To Detox or Not to Detox is that the Question?
Updated: Aug 6, 2021
Well, it’s that time of year for me to start thinking about doing another detox/cleanse. I found a website through a Facebook source that provides a juice cleanse that I would like to try. The website is www.juicefromtheraw.com. The juices look fresh, wholesome, and good! There are different juices to drink for three days. I’m really considering this cleanse just to try something new. I also found website through another Facebook source called http://www.drnatura.com. There are detoxing and colon cleansing products available with this company.
When I started my 10-day green smoothie full cleanse, it was suggested in the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse book by J.J. Smith, to also drink a detox tea as a part of the regimen. The one I have been drinking is by Yogi. I drink this tea hot and do not add any type of sweetener to it because I don’t feel it needs any.
Currently, I drink a green smoothie once a day (which is a modified version of the cleanse) at least five days a week, and also eat regular food throughout the day. It is all about balance. However, after eating regular foods, it’s time for my body to be cleansed again particularly because we just finished with Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is why I wanted to try Juice from the Raw.
There are so many ways to detox your body. In addition to drinking juices, smoothies, teas, and taking pills, and if you’re not into liquid nutrition, you can also detox by eating clean foods. You have many options for detoxing. In an article in Women’s Health Magazine, I found a list of 16 foods that are good for detoxing your body. They are:
Artichokes
Avocados
Beets
Broccoli
Collard Greens
Dandelion Root
Dill
Fennel
Green Tea
Lemon
Milk Thistle
Kale
Onion
Garlic
Wheat Grass
Yogurt
These foods contain so many different benefits for the liver, blood stream, and cells. They help to boost the immune system, and to use as an antimicrobial. They have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and fungicidal properties. Some of them block the absorption of some fats, have insoluble fiber to keep the colon cleansed, and probiotics to help keep the GI tract functioning well.
As with everything, there is also the opposite point of view concerning detoxing by way of juicing. I read an article in Everyday Health which said, “There is no credible scientific evidence that a detox diet or juicing is actually effective.” I guess that is a matter of opinion because, in my case, I felt a million percent better after I started drinking green smoothies.
Just to clarify, green smoothies are different from traditional juicing methods because green smoothies contain all of the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables blended together, whereas in traditional juicing methods you remove the pulp from the juice and the pulp is what contains colon cleansing fiber. If you remove the pulp, I would suggest adding dietary fiber to your daily diet for the amount of days you decide to do the juice cleanse.
In my green smoothies, I use specific raw green vegetables and frozen fruits along with ground flax or chia seeds, which gives the smoothie nutritional soundness. Plus, I don’t add anything that is not nutritional to the smoothie like white sugar. The fruit provides enough sweetener, and there is no need to add sugar. However, you can add Stevia to the smoothie if you desire it. I would suggest you buy the book for specific recipes and methods for doing the green smoothie cleanse.
Concerning juicing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider juicing a “fad diet,” because some people may attempt to do only this for long periods of time without eating regular foods and that is just unrealistic because at some point, you will want to chew. It can also be dangerous because you may be missing other nutrients from your daily diet that your body needs i.e., dietary fiber that was previously mentioned.
Also, regarding juicing, the National Center for Health Research (NCHR) said that “some people believe that juicing can help ward off disease and certain problems associated with aging, including dementia.” They do not necessarily agree with this because sometimes people will juice and not take the treatments that are suggested by their doctors, which can be dangerous. It was also mentioned that “juicing is beneficial for our digestive health” because it is easier for your body to absorb the juice since the fiber has been extracted. Again, dietary fiber is necessary for the body so you have to be very careful with this.
There are many ways to detox your body. As mentioned above it can be done with juicing, drinking detox tea, drinking green smoothies, and eating clean foods. The choice is yours, but you must be careful how you go about it and choose wisely what would make sense for you if you decide to do it. It is always better to consult with your doctor before trying anything new particularly if you have health concerns.
I’m trying to go into 2016 with a sound mind, body, and spirit. I am ready to accomplish the next challenges that life has to offer and complete more goals. I’m ready to meet anything that comes my way, and it is important for me to be healthy and strong to handle anything that comes in my direction. I cannot combat anything if I am in no condition physically to meet the challenges. I’m ready to start anew – are you? We can do it together! Life is good, and I am so blessed that God is allowing me to experience it. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Live, laugh, love, and pray.
God Bless You with Good Health and Wellness,
Antoinette
Antoinette Shar’ron Johnson
Facebook: Antoinette Sharron Johnson
LinkedIn: Antoinette Johnson, MAEd
“Empowering, inspiring, motivating, and uplifting your mind, body, and soul!”
Article Source: 16 Detoxing Cleanse Foods Get a jump-start on losing extra pounds with these essential cleanse foods, by Keri Glassman, Women’s Health Magazine; http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/16-detoxing-cleanse-foods?slide=1
Are Juice Cleanses Good for Your Digestive Health? http://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/is-juicing-good-for-digestive-health.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthDigestiveHealth_20151213, by Chris Illiades, MD and contributions by Mary Elizabeth Dallas
Image Source: Women’s Health Magazine