Most people I talk to are very intimidated by the prospect of a drastic change to their lifestyle and the difficulty of maintaining the strict regiment most detox diets and body cleanses require for success. In truth, many of the more extreme forms of body detox can be a huge burden on your body and, more noticeably, your lifestyle. Which is why I have a personal favorite detox method that does the trick while allowing you one of the most healthy and essential foods in the human diet: Fruit.
It should seem obvious that human beings are warm-weather creatures. No matter what climate we migrate to, no matter what temperature or weather exists outside our doors, we always adjust to the preferred 72 degrees. That’s the optimal temperature for most people and the body is at its healthiest in this environment. We’re tropical creatures at our core, even if some crazy people choose to live in the northern cold climates! The most tropical foods you can eat are, of course, fruits.
Fruit is one of the best and most important food groups you can dive into. They’re high in fiber, Vitamin C, and natural sugars. They also tend to have high amounts of water, making them juicy and easy to digest. Fruit is a diet staple in most tropical cultures and rightly so. It’s probably the first food our earliest ancestors gathered. Regular consumption of fruit is associated with reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer disease, cataracts, and some of the functional declines associated with aging, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Being that fruit is such an important and natural source of nutrition and health, it makes an excellent catalyst for a body cleanse. When toxins build up in your body, they remain for as long as the body is concentrating on the main areas of digestion. When you allow the body a break from normal digestion (especially that of toxic and complex foods), it gets the opportunity to focus on clearing out all that left over junk that clogs up your digestive tract and blood stream. The fruit detox method basically requires you to consume fruits alone, which give the body the proper nutrition while focusing on detoxifying.
A fruit cleanse is fairly simple. This is why it’s so popular. The time span varies, depending on the program. You can do it anywhere from a single day, which is the least effective amount of time, to a week or more. Most nutritionists agree that it isn’t really productive beyond a week but I’ve heard of people doing a “fruit fast” for almost a month. Technically, you could switch your diet completely to fruits alone but you’d need to supplement with protein and necessary fats.
The most basic fruit detox is as follows:
DAY ONE: Jolt your body to let it know it’s about to do something different. Spend the first day drinking only protein shakes and water. Juice is alright too but only 100% juice. Avoid additives and concentrate if possible. Have something light in the evening like a salad or a serving of fruit. (Yes, a fruit cleanse is still effective if you end your day with a veggie-based meal. Your body is still doing the work all day.)
DAYS TO FOLLOW: For each day beyond the first that you cleanse with a fruit diet, limit yourself to a moderate serving of fruit every couple hours. Eating often is one of the best ways to lose weight because it kicks your metabolism into overdrive. Continue to have a salad for dinner (light on the dressing, please!).
The fruit method is an easy body cleanse to do and one of my favorites because you don’t even realize you’re “dieting” or “detoxing” because you still get to eat yummy, succulent fruits! As with any kind of diet restriction, use com
mon sense and moderation. Your body still needs optimal nutrition from a variety of sources. When you finish your cleanse, ease your way back into a more rich diet. Don’t run out and grab a big raw steak — trust me, you’ll feel it and it ain’t pretty!
There are plenty of fruit methods out there so it doesn’t hurt to check around to see what the differing opinions and programs are. My favorite resource for the fruit method is nutritionist and health coach Jay Robb’s plan called The Fruit Flush. It’s very comprehensive and helpful.
