just curious.

i don't mean those detox's where you don't eat at all, but rather eat only vegies and legumes, etc, no dairy or red meat, etc for a, say, 7 day period. i am a bit sceptical about the liquid detox choices on the market but like the idea of flushing my system occasionally as there are so many toxins we intake daily. pollution, cigarette smoke, alcohol. certainly not advocating detox as a method of weight loss, but rather flushing out the system.

so, does anyone detox?

I tried to do one of the liquid only fasts... it was only supposed to be a two day thing, but by the end of the first day, I was ready to chew off my own arm. Yikes!

I've detoxed before but you can also get a good effect by just drinking PLENTY of water to flush out your system of toxins. Start your morning by drinking a full bottle and end your day with the same ... not to mention all the glasses/bottes in between. Water helps flush out toxins and helps your bowels as well.

I would research it a bit more.

i've also wanted to try the raw veggie detox like thing - but alas - have no willpower to even lose weight

Jillybean offers a good point- most people can detox by upping fiber and "clean" foods.

I actually juice. If I start feeling sluggish, or that things aren't moving regularly, I will do a juice cleanse for 2-3 days, usually around the changing of the season. I just make my own juices in my nifty Jack Lalime power juicer and drink tons of water and just lay low. I find it to be of great benefit to me, spritual and health wise. As I've said before, if you want to drop a few quick pounds, this is not the way to go. You will gain it all back in no time.

I do suscribe to the school of thought that our bodies are *supposed* to be very efficient in cleaning and detoxing. However, with the amount of starchy and processed foods we tend to eat, it gets in the way of things. After all, if our bodies were working as nature intended, we would all be *going* about 30 minutes after EVERY meal (as has been studied in some tribes who live a nuts and berries type of diet).

A lot of the theories out there are a bit hokey, but this has been something that has improved *my* quality of life and overall health. I can't speak for anyone else, and I know you adversaries are out there (jillybean !) I eat a lot cleaner and have an increased sense of well being, so I would say those are the biggest benefits.

I would also like to add that my boyfriend (Mr. Meat and Potatos from Nebraska) and I make our own juices for dinner every night. It works well for me because I get up at 3:30 in the morning for work and I don't have to go straight to bed after dinner with a heavy meal in my tummy.

I'm definitely not a doctor, but I've read that Americans tend to have more stomach problems than people from other countries and that it can be beneficial to give your organs a bit of a rest. There is a website that discusses fasting (juices and other methods are included, it's not just not eating) that I found pretty informative. We're not supposed to post links, but if you type "FreedomYou" into a search engine, it will come up.

I kinda think that detoxing is a tiny bit pointless if after the detox you go back to eating the processed foods! I think too like a lot of the ladies said, plenty of both types of fiber, lots of water and just in general trying to avoid cigarettes and alcohol (for the most part, not completely of course), along with cutting down on processed foods as much as possible will just keep you clean all the time (not to mention helps with weight loss in general).

There are so many buzz words and fad things like this, we talk about this stuff all the time in my nutrition class. When you break it down, it's an awful lot of struggle for little payoff. And like Jill said, our bodies are amazing, and especially if you give it the things it really want (vitamins and minerals, amino acids and such) along with eating the not so good stuff.

LockItUp--FABULOUS post

If you're worried enough about your body and health to want to do a "detox," then maybe what you should actually do is be worried enough about your body and health to limit the amount of "tox" you put in it in the first place After all, if you build up these toxins over months of time, why would you think they can be flushed in a few days? That's like gaining 50 pounds over a period of years and thinking you could lose it all on a month

If you're fasting for spiritual purposes, then that is one thing, but for health reasons, it generally isn't necessary. The FreedomYou page, of course, has lots of info about why it's good--after all, they're trying to sell their books, and who would buy a book about detoxing from a site that says it's not necessary?

If anyone is interested, here are some things you can read on sites that are NOT trying to sell you any "detox" books, pills, drinks, mixes, magic wands...
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/79/96264.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detox_diet
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitn...tox_diets.html
http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/diet....tox/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4574912.stm
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/060310.html

I believe that anyone would FEEL better after doing a detox (whether it's water fasting, juice fasting, or just eating fruits and veggies), but it's not because you're getting rid of stored toxins--rather, it's because you're not taking in any toxins in the first place! Imagine how great you would feel if you just ate cleaner all the time

I'll stop now...I know my words on a message board aren't likely to change anyone's mind, so I'll stop playing the "adversary" (although even the one who called me an adversary admits that she eats cleaner all the time to feel better, not just during periods of detoxing ).

Very good points Jill

we would all be *going* about 30 minutes after EVERY meal

my husband does that anyways.
does that mean he has a healthy digestive system or as i say none at all *blinks*

Funny you mention that. I read a study (forgive me, I forget where) where tribes that had not been exposed to a western diet and lived off the land (nuts and berries, hunters/gathers) would *go* 30 minutes after every time they ate. Well, my bf and I were talking about this in reference to his best friend who eats a very starchy Nebraskan diet and has to go to the bathroom right after he eats. He's also never been overweight. When he was in high school his mother thought their was something wrong with him and took him to the doctor, who attributed it to a very high functioning digestive system. This is also someone who sometimes goes by the nickname, "King of the River Pee".

ew.