Q&A: Anyone know a body detox treatment for in the home?

This is a sample two-week detox diet plan that is thought to support detoxification by increasing elimination from the body, cleansing the colon, enhancing circulation to clear toxic substances, eliminating foods from the diet that require detoxification or are allergenic, and providing nutrients to support and protect the liver, the main organ involved in detoxification.

List of Foods to Avoid –

(1)Sugar – Refined sugar and mixtures containing refined sugar, including sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, brown sugar, and turbinado. Avoid artificial sweeteners.
(2) Dairy Products – Milk, butter and other dairy products.
(3) Wheat – Wheat and products containing wheat.
(4) Gluten – All gluten-containing grains, including barley, rye, spelt and kamut. Some people are sensitive to gluten, a protein fragment in these grains.
(5) Caffeine – Coffee, both regular and decaffeinated, black tea, and other drinks containing caffeine should be reduced. Green tea is a great substitute to regular coffee.

(6) Other Foods to Avoid – Yeast, Alcohol
Food additives and preservatives, Chocolate, and High-Fat Foods

List of Allowed Foods –
(1) Fresh Fruit -All fresh fruit.
(2) Fresh Vegetables – All fresh vegetables. Great detox foods include broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes, beets, red and green vegetables.
(3) Rice -Brown or basmati rice, rice cakes, rice crackers and rice pasta.
(4) Other Grains – Quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat can be used instead of rice. They can be purchased at a health food store.
(5) Beans – Split yellow and green peas and lentils are easiest to digest and require the least soaking time. Other acceptable legumes include kidney beans, pinto beans, mung beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and adzuki beans.

(6) Nuts and Seeds – Unsalted nuts, seeds and nut butters can be sprinkled over any meal. Includes flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews and walnuts. Avoid peanuts.
(7) Oil – Extra-virgin olive oil
(8)Condiments -Vegetable salt, sea salt, vinegar, naturally fermented soy sauce or tamari, any culinary herbs or spices, limited amounts of honey.
(9) Herbal Tea – Herbal non-caffeinated teas, green tea.
(10) Other Beverages – Water, lemon water, 100% natural fruit and vegetable juices, rice milk

Daily Detox Must Do’s –
Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day, warm or room temperature. Water is essential to clear waste from the blood. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger.
Do not drink liquids around mealtime.
Dilute fruit juice with 50% water. Take the time to chew food well, especially grains.

Proper Elimination -
Bentonite Clay and Fibre – Bentonite clay and fiber, such as flaxseeds or psyllium, assist with the detox process.

Bentonite is a type of edible clay that acts as a bulk laxative by absorbing water to form a gel. It binds toxins such as pesticides and helps to carry them out of the colon.

Flaxseeds and psyllium also absorb water and expand in the colon, allowing toxins and mucus to be removed. In addition, flaxseeds have been found to lower cholesterol levels

Instructions – Take one tablespoon of liquid bentonite and one to two teaspoons of ground flaxseeds or psyllium in a glass of water first thing in the morning (wait at least 1/2 hour before eating) and before bed.

It is important to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day or constipation may result.
Bentonite intake should be reduced and timed away from medication intake as it may interfere with absorption.

Lemon Water – Lemon juice in water also has a slightly laxative effect and stimulates the digestive juices, which is important for detox. Squeeze a wedge or 1/4 lemon into warm water and drink immediately after rising in the morning, before having the bentonite clay and flaxseed drink.

Detox Diet Sample Menu –
Upon rising –
1/2 lemon squeezed into a glass of warm water, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water.

Breakfast –
Breakfast smoothie made with pear, rice milk and rice protein powder
Supplements: vitamin C

Snacks
Apple juice diluted with water, Water
Vegetable broth, Celery sticks and hummus

Lunch
Chunky vegetable soup made with vegetable stock and your choice of vegetables
Steamed broccoli with sesame seeds and beets sprinkled with lemon juice on brown rice
Apple sauce
Supplements: multivitamin

Snacks
Carrot sticks with hummus dip,Water
Supplements: milk thistle

Dinner –
Curried lentils on quinoa
Salad with mixed greens, red peppers, artichokes and sprouts drizzled with salad dressing of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil
Vegetable broth

Before bed -1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a glass of water.

Nutrients and Support for Detox -
The liver requires certain nutrients for detox. In addition, increasing the flow of bile is an important part of detox because bile carries stored fat-soluble toxins away from the liver to be excreted in the stools.

Signs of poor bile flow include constipation aggravated by fibre supplements, flatulence, dry skin and hair, indigestion 1-2 hours after eating, indigestion after fatty foods and small, hard stools.

Multivitamin – Choose a high-potency multivitamin with selenium, molybdenum, and zinc.

Choline and Methionine – Known as lipotropic factors, the supplements choline and methionine help to regulate fat metabolism and increase bile flow.

Vitamin C – A water-soluble vitamin, vitamin C is an antioxidant that supports detox. It may also help to decrease some of the side effects of detox, such as headache or nausea.

Milk Thistle – This herb has many positive effects on the liver. It is an antioxidant, assists in liver cell regeneration, and is used after exposure to chemical and industrial pollutants or adverse effects from excess alcohol or fat consumption.

Artichokes – Contains plant compounds known as caffeoylquinic acids, which increase the flow of bile and help to digest fats.

Beets – Beets contain betaine, which promotes the regeneration of liver cells and the flow of bile. It also has a beneficial effect on fat metabolism.

Broccoli – Broccoli and other members of the brassica family (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi) support the liver’s detoxification enzymes.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables – Food sources of vitamin C and glutathione, which are essential for detox.

Protein – Protein is required by the liver for detox. Beans, nuts, seeds, quinoa, protein powder. Some people may choose to eat fish in moderation.

Onions and Garlic -Rich in sulfur-containing compounds. Involved in sulfation, the main detox pathway for environmental chemicals and certain drugs and food additives. Helps with the elimination of harmful heavy metals from the body.

Dandelion Root – Increases the flow of bile. Can be taken as a tea.