Detox Diet Plans – Taking It To The Limit

Common sense and scientific research support the wisdom and effectiveness of the most popular detox diet plans. Especially as statistics show how widespread the obesity epidemic has become in modern industrialized nations, and as studies have poignantly pointed out how many children are morbidly obese, systems that combine cleansing and weight loss have gained acceptance and popularity. Economic hardships also support healthy diets, with fresh fruits and vegetables costing less than meat and processed foods, juices and water costing less than soft drinks, and home cooking costing considerably less than dining out. Increasingly, naturopathy is becoming synonymous with “good sense.”

However, as people become more convinced of the benefits of homeopathy and naturopathy, some of the riskier practices of alternative medicine are also gaining favor. When Harvard researchers claim that “antioxidants are good; eat more tomatoes,” ordinary people should pay attention. However, when militant homeopaths stridently recommend radical cleansing procedures, ordinary people have reason for careful scrutiny.

Three homeopathic practices especially deserve further study before going mainstream: liver flushing, chelation, and colon hydrotherapy may fail the first Hippocratic litmus test: do no harm.

liver wash
Neither dangerously invasive nor potentially toxic, experts often simply quibble that the liver cleanse causes great discomfort with little or no significant health benefit.

The most common liver flush procedure requires you to drink two glasses of apple juice every two hours for two days. Because apple juice has unusually high concentrations of malic acid, it can break down the calcium and fat globules that contribute to gallstone formation, helping the body to eliminate them normally. During the two-day apple juice regimen, you eat nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables, reaping the benefits of their antioxidants. And, at the end of her two-day juice-and-fruit-rich cleanse, she drinks a solution of Epsom salts with olive oil and lemon juice. Epsom salt and olive oil supposedly relax and dilate the smooth muscles in your digestive system so you can easily expel larger blood cells, and lemon juice supposedly stimulates peristalsis to speed up the benefits.

Following this old-fashioned liver flush poses no serious health risks, but you can get explosive diarrhea, severe abdominal cramps, and violent vomiting, putting you at risk of severe dehydration. Cleaning can exhaust your immune system, making you more vulnerable to colds and flu.

chelation
Both traditional and alternative medicine define chelation as systematic biochemical therapy to remove heavy metals from vital organs in the bloodstream, especially the intestines, liver, and kidneys, by means of a “chelate” or attractant. of metals. Health professionals most often recommend the process in cases of mercury and lead poisoning, and in some cases have experimented with its use in detoxification from radiation exposure. According to homeopathic theory, chelation serves as an excellent example of how “like cures like,” because the metal attractant removes heavy metals, neutralizes them, and helps the body eliminate them through urination and defecation.

Naturally, as with most homeopathic practices, the debate rages. Traditional physicians more frequently prescribed chelates in liquid or tablet form shortly after World War II, when many shipbuilders and weapons workers showed severe symptoms of lead and other heavy metal poisoning. Concomitant research showed only slightly greater success with chelates than placebos, so most traditional practitioners abandoned the practice by the mid-1950s.

However, in recent years, as researchers find increased concentrations of heavy metals and complex chemical contaminants in metropolitan water supplies and processed foods, especially canned goods, chelation has once again become in a relatively common practice among homeopaths. As researchers also become more suspicious about the link between thimerasol and autism, they are increasingly recommending chelation as a therapy for developmental disorders.

Colon hydrotherapy
More invasive than a common enema, colon hydrotherapy irrigates the entire gastrointestinal system, causing the expulsion of the entire contents of the colon and the upper and lower intestines. Most colon hydrotherapists strongly caution against DIY equipment and kits, as they can easily damage or compromise the sensitive tissue and chemical balance in your digestive tract. By working with a properly trained and experienced homeopath or naturopath who adheres to the best practices in colon hydrotherapy, you are at little risk and will definitely relieve swelling and blockage. A reputable physician can introduce some herbs and nutrients into the mix to protect your system during the cleanse. Although common sense requires you to ask a lot of questions about herbs and their purported benefits, be especially sure that they are all-natural and perfectly safe—the most common enhancements will do you good.

Both traditional and New Age physicians strongly warn against colon cleansing agents and physicians who discuss “intestinal plaque” by displaying graphic and grotesque images of their patients’ waste products. About every thirty-six hours, your body fully digests and eliminates metabolic waste from everything you eat. Several highly reputable myth-busting studies have shown that the active agent in so-called “plaque removers” is made up of the same chemical that causes cat litter to clump. Yes, everything in your digestive tract will stick to the “plaque remover” including all the healthy bacteria and some of the protective lining. Even the most strident proponents of colon-healthy hydrotherapy sternly warn against working with a doctor who insists on promoting the intestinal plaque myth.