Past Tense

Don’t let the idea of having to give up food scare you out of learning how to detox at home. Yes, there are detox plans that exclude food and require you to drink various herbal teas and mixtures, but there are also plans that let you ease into detox that include food. The liquid plans are fine as long as you are careful to go into them gradually, but a detox at home plan that includes healthy foods can work for you, too.

Detox at Home - Foods You Need / Foods You Don’t

The main foods you will eat on a gentle detox plan are fruits and vegetables. Do not eat potatoes, corn or bananas. All other vegetables are acceptable and can be eaten in unlimited quantities. If you like peas, include them as a legume. All of your starches should come from legumes and whole grains. Be sure to clean all fruit and vegetables before you eat them or put them in the juicer. Leave the skins on when it makes sense to do so.

Whole grains can be eaten twice every day. The best whole grains for detox are brown rice, steel cut oatmeal and 100% whole grain bread. Make sure none of the ingredients in your bread are refined. It is best to eat one portion in the morning and one portion in the evening.

You will be going vegetarian when learning how to detox at home. Dairy products and eggs are to be excluded as well. Allowable sources of protein are raw nuts, seeds and beans.

No vegetable oils, margarines, mayonnaises, butter or salad dressings that come from a bottle should touch your lips. Two tablespoons a day of omega 3-rich canola or olive oil are acceptable and even useful to your detox plan. You can make a dressing with these oils if you combine them with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.

Drink at least one gallon of water every day. When the toxins start circulating, you need to get them out as soon as possible. Water will help you flush them out.

Young children, the elderly and people with certain medical conditions should not detox at home. If you are on medication or have any health concerns, you should see your doctor before starting a detox plan. While this is not a fast, it will be a big change for your body. Make sure you are healthy enough to detox at home.

Learning how to detox at home involves an eating plan that is low in calories and as such, should not be maintained for longer than ten days. If you like the way you feel at the end of your detox, you can just add protein from salmon, tuna or chicken as well as low-fat plain yogurt with fruit you blend into it. It is inadvisable to eat more than two servings of fish a week. If you are concerned about anything during your detox at home, you should see a specialist or your family doctor.