Healthy foods and detox drinks are often recommended in detox diets, but foods to avoid are not always mentioned.
Let’s take a look at 8 foods to avoid when detoxing.
1. Added sugars:
Added sugars are one of the worst food additives not just when detoxing but in general. It has been confirmed by clinical studies that cancer feeds on sugar. When detoxing, sugars don’t allow the body to make the enzymes that it needs.
2. Alcohol
Avoid drinking alcohol during the detox process, as any amount of alcohol puts a heavy strain on the liver and the whole body.
3. Gluten:
Gluten is a protein that is hard to digest. The liver needs a break when detoxing, so foods that are hard to digest should be avoided.
4. GMOs:
Foods that are genetically modified, or GMOs, often contain pesticides, which the liver sees as toxins. Eating GMOs that are treated with pesticides add to the toxin load that the liver is already dealing with.
5. Highly processed foods:
These processed foods are currently dominating the grocery market. The problem with highly processed foods is that they are addictive, and they contain more fat, added sugars, and possible genetically modified organisms. All of these ingredients can hamper the detox process.
6. MSG - Monosodium glutamate, which is also known as MSG, carrageenan, or modified starch:
This is one of the worst food additives. “MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees, and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities,” explains a leading physician and health expert.
7. Red meat:
Red meat is harder for the body to break down, and takes longer. Eating red meat puts a burden on the liver because it needs to get rid of the toxins in it.
8. Trans fats:
Despite mounting evidence showing the detrimental health effects of trans fats, studies show that Americans still consume too much. Trans fats inhibit the body from burning fat and slow the detox process. They also increase fatty deposits in the liver.