

Packaged foods or meals: Some detox plans recommend herbs, pills, powders, enemas, and other forms of colon cleansing. Because there's not a lot you're allowed to eat, you won't have a long shopping list and prep work should be minimal. Detox diets are typically very rigid and involve eating the same few things over and over.Ĭooking and shopping: Depends on the detox plan you're following. Limitations: You're going to go without a lot of the foods you usually eat. That's good for you and more likely to give you results that last, especially if you make exercise a habit. If the idea of detoxing appeals, you might try "clean" eating that focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein - basically, whole foods without a lot of processing. Potential side effects include low energy, low blood sugar, muscle aches, fatigue, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and nausea. Most people don’t feel good on low-calorie, nutrient-poor diets. Whether or not a detox diet is safe depends on the plan and how long you stay on it.

They typically are short diets - they're not a way of eating you can stick with in the long run. Others allow some foods, like fruits and vegetables. Some involve fasting, or just drinking liquids. That depends on the particular detox diet you're following. Still thinking about it? You should know this first. In fact, they may be risky and even backfire. Plus, read up on the detoxifying facial that celebs are obsessed with.They're popular, but they aren't proven to do what they say they'll do: flush toxins out of your system. Why stop with your liver? Here's what happened when one writer went on an armpit cleanse. ( Drinking lots of H2O is the OG cleanse protocol, after all.) The remedy? Drink more water to help move along waste and relieve stomach pain. Changes in your metabolism can also contribute to feeling über tired during a cleanse, as can calorie deficiency-so if you notice your fatigue lasts longer than a few days, take a look at your diet and make sure you're eating enough.Įxperiencing nausea or an upset stomach is more common if you’re doing a supplement-based liver cleanse, Goodman says, because you’re consuming things that your body isn’t used to. “This has to a lot to do with the change in your eating habits and it will pass in time,” Goodman says. “Slowly cut back on sugar, coffee, and processed food so it’s not a dramatic change for your body.” Also, drink lots of fluids-about half your body weight in ounces daily is a good suggestion-to stay hydrated.Ĭleanse fatigue is also pretty common. “The best way to reduce these symptoms is to ease into the cleanse,” Goodman says.

Headaches and mood changes are common when you change your eating habits. Photo: Getty Images/Nensuria Okay, but what are the side effects of "liver cleansing"? All in all, the benefits far outweigh the side effects if you're cleaning up your diet and making healthy lifestyle changes. Haas says, you might feel a little funky for one or two days at most. In other words, you might feel worse before you feel better.īut don't worry. Another reason, many experts believe, is because you're releasing stored toxins, which circulate through your body before the exit your system through your urine, bowel movements, skin, and sweat. One, he says, is because your body goes through withdrawal from all the stuff it’s dependent on (i.e. There are a few reasons you may feel side effects.
