Body Detox Side Effects and How to Detox Naturally (Guest Post)

Your guest writer today, Shannon Martin, is sharing her thoughts on detoxing. She goes through how to do so safely and avoid dangerous and unwanted body detox side effects.

32-year old Ellie has battled her weight throughout her life. She wanted a change. On her friend’s advice, she began a “self-prescribed” detox diet on fruits and juices for several months. She lost weight. Unfortunately, she started suffering from body detox side effects of frequent migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, dizziness and blackouts.

This could happen to you too. These are just some of the dangers of detoxing too quickly.

Marketers tout trendy basic detox plans as a secret to that perfect figure. But in reality, they pose grave health risks. Most people who undertake extreme detox eating complain of body detox side effects. These detox effects is justified as a little pain for big gain.

In reality, healing should soothe us instead of making us suffer. Isn’t it?

Always remember: detox is not a quick-fix solution for our health or weight problems. Detox diets that promise speedy or overnight weight loss sound irresistible but usually do more harm than good.

Several research studies show extreme detox diets such as fasting or low-calorie intake decrease our metabolism. When you return to eating normal, you regain the lost weight. In a nutshell, calorie restriction does contribute towards healthier diet practice. This can be referenced from here

Here are the 5 situations when extreme detox fails to be helpful and cause uncomfortable body detox side effects:

1. Juice or fruit-only diets can give high doses of sugar and simple carbohydrates to the body. This interferes with the body’s normal insulin regulation. The highs and lows in blood sugar levels make us feel weak and dizzy. This is evident from extensive studies on the topic.
2. Initial weight loss is just the loss of body fluids and not fat or toxins. So, we end up regaining all the lost weight when we resume eating our normal diet again.
3. Diets that severely restrict food for long periods of time upset create a situation like starvation. This disturbs the equilibrium of the body. Body equilibrium implies the balance between the various biochemical and physical conditions of the body in a holistic manner. A stringent low calorie diet disrupts the functioning.
4. Using purgatives and laxatives is too harsh for the body. Furthermore, it causes unwanted side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, cramps and bloating.
5. Do you suffer from a chronic illness like diabetes, hypertension or arthritis? If so extreme diets can be worse for you than the average person. This is because detoxes help flush out components (like fat) along with toxins. With a chronic diabetes, detoxes can decrease whatever insulin the body has managed to secrete. Detoxes can stress the nervous system in hypertensives, which can worsen arterial stress. For arthritis, crystallized uric acid in muscles may be flushed out. The result is muscles collapsing and creating even more pain for joints.

It’s popularly said – ‘slow and steady wins the race’. Wouldn’t it be better to achieve the right weight gradually but in a more sustainable manner?

In this article, I’ll show you how to detox in a safe and healthy way. You’ll gain the maximum health benefits without body detox side effects.

Here is how we can detox our bodies naturally and safely

Truth be told, we don’t have to seek out detoxification. Our body does so naturally. If we pay attention to our lifestyle, eating habits and nutrition, we flush toxins out on a consistent basis. We feel recharged, rejuvenated and renewed. Instead of taking drastic measures to make you suffer, be conscious of what you eat and drink. Make ‘detoxing’ or cleansing a part of your lifestyle. Here’s how you can do it.

1. Ensure a good night’s rest. When we sleep, our body repairs and restores our daily wear and tear. Lack of sleep increases our stress levels. It also reduces the body’s immune system and ability to fight infections. During sleep, we remove toxins and replenish our energy stores. Instead of staying up late, switch off the light and get 7-9 hours of uninterrupted, peaceful sleep.
2. Eliminate junk food. Most of the food we eat are processed foods: refined carbs, sugar, oil and added salt. Yes, processed food seems the only time-saving trick in our otherwise hectic schedule. But don’t forget it’s junk, not nutrition. It adds no nutrient value (other than calories) and actually puts stress on our bodies. People get addicted to junk foods. Addiction leads to overeating and cravings. We’ll find it difficult to give up our bad habits. Try avoiding alcohol, dairy and caffeine for at least once a week. Break the cycle; replace ‘junk’ with healthy and nutritious food choices.
3. Switch to wholesome, fresh and organic foods. This includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. This’ll flood our bodies with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The body uses all of these as natural detox agents. Fibers flushes out  toxins and reduces our appetite, thus, optimizing our digestive system. Cruciferous vegetables (e.g. broccoli, kale, cabbage) and legumes (e.g. soy, beans, chickpeas, lentils) are packed with fiber. Fiber prevents constipation and makes our digestion regular.
4. Drink plenty of water. Our body is made of 70% water. Water is required for each cell in our body to function efficiently. It helps to remove toxins and maintain our energy levels. Stay adequately hydrated by drinking at least 6-8 glasses of water every day. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice for additional cleansing effect.
5. Fermented foods are beneficial for gut health. Fermented foods (a.k.a. probiotics) are becoming popular among health enthusiasts. Why? Because they increase healthy gut flora and decrease harmful bacteria. I recommend everybody eat a probiotic least in one meal of the day. Examples of fermented foods include yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut and miso.
6. Enjoy physical activity. It’s important to get intense activity regularly, but it’s not proven to help digestion. On the other hand, soothing activities like yoga and walking calm our bodies. Yoga targets areas central to digestion (stomach, abdomen, etc.) and circulation (chest). This has even been proven by studies. Meditation is also helpful to relax our minds and detox our brains. A second benefit of exercise is sweat, since sweating removes bodily toxins. How about that for an excuse to book your next spa or sauna visit?

Isn’t this kind of natural detox sounds much more appealing? It is safer and actionable and doesn’t cause body detox side effects? Detox the natural way to lose the extra pounds and not your energy.

Adopt this natural approach to detoxify your body and you’ll feel the difference. Not today, not tomorrow but over a period of time. Good for you. Good for your body.

About the Author:

Shannon Martin, a self-employed, foodie and social media junkie lives in St. Louis, MO. She was formerly a nutritionist who left a professional career to stay at home with kids. Currently she writes for health and fitness portals which deals with weight loss supplements. You can reach her on FB for weight loss queries.