You feel limp, tired, bloated at the moment and your skin has completely lost its glow?
If you want to boost your metabolism and cleanse yourself of the poisons of the last few months, it is often recommended to try detox.
But what is actually behind the “detoxification trend”? And are detox cures necessary for this at all?
What is Detox?
The term “detox” comes from the English word “detoxification” and means to cleanse the body of the consequences of unhealthy nutrition, stress-related hormone “poisoning” and environmental pollutants.
Toxins can accumulate, for example, through unhealthy diets, alcohol, smoking, polluted air or stress.
Our most important detoxifying organs are the liver, kidneys, intestines, skin and lungs, which always ensure that the body cleanses itself of environmental toxins.
However, if the detoxification organs are overwhelmed or do not function fully due to a disease, an adapted diet and a few relief days can do a lot of good.
Common warning signs: a pale complexion, you feel limp, drained and the body is more susceptible to disease.
What detox methods are there?
1. Ayurvedic nutrition
Digestion and well-being are two central topics in the Ayurvedic diet – according to the teaching, the health of every person is in the intestine.
In order to optimize intestinal function, Ayurveda focuses on digestive and especially plant-based foods that are consumed cooked instead of raw.
2. 36-hour fasting
The 36-hour fast is also known as “Alternate Day Fasting”. A fasting day and a normal “dining day” are constantly alternating.
This works as follows: 36 hours of complete food intake is dispensed with. It is best to start fasting at 6 p.m. the day before, then completely 24 hours until 6 a.m. the next day. In the following 12 hours, everything can be eaten, regardless of the number of calories.
3. Basic fasting
In base fasting, the acid-base balance, which was previously disturbed by too high an intake of acid-forming foods, is brought back into balance.
4. Detox cure with juices and smoothies
With this detox cure, you completely do without solid foods and instead take water and juices from fruit and vegetables. Due to the thick consistency, smoothies are satiating and keep you full for a long time – so you don’t have to starve when detoxing.
However, this type of detox has its price: There are many providers who charge more than 100 euros for a three-day juice cure.
What happens during detox in the body?
Basically, the body can free itself from most toxins on its own. However, if the toxins take over, an overload occurs. This happens especially if there are complications to the liver and kidneys in advance.
The idea behind detox: to excrete superfluous more fluids through the intestines or the skin and to optimize these processes.