Even a quick, cursory search online for "detox cleanse" will return well over a million results. All these different sites are in addition to the dozens of books in print promoting one type of detox diet or another.
In the non-virtual world health spas often ask, and get, hundreds or thousands of dollars to help their clients "detox" themselves in elegant surroundings.
So, obviously, there is a great interest in the subject even though many medical practitioners and nutritional experts are firm in their belief that detox diets are potentially very dangerous and have no basis in scientific fact.
As most popular "fad" diets, the detox products promise quick weight loss and very often deliver for a short period of time. But such quick, radical weight loss is ultimately unsustainable because that is just not how our bodies have been designed to work.
The fans of detox programs will tell you that the "in the modern world of today" our bodies suffer from constant attacks of toxins such as pesticides, artificial sweeteners, air pollution, and many other causes. Their belief is that the body is not equipped to handle these toxins and needs periodic cleaning out to avoid chronic diseases.
The fallacy of this argument according to many medical professionals is that the human body already has several defense systems in place. The Liver, Kidneys, and the entire gastrointestinal tract all work to eliminate potentially damaging toxins from the body within a few hours of them being ingested.
But, there is a grain of truth behind the majority of detox plans. That idea is to reduce the amounts of junk food, alcohol, and other foods eaten to excess. The danger arises because these plans are so restrictive they don't allow any foods other than water and raw vegetables or fruit and many also recommend laxatives, colonic irritation, or enemas to increase the process. The result is that any weight loss is water weight and not fat. This weight is quickly regained when the dieter goes off the detox plan and begins to eat a normal diet again.
Detox cleansing and diet plans carry real risk for many groups of people. Anyone with heart disease or diabetes should stay away from any of these programs. Similarly, pregnant or breast feeding women should not attempt a detox plan.
A much better plan is to adopt a low calorie, healthy meal plan balanced with an intelligent exercise program. Your weight loss will not be as dramatic as a detox plan but the weight lost will stay off and you will also be doing wonders for your entire body at the same time. Even moderate weight loss will do great things for your heart, lungs, muscles and joints.
Help your diet plan by adding chia seed to your meal plans. Including chia ensures a steady source of omega-3 fatty acids which are instrumental in lowering cholesterol as well as other vitamins and minerals including calcium, fiber, protein, potassium, iron and others.
Also, chia is hydrophilic which means that it absorbs water at a very high rate, up to nine times its own weight. This property helps keep you hydrated throughout the day and leaves you feeling "full" for a much longer period.
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