Detox diets are practiced by most people at three times of the year: at the beginning of the school year, for the new year and at the beginning of the summer. These are carried out with the aim of regaining lightness, vitality and losing weight, in particular by optimising the way we eat, and by adding certain supplements.
Starting a detox diet can be difficult, especially if it is the first time. Faced with this, it is necessary to identify why and how to do this, and for what purpose, because, for example, weight loss can make you feel lighter, but this does not correspond to the objectives of a real detox.
The detox diet
The principle of the "detox" is to clean the body and to rid it of waste products that can harm its functioning.
Among these wastes, we find what the body produces to ensure its normal functioning, and what the body produces to eliminate harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco, pollution, drugs, pesticides with which the body is confronted on a daily basis. It is also about eliminating chemicals in the diet.
Reasons for detoxing ?
Changes in lifestyle, diet, climate and sleep make the body tired. Over the course of the year, the body becomes clogged and less efficient. This can be caused by various reasons:
- an unbalanced or high-protein diet.
- frequent cravings and food urges.
- accumulated stress at work.
- fatigue related to lifestyle (going out, parties, travel, etc. ).
- smoking or alcohol consumption.
In addition to these "classic" profiles, extreme sports and dietary
behaviours also force the body to produce more waste products to break
down excess saturated fats, sugars or proteins, as well as those
resulting from training.
People on high protein diets are most often
affected, as they have food cravings, perform repeated cheat meals,
consume junk food regularly and experience overtraining.
In
order to know if it is time to start a detox, here is a small test to
perform. If at least 3 of the following symptoms are present, it means
that it is time to start a detox.
| FORMS | DIGESTION | ||||
| Fatigue for more than 5 consecutive days | Excess sugar, junk food, food cravings more than 4 times in the last 2 weeks | Fragile hair and/or nails | Digestive problems | ||
| Lack of energy, tone and motivation | Frequent and unmotivated cravings and sweet urges | . | Deterioration in skin quality (term, grace etc. ) | Heavy and/or bloated stomach after meals | . |
| Difficult awakenings | Losing weight is more difficult | . | Water retention | Disrupted and/or abnormal transit | |
| Irritability and/or increased sensitivity | Consumption of large amounts of protein and/or supplements | Pimples | . | Having trouble finishing meals | |
| Poor sleep quality and/or waking up at night | Cellulite more present than usual |
Benefits of a detox diet
The feeling after a detox can vary from person to person, depending on the efforts made and the actions taken.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of the effects and results that can be obtained following a detox designed by a health professional:
|
FORM FOOD |
beauty BEAUTY |
digestion DIGESTION |
|
|
Energy increase |
Slight weight loss Slight weight loss |
Improved skin quality (smoother skin) |
Better digestion Better digestion |
|
Increased motivation and tone |
Disappearance and/or reduction of food cravings Disappearance and/or reduction of food urges |
Increased motivation and tone Stronger and more beautiful hair and nails |
Improved digestion Improved transit |
|
Sleep improvement |
Regular appetite throughout the day |
Disappearance and/or reduction of pimples Disappearance and/or reduction of pimples |
Lighter stomach and/or no bloating Stomach lighter and/or without bloating |
|
Better recovery and fit as soon as you wake up |
Increased preference for healthy foods Increased preference for healthy foods |
Decreased water retention |
Flatter stomach |
How to carry out a detox diet
It is important to understand that the purification of the body does not rely on the simple consumption of a lemon juice or a broth. It is a real combination of several elements that activate the body's mechanisms.
In fact, it has been proven that mono diet diets, where you eat only one food per day, are totally ineffective and even dangerous, as they can cause deficiencies (source Anses 2011).
Moreover, the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has rejected more than 60 applications in 4 years on plants claiming mystical and scientifically unproven detox effects.
An effective detox requires precise knowledge of the effect of food on the body. It is advisable to do this with a health professional. But also an individualization according to the preferences and the food habits of the individual for a follow-up of the diet over 1 to 3 weeks.
To do this, it is necessary to identify the functions of the body that you wish to boost, such as:
- Alkalinisation of the PH: with the consumption of foods with negative PRAL indices;
- Facilitating digestion: by using essential oils, herbal teas, certain waters and spices;
- Improving drainage: with herbal teas and diuretic foods;
- Strengthening the immune system: with the consumption of certain essential oils;
- Limiting foods containing lactose and gluten. The individual can also opt for essential oils and herbal teas that allow an improvement in the quality and beauty of the skin, hair and nails.
