleansing face mask with natural healing chalk was specially developed for gentle deep cleansing of the skin and acted like a detox for the skin. The fine-pored reprimand healing chalk absorbs excess skin fat and dissolves dead skin cells. Licorice extract, allantoin, and panthenol calm the skin.

detox smoothies
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What is a detox juice cure?

The detox trend has its roots in antiquity. The word “Detox” comes from the Latin or Greek term “Detoxification.”

Detox is precisely what the detox cure still means today: intestines, kidneys, liver, bile, the lymphatic system, and the skin are free from toxins, i.e., toxic substances. According to medical experts, juice fasting is the most digestible detox cure.

How does detoxing work with a juice cure?

During a detox juice cure, you consume only raw fruit and vegetables in the form of juices for several days – solid food is completely getting avoided. Over the day, one usually drinks six fruit and vegetable juices of 500ml each at intervals of about two hours.

Each juice bottle contains up to three kilograms of fruit and vegetables, making almost 15 kilograms a day. It is a quantity that one can hardly consume in non-liquid form.

Why does the detox juice cure work?

Because you consume a wide variety of juices throughout the day, the temptation is much less than if you would only impose bans on yourself. Nothing in the juices unnecessarily burdens the body, so that the detox juice cure can work as an intensive cleansing.

How do you recognize a good detox juice cure?

We can recognize a high-quality detox juice treatment because it is purely plant-based, and the juices contain only raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, pulses, seeds, and sprouts. Besides, the liquids are cold-pressed, are not heated or pasteurized, and are not vicious but bright and completely free of plant fibers and pulp.

What are the potential side effects of a detox juice treatment?

Depending on how healthy you have eaten beforehand. For example, whether you have eaten hardly any healthy food and mainly fast food, eaten a lot of white flour, sugar, meat, or drunk too much coffee and alcohol – a detox juice cure can mean a significant change for the body.

During the first to three days, side effects such as headaches, nausea, muscle aches, and increased cold sensation can occur.

How does it feel like a Detox cure afterward?

After the detox juice cure days, you will be rewarded with a completely new body feeling – a flatter stomach, purer skin, and an overall firmer body are only the external changes you notice.

Much more important: You gain a new attitude towards food and learn to listen to your stomach again and only eat when you are starving.

detox water
Image by Silvia Rita from Pixabay

How often should detoxify with a juice cure?

That depends entirely on how your body deals with it – you can certainly take a detox juice cure several times a year as long as you feel comfortable.

Are the benefits of a Detox Diet or Cure scientifically proven?

Doctors and nutritional experts are getting divided on the effectiveness of the detox juice cure. While some hold the thesis that the body detoxifies itself entirely and does not need any support, others are in the positive effect of temporarily abstaining from solid food.

Scientists find the dietary approach of abstaining from alcohol and caffeine and eating little sugar, plenty of fluids, and fruit and vegetables very useful. However, one must be careful not to prolong the temporary abstinence too much because otherwise, the body suffers from nutrient deficiency, and the yo-yo effect is ultimately pre-programmed.

The detox juice cure certainly supports the body in its organ function – just as it can help break through unhealthy eating habits.

What can happen on a Detox Diet?

Headache

The withdrawal of coffee and thus caffeine causes problems for some people. The reason: the blood pressure drops, and the vessels in the head dilate and press on the surrounding areas of the brain. With a lot of exercise in the fresh air, it is possible to restore blood pressure.

Coated tongue and bad breath

Detox treatment can lead to an occupied tongue and bad breath from the third day onwards. To overcome such side effects, you can get help with:

  • Chew dill or aniseed seeds
  • Gargle with peppermint tea
  • Remove the coating with a tongue scraper
  • Brush your teeth more often

Skin blemishes

The skin also reacts when detoxifying the body. A face mask with healing earth helps against pimples. 

Circles under the eyes

During a detox treatment, the eyes can swell. Excellent: Pour hot water over teabags of black tea, let them cool until they are lukewarm, and then place them on the eyes for about ten minutes.

detox juice
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Bad mood

A detox cure can also affect the psyche. A bad attitude is often pre-programmed. It is where the trial trick helps: essential oils such as vanilla are known for their mood-lifting, appetite-reducing, and balancing effects. Just smell the peppermint oil, vanilla sticks, or aroma roll-ons. Geranium, lime, maritime pine, cedar, and patchouli also help detoxify.

You are feeling weak and dizzy.

Since the calorie intake reduces during a detox treatment, a feeling of weakness or slight dizziness may happen at the beginning of the procedure as a withdrawal symptom. But don’t worry: after about three days, the body has adjusted to the reduced food intake, and the metabolism gradually switches to emergency mode. Take it lightly in the first few days, and do not do any endurance sports.

Ravenous appetite

The first side effect of a detox diet is, of course, it is hunger. In the early few days, you may experience attacks of a ravenous appetite. It will improve during the diet once the body has become accustomed to the lower food intake. There are numerous tricks to combat the possible voracious appetite.

green detox drinks
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Conclusion

It should be made clear that although the detox diet shows quick success, it only provides absolute long-term satisfaction if you want to make lasting changes to your whole life and your daily diet.

The disadvantages of this diet are the discomfort it can cause and that a detox diet is tough to maintain. The moods and the desire to bite something are usually more reliable than the will to go through the menu.

Always ask your doctor to gather more information about the benefits and side effects.

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Last Updated on 17/04/2022 by Buzz This Viral