'Detox' to do or not to do

To detox or not to detox?

As the holiday season come to a close, some of us are feeling rather like the proverbial goose, well and truly stuffed.

New year detox program

The body has become rather sluggish we some-how managed to put on more weight than is good for us, and drank much too much alcohol. With the New Year approaching, we’re thinking of making our New Year's resolutions which invariable, includes changes in diet and lifestyle, we are actively looking at ways to lose the extra weight, and to detox the body, wouldn't it be awesome to go into 2012 looking trim and feeling fit, healthy and clean?

But the question most of us are asking, according to Google Ad words anyway, is, to detox or not to detox?

Detox; is claimed to be the alternative way to remove harmful toxins from the body, but since the body does a remarkable job of detoxifying itself, do we really need to embark on a sometime costly and potentially harmful detox program? Detoxification can range from 12 to 24 hours of fasting and drinking only water or water and fruit juices, to:

· Detox diets; this is usually short term, between 3 to 21 day, it is claimed to remove contaminants such as artificial preservatives, residue of pesticide, pollution chemicals from processed and packaged food, drugs, alcohol, smoking, and antibiotics from the body. The detox diet is also suppose to raise energy levels, stimulate digestion, prevent headaches, relieve bloating, etc... etc..

But unfortunately there is no evidence to support these claims, for the companies producing and selling products associated with detox, this is a very lucrative market, some people who have tried the detox diet, professed to love doing it, and believe that they feel much better afterwords.

However, there are others who do not feel any real benefit and then there are those who tend to over do it, for those of us wanting to try a detox diet, do some research and make an informed choice and if in doubt get medical advice.

· Colon cleansing; (Colonics) uses herbs or herbal and other enemas to remove residual particles of food from the colon, which it is claimed, will remain in the bowel and rot, resulting in ill health.

· This practice can be dangerous, get medical advice before embarking on such procedures

· Chelation therapy; (the excretion of heavy metals like lead and mercury from the body) also used to clean the coronary arteries, by unblocking furred vessels, reducing the incident of myocardial infarction, before doing this, do your own research and always consults with your doctor. Chelation can also excrete vital electrolytes from the body.

· Avoiding specific foods; always ensure you are getting a balanced diet before choosing this option, detoxification usually involve drinking large volumes of water, while this is a good way to replenish fluids and keep the body in good working order, there are dangers in consuming too much water, the body can lose vital electrolytes resulting in illness and in some cases death, so find out the recommended amount of water to drink per day. See my hub holding back the years for more information on appropriate fluid intake.

· Fruit and vegetable juices; Fresh fruits and vegetables are always a welcome addition to any diet, they have the advantage over fruit juices because you get the benefit from the fruit fiber.

· Herbs and Dietary supplements; to increase the cleansing process, this therapy is aimed usually, at organs such as the Liver and kidneys, once again, these organs manage to efficiently detoxify the healthy body, if you have reasons for concern, contact your health provider and eat a healthy well balance diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables containing a good source of anti-oxidants, use a good standard vitamin supplement, if your diet do not contain sufficient vitamins.

Lose weight with yoga, designed by Charry Morris, Instructor to the United States ski team

And HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR!