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Whether you are stuck in a sugar slump or looking to give your internal organs a tune up, dietary cleanses can help jump start healthier routines. If you are considering a cleanse, you face a myriad of choices—from juice cleanses, to all vegetable diets, to kidney and liver detox. When trying to determine the right dietary cleanse for you, it is important to consider your overall health goals and pick one that will help you succeed.
A cleanse is not a traditional diet. While weight loss can be an outcome of a cleanse, it is generally not the point of undertaking one. Cleanses typically last for 3 – 14 days and are designed to remove toxins from your body, although some target a specific organ or problem. Accumulated toxins are a result of alcohol and caffeine consumption, food additives, preservatives, smog, sugar and artificial sweeteners. Cleanses typically require eliminating certain foods from your diet, or adopting a temporary regime of consuming a specific type of food or juice.
It is essential to consult with your physician before undertaking a cleanse, as some can be dangerous for those with certain health conditions such diabetes or low blood pressure. The following goals address what you hope to achieve and offer suggestions for cleanses to explore.
It is easy to fall prey to over-consumption of sugar and feel hopelessly stuck. Making a commitment to a cleanse and following through not only forces a mental abandon of sugar, but can repair some damage from the toxic effect sugar has on the body. A lot of times sugar increases our appetite, so engaging in a liquid-only cleanse can be a seemingly insurmountable challenge. However, a raw food cleanse, with a focus on green, leafy vegetables, involves satisfying meals and is effective at helping to ditch sugar and recover.
Many cleanses have the specific goal of eliminating accumulated waste from your digestive tract, resulting in more efficient digestion. Perhaps the most ubiquitous and controversial cleanse to target intestinal and colon build up is the Master Cleanse, also known as the Lemonade Diet. This 10-day cleanse limits you to a diet of spicy lemonade made with purified water, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. The contents of the lemonade remove toxic build up, further aided by a suggested natural laxative.
A weak and inefficient liver can lead to blood that is loaded with toxins, limiting its ability to carry nutrients and oxygen, ultimately depleting our energy. A Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse, such as a 3-Day Juice Cleanse designed with liver function in mind, can help heal your liver and increase energy.
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