Did you know that your gut plays a MASSIVE role in detoxification? Read this article to find out how

Misconceptions about detoxification

Some of the common misconceptions about detoxification include:

✖ You lose fat – You may end up losing inches and weight during a detox but not your fat. A detox diet plan typically eliminates water weight and muscle mass from your body.

✖ Colon cleansing is better than probiotics –  Colon cleansing or colon irrigation are not the best way of detoxifying your body. Evidence suggests if you want to detoxify your digestive system, probiotics containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces boulardii or laxatives are a better option.

✖ Detox is useful every time you overindulge – A detoxification plan will only work if you follow it up with a clean eating/ drinking programme. For example, if you cleanse your gut with use of probiotics and fibre, then you cannot get back to eating fried and spicy foods from the very next day.

✖ You have to eliminate all possible nutrients from your body during a detox – If you let go of essential nutrients because of which your body functions, your body will not detoxify. This happens because your body will have no energy to function, thus this is a misconception.

The role of cleansing in boosting a weak immune system

Let’s first understand the reason behind a weak immune system. When you indulge in unhealthy lifestyle choices such as regular consumption of fried foods or drinking alcohol, your body starts reacting to it in the long term. When your body does not get adequate nutrition to function, it stops absorbing nutrients even when you start your healthy diet.

For example, if you’ve been indulging in unhealthy snacks for 30 days straight, your body becomes used to this. So, if you start eating healthy on the 31st day, there are high chances that your body may not be able to absorb the nutrients from these foods. Lack of nutrients can lead to deficiency due to which body’s immune system gets adversely affected.

Eating food, nutrient utilisation and remaining healthy are a chain reaction in your body. And for this process to renew itself, detox cleanses followed by a balanced lifestyle must be an important chapter in your diet diary.

What’s the right way to detox?

It is important to follow a systematic strategy if you want to detoxify your body. For example, if you want to begin by detoxifying your gut, then you will have to aim at consuming foods and drinks that promote gut health including:

• Probiotics such as yoghurt
• Green foods such as spinach, kale, beans, broccoli, peas
• Drinks such as coconut water, freshly squeezed orange/ lime juice, green teas
• Seeds such as chia, flax, muskmelon
• Lentils and pulses

You can incorporate the following steps to detox your body the right way:

1. Letting go of toxic lifestyle choices – These include smoking, drinking alcohol, not being physically active, consuming fried/ spicy/ excessive sugary foods or consumption of processed foods.
2. Drinking enough water – Water is responsible for carrying the nutrients you absorb from food to all your vital organs. Therefore, to replenish and rejuvenate your cells, you will need to drink an adequate amount of water. You can start by aiming to drink 1 litre of water every 20 kg of body weight. So, for example, if you weigh 60 kg, ideally you should have at least 3 litres of water.
3. Exercising –Exercise stimulates endorphins which elevate your mood. Toxins do not enter your body only through food but also through the emotions you go through. For example, stress due to work or personal life problems.
4. Consuming detox-friendly foods – The ideal way to begin your detoxification process is to first aim to cleanse your gut. Toxins due to food, drinks or stress can imbalance your gut leading to weight gain, bad skin and hair and a weakened immune system. One way to initiate this process is by consuming probiotics. These include natural foods or going for probiotics supplementscontaining Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium or Saccharomyces boulardii known for keeping your gut flora healthy.

Probiotics supplements to kick start your gut detoxification

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