5 Detox Diets that are Worth Doing

How to Choose a Detox Diet

Can’t stomach drinking cayenne pepper or maple syrup-spiked lemon water for a week? Thankfully detox diets don’t have to be that way. “Detox diets don’t have to be these scary diets,” says Marni Wasserman, a Toronto-based culinary holistic nutritionist. “You can find a way to do it that it fits you and your lifestyle.” Here are five detox diets worth doing.

The Raw Food Detox

Munching on raw food means no nutrients are cooked out of your food. “Going all raw for a period of time is great, especially if you want to heal from an ailment-digestive or otherwise,” says Wasserman. “It gives your body a bit of a kick-start by putting living enzymes in from the raw food.”

A Juice or Smoothie Cleanse

Doing a juice cleanse for at least three days is definitely worthwhile, says Wasserman. The health benefits include, “getting your organs detoxed, giving your stomach a break and giving your liver a cleanse,” she says. And, there’s no need to limit yourself to liquids only. Juice cleanses are easy to combine with salad-based meals, detox waters (such as lemon water) and more, says Wasserman.

A smoothie detox is also an option. Unlike juices, smoothies are thicker (so you won’t feel as hangry), and pack a healthy dose of fibre.

A Soup Cleanse

Get your bowls out for this cleanse, also known as “souping.” While true you’ll be sipping from soups that are thick with antioxidant-rich veggies and fibre, it’s not three days of broth. Instead, these produce-packed soups come with a list of protein, healthy fat and energy-boosting grain add ins, which is what make these diets different from their juicing counterparts. The soups not only infuse your body with nutrients, but can fire up your metabolism, even if you only try it for a few days. “After three days you start to get some really good benefits from detox diets,” says Wasserman.

The Elimination Detox

“A softer approach to detoxing that I recommend is as simple as focusing on one item you’re eliminating,” says Wasserman. “So take out one ingredient at a time like sugar, meat, dairy or alcohol to give your body a break.” To get your body through the ingredient it’s eliminating, Wasserman recommends noshing on green leafy vegetables and lighter grains to give your body a bit of a digestive break.” Not only that but staying away from those food vices for a period of time could help slash your taste for it altogether. Bye bye sweet tooth.

Eat Clean Diet

A clean-eating diet, such as the Eat Clean Diet from fitness and health author Tosca Reno focuses on eating only clean, unprocessed whole foods. It’s similar to the elimination diet but takes it one step further by saying goodbye to all vices: sugar, caffeine, processed foods and more. “Once a year for a week or so I eat very clean and lighten things up,” says Wasserman. “I make sure I eat lighter grains such as quinoa, mostly veggies and watch my sugar intake.”