About Internal Cleansing Diets

Internal cleansing diets cleanse the body of toxins. In general, a plant-based diet, high in fiber, fruits, vegetables and nuts while also low in fat, provides the best internal cleansing diet. Certain herbs also aid in cleansing the body and colon.

The Facts

The body takes in food. Acids in the stomach dissolve the food and the body absorbs most of it. The remainder of undigested food eventually makes its way to the intestines. Ideally, toxins are expelled, while nutrients are absorbed. When wastes remain in the body too long, toxins may be absorbed. Some argue that this is the origin of disease in the body.

Adhere to a diet that's low in fat and calories and high in fiber, so your body will function properly and regularly eliminate toxins. Due to high-fat diets and other lifestyle choices, many people find themselves sluggish, constipated and generally feeling sick and tired. Some people follow internal cleansing diets for 24 hours, a few days or weeks to detoxify and rejuvenate the body.

Types

Choose a cleansing diet based on your body's particular needs, your lifestyle, overall health and personal preferences. Many cleansing diets consist of herbal supplements added to a special diet. Some internal cleansing diets involve fasting. Most recommend drinking 7 to 10 glasses of plain or distilled water daily. Visit the Every Diet website to choose your ideal cleansing diet (see resource link).

You can perform a colon cleanse in 24 hours or less. Two popular colon cleansing regimes are sea-salt cleanse and herbal laxatives. For a colon cleanse, you will need to set aside a 24-hour period when you can stay home, relax and be near the bathroom.

Healthy Diet

Eat a diet that meets the recommended daily amounts for fiber, green foods, fruits and vegetables to keep your body in balance. According to the USDA food pyramid (see reference link), a healthy diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while being low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars. This is all the internal cleansing most people need.

Green Foods

Add green foods to the diet to aid in internal cleansing. Rich in vitamins and minerals, green foods offer high chlorophyll content. This assists the body in obtaining oxygen and drawing out toxins. Green foods include wheat grass, barley grass, spirulina, blue-green algae and alfalfa.

Fiber

Increase soluble and insoluble fiber intake. Insoluble fiber does not break down in water, so this bulk pushes toxins out of the body. Soluble fiber, which breaks down in water, also increases beneficial bacteria in the colon. Maintaining consistent levels of beneficial bacteria in the colon helps to prevent colon cancer and kill salmonella and E. coli bacteria. Additionally, soluble fiber binds with cholesterol to carry it out of the body.

Consider adding flax seed and oats to the diet, as they offer both soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber intake is recommended to be between 20g and 35g daily.

Herbal Cleanse

The following herbs have laxative or internal cleansing properties: alfalfa, barberry root, blue violet leaves, buckthorn bark, cascara sagrada bark, chickweed, mullein leaf, peach leaves, psyllium husks, pumpkin seeds, kelp and yellow dock.

Some cleansing diets may cause irregular bowel movements, diarrhea, negative drug interactions, allergic reactions or dehydration. Please consult your health professional before starting an internal cleansing diet, especially if you're pregnant, nursing, taking medications or suffering from an illness.