Will a Detox Diet Help My Immune System?
The immune system is part of the detoxifying mechanism in your body. Because of all the toxins you take into your body on a regular basis by just living on this polluted planet, your immune system can become overwhelmed. Once your immune system becomes sluggish because of being overworked it fails to recognize alien materials and eliminate them, thus allowing the body to become overrun with toxins. Just like a nuclear power plant that sounds an alarm when the chemicals are not right, your body sends alarms to warn you that something is not right.
The body works perfectly when it is fed the proper "chemicals" that are derived from the things ingested in the body, either by mouth (eating), lungs (breathing), or skin ( bathing or pampering with body products). We may not be able to control what we breathe or what we expose our skin to, but we do have a lot of control over what we take into our bodies by mouth . Simply put, eating the proper Foods in correct proportions will go a long way in detoxifying your body. Granted, most of us do not have healthy eating habits and overcoming a bad habit is not easy. That being said, let us examine some of the symptoms of a sluggish immune system to see if the effort put forth to "cleanse" our body of toxins is worth it.
Do you often wake up "Tired" even though it seemed like you slept through the night? That could be because your immune system, an integral part of your body, is "Tired"....and toxins have built up that are stressing other systems in your body....like your thyroid gland or your adrenal glands....they are glands connected to your energy levels. Your body is simply alarming you that something is not right. " Help!, " it is screaming. "Do something!", it is begging.
Have you ever found yourself working on a project and you just can't seem to get it done, because your concentration just isn't there? This is another cry for help from your body. It is alarming you to the fact that something isn't right. When multiple warnings are being sounded by your body, be assured it needs attention. Many times a simple detox program is all that is needed to quiet the cries of your body. That being said, always see your doctor before undergoing any diet change, especially if certain symptoms are chronic ( have been present for a long period of time).
A fAirly simple diet change for you to try would be to eat only raw Foods for a period of time. By raw foods, meat and Fish are excluded of course. Eating salads made from organic vegetables or making "drinks" using a blender to emulsify the vegetables. Just add a little water to make it drinkable. Raw fruits with no sugar added and raw (not roasted), unsalted nuts are also okay on the raw food diet. If seasoning is required to make the raw foods more palatable, use olive oil and lemon juice and fresh garlic. If fruits are bought in season, they will need no enhanceMent to make them palatable. Raw foods contain valuable nutrients and are easily digested because they naturally contain enzymes that aid in the digestive process. Because they are so easily digested they allow the body to undergo a rest period while cleansing and healing with the use of the vital eleMents in the "real" food you are ingesting.
In order to give the digestive system even more of a rest, you might like to try juicing. Juicing is accomplished with a juicer, which removes the pulp from the fruit or vegetables being juiced. The juice from organic vegetables and fruits contain only pure nutrition without the toxins. Purchasing juices off the shelf is not recomMended because of the preservatives and additives that become toxic in the body. Juicing should only be done for a few days without the supervision of your physician.
The most extreme Fast would be a water Fast. This gives the digestive system a real "time out", since water contains no nutrients to be digested. This Fast should be done for only two days. When doing a water Fast, or even a juice only diet, be sure to get lots of rest. Do not engage in activities that require a lot of energy. Solid foods should be introduced slowly after the two days and then it should be easily digested foods, like the foods in the raw food diet....or clear broths with veggies.
There are also commercial products that are used for detoxifying the body so that your immune system can work properly. Caution is recomMended when purchasing cleanses as they can be too harsh and flush needed nutrition out of the body. Sometimes toxins are stirred up and not eliminated fast enough and a really sick condition can result. Consult your health care provider for advice on commercial cleanses.
Choose a good detox program and help your immune system function properly. You will see results in your energy levels and in your improved mental ability.
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