Weight Loss and Detoxification

There is a direct relationship between weight gain and body toxicity. Toxins are stored in our fat cells, and as the body grows more toxic, more fat is produced to store the additional toxins. This is the body's way of protecting the organs from being damaged by the toxins.

Be aware that many weight loss diets on the market do not address the need for body detox in long term weight management. When the body cannot expel toxins they are stored mostly in the liver, kidneys, lungs, joints, pancreas, and in fat tissue. One cause of weight gain is the body's manufacture of fat for the storage of synthetic toxins it cannot process.

Why We Lose Weight with a Detox

If the body does not have the nutrients to process out the toxins when they enter the liver, they are stored, either in the liver or in fat tissue. There is a distinct connection between body toxicity and weight gain. Toxins are stored in fat cells. As toxicity increases, the fat cells enlarge in size. One of the reasons detoxification is an excellent way to lose weight is simply due to the fact that a reduction in toxic build up in fat cells directly contributes to a decrease in the actual size of fat cells.

When someone is dieting by taking in fewer calories than are being burned, nutrients (which are also stored in fat cells) are tapped. Along with the nutrients, toxins are released from the fat cells. If this release of toxins is too rapid, the symptoms of toxic overload are likely to emerge: nausea, light-headedness, headache, fatigue, anxiety are the most common. Fasting as a dietary method encourages this kind of toxic overload. For this and other reasons, fasting is not the best way to detox or diet.

High Protein Diets: Dieter Beware

While high protein diets are known to get the weight off fast, there are many reasons why high protein weight loss diets do more harm than good. Let's take a look at the popular high protein diets -- the Atkins, Scarsdale, Stillman, and other diets like them that emphasize high protein, with little or virtually no carbohydrate. The protein consumption in these diets is three times the normal recommended amount of protein an adult should eat per day.

A high protein diet will stimulate dramatic weight loss, and this suggests why these diets are so popular. A dieter who suddenly is able to drop pounds a week will no doubt be elated, but they don't yet know that this weight loss is temporary.

Here's how it goes on the typical high protein weight loss diet: Proteins are acid forming in the body and when we eat too much of them, our body will go into an over-acid state, or hyperacidity. The excessive amounts of protein consumed on the high protein diets creates a prolonged state of hyperacidity. This condition is called ketosis, and in the hyperacidic environment in your body, toxic substances called ketones are produced. As ketones collect in your tissues and cells, the body reacts with an effort to purge the ketones.

In the early stages of a high protein diet, the weight loss that is experienced results from the loss of large amounts of water from the your cells and tissues as your body tries to unload the toxic ketones. Weight is lost quickly with the elimination of the water and the toxins carried along with it.

After a week or two, the high protein diet dieter will usually hit a plateau. The rapid weight loss slows to a trickle, and unpleasant symptoms may set in. When a high protein diet is discontinued, the dieter gains weight, often as rapidly as it was lost. Dr. Atkins admitted once about his diet: "I concede that the worst feature about this diet is the rapidity with which you gain weight if you abandon it."

That is not the worst feature of the Atkins Diet or other high protein diet. Vying for "worst" status are the possible side effects of a high protein diet, which include:

Kidney damage from ketosis
Elevated Cholesterol levels
Liver damage
Constipation
Mineral and vitamin depletion
Gout
Cancer

Avoid high protein diets at all costs. The benefits do not outweigh the dangers. There are many safe alternatives to losing weight. Short term, here are some tips for healthy rapid weight loss. As for the long term, before you start a weight loss diet, study up on healthy weight loss diets and make an informed decision, as you would when you buy a car. Your life may depend on it.

Carbohydrates and Weight Loss

Advocates of the low-carb and high-protein diets correctly understand the connection between the consumption of high-carbohydrate foods and weight gain. Sugary foods, bleached flours and even some sweet fruits and vegetables slam the body with high concentrations of sugars, which the body reacts to in a predictable way. High carbohydrate consumption raises insulin levels in the blood, which in turn tells the body to store fat.

Unfortunately, the food that usually tastes best to us, is the most inexpensive and is available at any 24 hour convenience store are the most fattening (not to mention the most nutrition deficient).

If you want to lose weight and prevent weight gain, keep an eye on your carbs.

Here are some tips for high-carb diet prevention:

Read your labels. If it comes in a box or bottle or some other mass-produced packaging, chances are it's high in carbs. These packages have nutrition information labels for a reason. If the carb content is more than double the protein content, don't eat it.

Eat protein with every meal or snack. The natural balance to carbohydrate induced insulin production is protein. If you eat almost as much protein as your carbohydrate, your body will produce a very healthy amount of insulin.

Eat low-glycemic foods. The glycemic index of foods shows the rate by which its carbohydrate content breaks down into sugar in the body. A low glycemic index will produce a lower amount of insulin. Likewise, high glycemic foods trigger a big spike in insulin.

Learn about the Zone Diet. The Zone Diet is actually one of the better weight loss diet plans you can choose. It is a long-term dietary approach, not a quick weight loss scheme. The Zone Diet is based on very sound principles of nutrition, metabolism and body chemistry. It is suitable for anyone and will not leave you hungry.

Weight Loss Diet Dangers

Steer clear of weight loss diets that promise or advocate any of the following:

• Fast weight loss, rapid weight loss
• Foods defined as "good" and "bad"
• Daily calorie intake of less than 1,000 calories
• No exercise required.
• The diet requires taking a vitamin/mineral supplement or food product on a long-term basis
• The elimination of any major food group (meats, dairy, grains, fats, fruit, vegetables)
• Insufficient or lack of medical research to support the health and effectiveness of the weight loss diet.
• The weight loss diet plan or ingredients are sold through a multi-level marketing program.
• Cost - if it's expensive, walk away. You can do much better on your own with adequate (and free) research.

Related information:

Detox Therapies
Get the most out of your detox program by including these detox therapies before, during and after your detox program.

Juice Fasting: Treatment of Diseases
A list of juices for the treatment of specific illnesses and disease.

Detox Tips: Secrets to a Successful Detox
Get the most out of your detox program by including the detox support you need.