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Page 20 | Abby's Magazine | www.AbbysMag.com THE DETOX DIET The concept of nourishing your body is clearly tied directly to diet – what you eat. The foods you choose to put into your body are what ultimately nourish (or in some cases deplete) your cells. High quality proteins, for example, give you the amino acids you need to build and maintain bodily structures. Detoxification will occur by shifting a few dietary habits in pursuit of a healthier body that is less exposed to toxins and can better process those that do reach our inner sanctums or that have been with us for years. Some of these habits include moving toward organic foods that are fresh, clean, and whole, as well as avoiding processed, prepackaged, and refined foods. Choosing lean proteins that offer you all the amino acids you need to build and maintain numerous structures in the body – including those that are part of detoxification – is key. The result is an infusion of genuine nutrients that will aid in your digestion process rather than take away from or inhibit it. Benefits of Juicing The health benefits of fruits and vegetables have been recognized throughout history. In order to extract the nutrients the body must break down the fibrous plant cells that hold the powerful nutrient-dense juice. Juicing organic fruits and vegetables is a great way to unleash the benefits without all the digestive work. The benefit juicing has to offer to detoxification comes with the plants you choose to juice. Vegetables are preferable over fruits, as juicing many fruits concentrates the sugars found in fruit. Start with a dark green leafy base of kale or chard, and add vegetables such as beets, celery, and some lemon for taste or half an apple to sweeten it up a bit. It may not sound delicious, but it actually is, and it is cleansing and purifying to the blood and supports liver function. Brief Fast with Juice Foods such as fatty meats, white flour, sugar, and dairy products can clog channels of elimination. There are also foods that build (make us stronger and more resilient), those that cleanse (relieve the toxic burden), and those that both cleanse and build. Proteins, such as meat and eggs, are the major builders. Most fruits are aggressive cleansers, while vegetables have both a cleansing and building effect on the body. Ideally, a detoxification diet will feature cleansing foods but contain enough of the building ones to prevent undue discomfort brought on by too rapid a release of toxins. An extreme cleansing or detoxification program such as water fast (where no food at all is eaten and no beverage is consumed other than water), fruit diet, or prolonged juice "fast" is not recommended. While such practices do cleanse and accomplish the purpose of giving the digestive organs a rest so that energy may be diverted to healing, they may also bring on a powerful cleansing reaction when toxins are released faster than they can be eliminated, causing a great deal of discomfort. A total fast can be debilitating for those with little or no nutritional reserves. A fruit diet, while accomplishing the task of cleansing, may also cause problems by eliciting a strong insulin response, thereby leading to blood sugar imbalances and other problems associated with carbohydrate consumption. Most fruits, due to their high sugar content, also provide nourishment