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It is very unfortunate that we live in a time where man has polluted the earth enough that despite all our efforts to be healthy, we are in a position now where we need to take responsibility for ourselves, family and friends. Agriculture and manufacturing companies are not going to stop using pesticides and preservatives so it is up to you to take charge of your health!

What to avoid during a diet detox:

Sugar

All forms of sugar! No brown sugar, corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose etc. This also includes artificial sweeteners. If you must have something to satisfy your sweet tooth, there is an herb you can safely use without any harmful effects and that is Stevia. It comes in powdered form or as an extract. Any health food store should carry it. Note: Stevia is extremely sweet so a very little goes a long way.

Wheat and Gluten products

This includes all breads and pastas made from wheat. You would be surprised at how many products have wheat as an ingredient so read labels.

All dairy products and meat

Dairy can be very hard to digest so avoid products that are or are made from milk, butter, cheese, cream etc. Animal proteins and dairy can take 8 to 10 hours to digest. They also produce waste products that need to be filtered by your kidneys. When you are detoxing, your body needs energy to heal itself so you don't want to waste that energy in digestion.

Stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol

Coffee, tea, and sodas are not going to help you detox. On the other hand, decaf or herbal teas can be very beneficial while detoxing. They hydrate you and contain the anti-oxidants can help you detox and nourish the body. Alcohol dehydrates you and that is the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish. During a detox (or at anytime for that matter) you need an awful lot of water and nourishing liquids to help feed and flush out unwanted toxins.

High fat foods

This means while you are detoxing, avoid fast food restaurants. The fat content in foods makes us feel very satisfied but it will not help you detox.

All processed foods

Nature never intended our food to be tampered with. Man has reinvented food using chemicals, pesticides and preservatives. I suggest you pay no attention to the glittery ads and commercials. You may as well say smoking is good for you!

Well, have I wiped out your regular daily diet? No surprise here! We have been trained to walk the aisles of the grocery store and throw the boxed foods into our carts. It is no wonder that Americans are getting bigger and the pharmaceutical and food industry's pockets are growing in leaps and bounds.

The daily onslaught to our bodies wears us down, make us slower and weaker and it becomes more difficult to heal. We also become aware of our increasing girth! It needs a break and good cleansing to get us back up to speed. Here is what you can do to achieve this:

1. Set aside 5 to 10 days to for this program. (Longer to achieve weight loss).

2. Drink a minimum of 2 quarts of water throughout the day! Water is the best way to flush toxins out of the body. According to Dr. Batmangheldi's book 'Your body's Many Cries for Water', he says you need to include natural sea salt, NOT table salt, to your water. Unprocessed sea salt has between 70 to 92 trace minerals and has a grayish look to it. Table salt has had all the minerals removed. Remember, your body is 75 to 80% water, and if you have ever tasted a tear, you know your body is an inner ocean, so natural sea salt is as important as drinking the water.

3. Eat fresh organic fruits of all kinds. The more variety the better. They are very nutritious, loaded with vitamins and minerals, fiber, and contrary to popular belief, all fruits have small amounts of protein. Eating fruit is the quickest way to put energy into your body. Fruit can be digested in as little as 30 minutes. Compare this to meat and dairy at 8 to 10 hours you can see that eating fruit is a more efficient way to get energy. The fiber in fruit has a better cleansing effect than eating grains. One ' cup of raspberries has more fiber than eating 10 bran muffins and has a lot less carbs. Fruit juice is acceptable as long as it is 100% juice and not the sugary kind. Try to eat 5 to 7 different kinds of fruit each day.

4. Vegetables, especially leafy green veggies are a great source vitamins and minerals. They are considered good carbs and you can have a lot of salad without worrying about your waist line. Be careful about store bought dressing. You can undo all your hard work to detox and lose weight by using these dressings. Your best bet is to use extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and Natures Seasoning (look in the spice section at your grocery store). Look for red, green and orange veggies, the brighter the color of your vegetables, the better. Raw is best but steaming your vegetables is a good way to maintain nutrient value.

From the time you wake up until you go to bed, your body is spending a lot of time digesting food. During the overnight hour when you are sleeping, your body goes into detoxing and healing mode. Have you ever noticed that when you are ill you don't want to eat anything? This is because the body recognizes that it needs to go into healing mode and doesn't want to waste time and energy digesting heavy foods. You still need energy so water and fruit/vegetable juices (diluted and in moderation) can be consumed.

For detoxing and weight loss purposes, drinking water and sea salt, and consuming fruits and vegetables can cause the body to start burning stored fat. Unfortunately, the fat is where toxins are stored and as the fat gets burned off, (and hopefully any extra belly fat you might want to be rid of) you may feel bad, cranky or even ill for a few days while the body is getting rid of it. If you have the will power to persist through that then you should experience a renewed sense of well being and weight loss.

The views expressed in this article are for information purposes only. Before starting any diet or detox program, consult with your health care provider.