Should I Plan a Detox Before Diet Changes?

A detox before diet changes are made will help your body to adjust and prepare for the benefits from the diet changes you are making. These benefits can include:

  • Clearer skin
  • Bright and clearer eyes
  • Reset metabolism
  • Flushes the system
  • Removes impurities
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Reverses symptoms
  • Heals illnesses
  • Supports a more positive mindset, and
  • Much more

Have you ever considered doing a detox before diet changes are implemented? It’s better to clean your internal system so that it can work more efficiently.

You would be surprised at the benefits that doing a detox can bring. Detoxifying the body will help to remove toxins and impurities which have lots of negative effects on the body.

Where Do These Toxins Come From?

Even the healthiest of people are toxic in some way. Try as we might, toxins are all around us, and in our environment.

We are often ignorant of how many toxins are in our homes, offices, and outdoor environments. Toxins can easily come from several different sources. We can pick up toxins from:

  • Herbicides and pesticides that have been sprayed on produce
  • Weed killers
  • Our pets
  • Air pollutants like carbon monoxide
  • Water pollutants like fluoride and chlorine
  • Cleaning products
  • Hygiene products like Toothpaste, Deodorant, Body wash, Shampoo, and Conditioner, etc.
  • Pharmaceutical drugs
  • Vaccinations
  • New furniture, carpets, paint, etc.
  • Undigested foods
  • Processed foods
  • Animal Products
  • Negative people, and
  • Even your own thoughts

All these sources of toxicity can cause chemicals to build up in our system over time causing disease in the body.

This is a warning sign that we need to do something. Doing a detox before diet changes are made is the best place to start.

Should I Plan a Detox Before Diet Changes?

As Benjamin Franklin said, If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Planning a detox before diet changes are implemented is a great idea. Planning is really important. The challenge is if you’ve never done a detox before, where do you start? Additionally, there are so many detox plans out there, which can add to the confusion about where you start?

If you’re a beginner, start with something simple like drinking 1 litre of water with lemon juice every morning. Make this a priority. 1 litre of Lemon water will hydrate and alkalize the body.

Stop eating foods with sugar or have been processed, meat and animal by-products, drinking alcohol, and caffeine. Don’t worry, these changes don’t have to be permanent if you don’t want them to be.

You can also make these changes one step at a time. This is much easier to do than stopping things all at once.

Aim to drink 1 liter of water for every 22 kilograms you weigh. For example, I weigh 69 kg and usually drink about 3 liters of water per day. I know it sounds like a lot to drink each day.

Once I made my 1 liter of lemon water first thing in the morning non-negotiable, it became so much easier to drink 2 to 3 liters a day. You need to decide for better health.

If you’re more advanced with your detoxing protocol, feel free to kick it up a notch. Consider doing a colon cleanse and fasting. Fasting has been used for generations to heal oneself from illness.

According to Doctor Sebi, the longer you can fast for, the more you’ll heal (obviously to a point, you don’t want to fast until you fade away completely).

There are four main types of fasting protocols that we focus on. Juice fasting, Intermittent fasting, Raw food fasting, or Water fasting.

Intermittent Fasting

What is intermittent fasting? It is when you eat food in a small window of time.

Some people might prefer to eat between 12 noon and 8:00 pm. Giving your body a full 16 to 24 hours to process, detox, and reset.

Raw Food

Raw food is when you eat a plant-based diet. No animal products (meats) or by-products like milk, yogurt, cheese, or eggs. You could consider doing purely a fruit detox, which is very effective for healing.

Decide on a fixed period. Once you are ready to introduce new foods back into your diet, add them one at a time. This will allow the body to adjust gradually.

You may find that there are some foods that you’re reintroducing that disagree with you. If you had allergies previously, this is one way of identifying what they are.

Juice Fasting

Alternatively, you could do a juice fast. This may be a little challenging for some. However, it can be quite interesting as well.

I love trying new flavours and mixing them up a bit. The CABALA Juice is a great go-to. Refer to our juice recipes for some yummy ideas.

When consuming your juice remember to chew your juice. I know this sounds weird, but there is a reason. This helps the body produce stomach enzymes to process the nutrients you are putting in, and keep working.

It will keep the bowels functioning to encourage any built-up plaque and food to break off the international wall, and move through the intestines, then out of your body.

When you drink one liter of juice, match it with one liter of water. Always keep your water intake up. If you usually drink 3 liters of water and you plan to drink 1 liter of juice, add an additional liter of water to your daily consumption.

Water Fasting

Water fasting is a whole different level of commitment. This will really test your willpower. If you’re struggling and really feel a strong desire to eat something, you could have an apple.

After 3-days of fasting, you stop feeling any hunger. The hardest part is controlling the mind and willpower in the first couple of days.

I’d like to think that water fasting is self-explanatory. However, there are a few things that you need to consider before diving in headfirst. It would be wise to do a colon cleanse before starting a water fast.

Drink twice as much water than you ordinarily would. Effectively, you should drink 2 liters of water for 22 kilograms of body weight.

Doing a water fast will also be a process of introspection. Allow yourself the time to work through the emotions you encounter when they arise.

You may have things that you haven’t dealt with yet. Stuff will come up. It’s said that once you detox your mind, you have a feeling of freedom. This is difficult for some to comprehend as a result of a water fast.

Doing Enemas and Colonoscopies

Sometimes when doing a detox it can leave you feeling a little backed up or constipated. You should prepare to do a colon cleanse, an enema, and or colonoscopy if this is something you encounter. All three would be even better but the first two would be a great start.

Colonic irrigation helps to purge a lot of waste from your system and is quite often just what the Doctor ordered. Think of it this way, you wouldn’t keep packing rubbish into your rubbish bin without emptying it regularly, right?

Well, a colonic, or even an enema, is the washing out part of cleaning your waste disposal system. It’s just good housekeeping.

Colon hydrotherapy is similar to an enema, but it’s done at a specialist clinic in most cases. These clinics are fitted out with all of the necessary equipment to keep you as comfortable as possible, and they are very hygienic. But we’ll get into that side of things a little more as you read on.

How to do an Enema

What will you need?

For a colon cleanse you need a can make your mix of Psyllium Husk and Bentonite Clay, or you can buy a pre-made one. Preferably stay away from the capsules.

You don’t want to be added extra plastic to your system. A colon cleanses will help loosen the backed up, unprocessed waste and plaque.

An enema can be done in the privacy of your own home. Using an enema to clean your ‘plumbing’ is much easier than one might think.

What you’ll need:

  • Rubber enema bag
  • Plug with a spout to attach the hose
  • Hose
  • Plastic enamel tip
  • Clip to stop and start water flow
  • Hook to hang up the enema bag
  • 2 liters of filtered or distilled water
  • A natural lubricant like olive oil or coconut oil
  • Access to a toilet, and
  • Allow 30 minutes to an hour

Fill up your enema bag with warm distilled or filtered water. You can add mineral salt, Barley Grass juice, or coffee to your enema routine. Allow for anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour. The more frequently you do it, the easier it will get.

Seal the enema bag with the plug, and add the hose, and enema tip. Put a bit of lubricant onto the enema tip and you’re ready to start. Hook the bag up on something like a towel rail.

Get onto all fours. This is a gravity-fed system, so you need to be lower than the enema bag. Gently insert the enema tip into the anus. Lower your face and arms to the ground, keeping your buttocks in the air. Allow the water to fill up your stomach.

I know it doesn’t sound pleasant sticking a hose and water up your butt, but it’s a cheaper alternative to the colonoscopy. You will feel great after you have cleaned out all the backed-up waste.

If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, then you should see a specialist who will complete the procedure for you.

So, what is Colonic Irrigation?

An effective way to wash out plaque from your bowel and intestines, colonic irrigation is a medical procedure. Prices can vary depending on the location of the clinic, and sometimes you can even get great packaged deals.

Your colonic irrigation therapist will usually recommend four initial sessions, and then monthly sessions thereafter. The sessions last for about one hour. We highly recommend you look in to ‘closed loop’ colonic irrigation as a preferred option. 1

During closed-loop colonic irrigation, an assistant will be with you to guide you through the process. You will be required to change into a robe.

The assistant will discreetly insert the tip of the irrigation device into the rectum which will then flush water through your bowel and intestine. This process typically includes a combination of warm and cool water to help break down and flush out any plaque that has built up in your system.

What are the Side Effects of Detoxing

Side effects may vary from person to person. Some people may experience mild symptoms such as:

  • Headaches
  • Lethargy
  • Bad moods
  • Hunger pains
  • Body odors
  • Light dizziness
  • Mild shaking, or
  • Shallow breathing

Whereas some people may experience more severe side effects like:

  • Fainting
  • Blackouts
  • Migraines
  • Diarrhea
  • Severe constipation
  • Abdominal pain, or
  • Auto-intoxication.

The more you have abused your body over the years, the more detox side effects you may experience.

It’s important to do lots of breathing exercises, keep drinking plenty of water, and relax as much as possible. Hydration is super important for flushing out all those toxins. Especially when doing a juice or water fast for any length of time.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of how to detoxify your body. We can’t know everything that each person has or could experience.

Before doing a detox, which includes fasting, we strongly encourage you to seek medical advice from someone who specializes in detoxification and fasting protocols.

So if you detox before diet changes are made you can have a significant impact on your health and even your weight loss journey.

The health benefits of cleaning your body will leave you feeling fantastic. You may wonder why few people talk about this; it’s a real shame because detoxing could be a lifesaver. It is challenging but worth it.

Reference

  1. “Colonic Irrigation FAQs” – Colonix Detox Staff, Last checked 6 March 2024 [Colonix Detox] [Archive] ↩︎

Last Updated on 3 weeks by D&C Editorial Team

2 thoughts on “Should I Plan a Detox Before Diet Changes?”

    • Hello Louis,

      I would check with a trusted medical professional first. At this stage I don’t see why not, but it isn’t something that I’ve considered.

      Based on your question, if I were to apply Sea Moss in the way you have suggested, I would make sure it is prepared as a very thin, almost watery gel. Otherwise, if it were too thick I would expect that it would not flow as needed.

      Something else to consider with some suppliers who sell Sea Moss in a raw form is that the Sea Moss may contain small shell fragments, which may present a danger. As such, I would proceed with due caution after seeking suitable medical advice for my specific needs.

      I hope this helps you.

Comments are closed.

About the Author

Christine has long been on the path to optimal health. With a history of weight loss coaching she is driven by a passion for nutrition, health and wellness. Having grown up in Africa before migrating to New Zealand, and then Australia, she has seen very strong contrasts in quality of life and is driven to help others understand the importance of taking a holistic approach to life.

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