When you start a body detox diet, the first thing you need to be aware of is that you should be thinking of your body detox program as exactly that – a program and not a diet. You need to re-evaluate how you think about food and how it impacts your health. One of things that get talked about a lot on any kind of diet, not just a detox diet, is portion size.

Imagine a portion is the same as a heaped tablespoon. Each meal should include a combination of at least 3 portions of either rice, vegetables or miscellaneous foods (like fresh fish, lean chicken etc). Each meal should be a plateful or bowlful. If at any stage you get hungry, then you must eat something, especially in the first half of your body detox program as your body adjusts. You will probably think that you are eating more than you should – this is quite normal and correct.

Vegetables, fruit and rice provide great sources of carbohydrate and fiber, whilst fish, oil and nuts are good sources of protein and fats. You must make sure that at least two portions of foods such as olive oil, cashew nuts and oily fish are included every day, otherwise your detox program will lack the necessary balance. You are not eating any of your normal fats so adding these oily foods is crucial. If you just eat vegetables, rice and fruit you will become tired and your body detox process will slow down to a standstill!

The best detox diet is not calorie counted but calories are a good way of demonstrating how much you need to eat. Calories are the method we use to measure energy in our food. The average female should eat around 1,600 calories per day and never go below 1,000 calories even when dieting.

If the calorie intake is reduced below 1,000 calories we are not providing sufficient energy for our bodies to operate and we go into starvation mode – our bodies store fat for times when they need it, our metabolism slows down, and we become weak and lethargic. It is imperative that you do not let your intake go below the recommended 1,200 calories per day. A body detox diet will only work if you keep all your organs and systems functioning healthily.

Cooking techniques

Try to cook your food as little as possible. The less heat the food is subjected to, the more nutrients will remain – and nutrients are essential on a body detox program. Obviously all fish dishes need to be cooked thoroughly but vegetables should always be eaten slightly crisp or ed dente. Techniques such as lightly steaming, parboiling, stir-frying or (lash-frying and grilling are far preferable to boiling or slow cooking as these will reduce both flavor and nutrients.

A liver detox diet is one of the best ways to detox your body as it helps empower your liver for dealing with all the toxins that your body will be releasing during your body detox. I’ve put together a list of some of the best foods to have on your liver detox diet to help get you started.

Liver Detox Diet Foods

Artichokes, especially the hearts, are perfect liver detox foods as they contain powerful antioxidants known as flavonoids that protect the liver’s cells and tissues. Artichokes are also good for the secretion of bile, which helps the body better digest and assimilate fats. The artichoke is a close relative of milk thistle, queen of the liver protectors and known as the milk thistle liver detox, which offers major defense against free radicals and is especially good for people with compromised immunity or alcohol-related liver problems.

Asparagus contains high amounts of vitamin A and potassium, another mineral on which the liver depends during detox.

Beetroot is full of betaine, which helps protect the liver against the damaging effects of alcohol. Betaine also thins the bile and helps it move freely within the bile ducts.

Dandelion root is another of the powerful liver detox foods as it stimulates liver function. It also contains inulin, a fiber-like substance that functions as a probiotic – an element that helps nourish the friendly bacteria in the gut. As if that weren’t enough, the humble dandelion root is also good for lowering blood sugar.

Whey is a rich source of the amino acid L-cysteine, which, like vitamin C, is a precursor to glutathione. Remember, the liver’s own two-phase detox process uses up huge amounts of glutathione, so it’s up to us to replenish it daily. Whey also contains methionine, glycine, glutamine and taurine – amino acids that are crucial to phase 2 of the liver detox process. Personally, I recommend Fat Flush Whey, made from milk that is hormone free.

Nutritional yeast is a complete protein that contains eighteen amino acids and fifteen minerals and is a stellar source of the B vitamins that are so necessary in both phases of liver detox. Vitamin B1 helps decrease the effects of alcohol, smoking and heavy metal toxicity. Vitamin B2 is used in the production of glutathione. Vitamin B3 is used in phase 1 detoxification. Vitamin B5 also known as pantothenic acid, helps detoxify acetaldehyde produced from alcohol and by Candida overgrowrh. This wonder yeast also includes vitamin B12. Because vegetarians aren’t getting this crucial element in meat, they need to make sure they get it another way – and yeast is a terrific alternative.

Nutritional yeast is not to be confused with the old-time brewer’s yeast, a by-product of the process of making beer. Brewers yeast is very bitter and contains wild yeast strains from the brewing process. It also tends to encourage Candida and yeast overgrowth.

Nutritional yeast, by contrast, is a primary product grown on strains of mineral-rich molasses or cereal by-products. The best kind is grown on molasses or maple syrup, because the yeast absorbs the minerals from its host, making it perhaps the best natural food form of minerals available for humans. It’s pasteurized to avoid the use of living yeast, so, unlike brewer’s yeast, it won’t give you gas or lead to bloating. It also won’t encourage Candida or other yeast-related problems, which would counteract the benefit of following a liver detox diet in the first place.

Tips: Liver detox drinks – you can use a tablespoon or two of the nutritional yeast flakes in tomato sauces and soups, dust it on popcorn, or stir a spoonful into sauces or gravies. When I’m feeling depleted, I like to take some nutritional yeast between meals for a quick get-up-and-go – a pick-me-up that’s especially useful for people trying to stop drinking coffee or to avoid a sugar crash. The nutty flavor of the yeast flakes actually tastes pretty good when you mix a tablespoon or two into a glass of water. It’s very good on a liver detox diet and I guarantee you’ll get a boost of energy within 10 minutes. Or take some nutritional yeast right before a meal to take the edge off your appetite.

This short article is all about how to detox your body naturally. You need to follow a healthy detox diet which includes as much fresh fruit and vegetables as possible, and any meat or fish you eat ideally should be organic. Learning how to detox your body naturally is all about cutting out foods that contain toxins or man made chemicals, and which are hard work for your body to process.

On your healthy detox diet you need to drink lots of water – see the article about how much water to drink on a detox diet for a more detailed explanation of how much you should drink each day.

How to detox your body naturally can be achieved by making some simple food choices. These choices will help you with a full body detox, by detoxing your liver and colon and reducing some of the toxin load on your body.

Don’t Cut Out Protein On Your Detox Diet

Each day, make sure you have at least two servings (the size of the palm of your hand) of protein in the form of lean organic beef, veal, lamb, skinless chicken, turkey or fish or, if you’re a vegan or vegetarian, at least 2 tablespoons a day of a high-quality blue-green algae or spirulina source

You already know you need protein for energy, muscle building and many other vital functions – but did you know that protein is also crucial to your body detox process? Protein activates the production of the enzymes that your body’s natural detox system needs to break down toxins into water-soluble substances so they can be eliminated from the body. So when you’re preparing for your detox diet, don’t forget the protein.

How To Detox Your Body Naturally – Water, Water, Everywhere . . .

I wouldn’t exactly tell you to avoid bottled water, if only because I want to help make learning how to detox your body naturally as easy I can for you. But you should be aware that quality-control standards for bottled water are often less rigorous than those for tap water.

‘Mineral’ waters are tested for thirteen chemicals and bacteria – less than a quarter as many substances as tap water. There are also no requirements, as there are for tap water, for mineral waters to be tested daily or even weekly. For ‘spring’ waters, there is no legislation at all.

So if you’re really concerned about high-quality water, and want to know how to detox your body naturally, your best bet is a home filtration system.