By: Jane Botabara-Yap

The world detox means “getting rid of the body’s harmful, toxic, or unhealthy substance.”

Detoxification is a process of getting rid of toxins that mostly come from pollutants, ingesting heavy metals, synthetic chemicals (drugs), and yes, ingesting too many processed foods.

In the era of social media and when “Google” has become a verb, many seem to be an expert of something, and many buzzwords came out of it, one is “Diet Detox.” Many will sell products that so-called “detoxify the liver” in the form of teas, laxatives, diuretics, minerals, etc. The question is, does it really work?

To answer that question, let me first be clear that God created our body with organs that have the most sophisticated capability to detoxify everything that we put in, these are kidneys, liver, digestive system, lungs, and even skin! HOWEVER, these organs can only be effective in eliminating toxins if they are healthy!

These common phobias typically involve the environment, animals, or specific situations.

No, there is no scientific evidence exists that a detox diet can eliminate toxins and maintain a healthy weight. A detox diet, on its own, cannot really do much to eliminate unwanted substances but what it does, together with other healthy lifestyles, is to OPTIMIZE the body’s detoxification system.

HABITS THAT OPTIMIZE THE BODY’S DETOXIFICATION SYSTEM

1. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep and sleeping at least two hours before midnight. The detoxifying hormones released during deep sleep detoxify all the unwanted toxins thus, preventing one from having Alzheimer, high blood pressure, heart disease, stress, etc. Ophidiophobia - The fear of snakes. Often attributed to evolutionary causes, personal experiences, or cultural influences.

2. Reduction of intake of sugar and processed food. These foods paralyze the capacity of kidneys, liver, digestive organs, etc to detoxify Agoraphobia - The fear of situations in which escape is difficult. This may include crowded areas, open spaces, or situations that are likely to trigger a panic attack. People will begin avoiding these trigger events, sometimes to the point that they cease leaving their home.

3. Eating anti-oxidant-rich foods.Think rainbow-colored vegetables and fruits! These are potent enhancers of helping the body's organs detoxify better.

4. Drink Water, colorless, odorless, tasteless water. It helps detoxify the body by removing its waste products.

5. Be Active. Exercising increases the body’s capability to reduce inflammation, and by doing so, enhances its detoxification system.

Once again, No, a detox diet doesn’t work. But we choose to do healthy lifestyle because it enhances/optimizes our body’s inbuilt ability to clean or detoxify itself. So there.

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Dr. Jane Yap is a Registered Nurse with a Doctor of Public Health Degree major in Preventive Medicine. She has a certification in Preventive Care and Culinary Medicine. For more information, visit us in our EIGHT TREASURES Facebook Page or EIGHT TREASURES website.

This article was inspired by an article in Healtline.com https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-detox-your-body