Summer Running: Take Precautions in the Heat

Bring along some ice water and squirt it regularly over the top of your head to cool down mid-run.

By Jeff Galloway

Summer running can be enjoyable–if you can avoid overheating. The problem is primarily with the radiant effect of the sun. Finishing your run before the sun gets above the horizon will help you avoid the worst part of the heat. The following tips can help you avoid serious problems while running in hot weather. As always, be conservative and stop at any of the warning signs that concern you.

 

When you exercise strenuously in even moderate heat (above 60 degrees Fahrenheit; above 55 degrees F for beginning runners), you raise your core body temperature. This triggers a release of blood into the capillaries of your skin to cool you down, which then reduces the blood supply available to your exercising muscles. This basically means that you will have less blood and oxygen delivered to the power source that moves you forward–and less blood to move out the waste products from these work sites. As the waste builds up in the muscle, you will slow down.

 

So the bad news is that in warm weather, you are going to feel worse and run slower. The worse news is that working too hard on a hot day could result in a very serious condition called heat disease.

 

The good news is that you can adapt to these conditions as you learn how to handle the heat. You can keep cool by running during the best time of day and wearing clothing appropriate for the heat. But it’s always better to back off or stop running at the first sign of a problem. The following are proven ways of avoiding heat adversity.

 

Running Workouts During Summer Heat

1. Run before the sun gets above the horizon.

Get up early during the warm months to avoid most of the dramatic stress from the sun and to enjoy the coolest time of day. Without having to deal with the sun, most runners can gradually adapt to heat. At the very least, your runs will be more enjoyable than later in the day.

 

2. If you must run when the sun is up, pick a shady course.

Shade provides a significant relief in areas of low humidity and some relief in humid environments.

 

3. Run during the evening and night.

In areas of low humidity, it’s usually cool later in the day. When it’s humid, the coolest time of the day is just before dawn.

 

4. Have an indoor facility available.

With treadmills, you can exercise in air conditioning. If a treadmill bores you, alternate segments of five to 10 minutes–one segment outdoor, and the next indoor.

 

5. Don’t wear a hat!

You lose most of your body heat through the top of your head. Covering the head will cause a quicker internal buildup of heat.

 

6. Wear light clothing, but not cotton.

Many of the new, technical fibers will move moisture away from your skin, producing a cooling effect. Cotton soaks up the sweat, making the garment heavier as it sticks to your skin. This means that you won’t receive as much of a cooling effect as that provided by the tech fibers.

 

7. Pour water over your head.

Evaporation not only helps the cooling process, it makes you feel cooler. This offers a psychological boost which can benefit you immensely. Bring along some ice water and squirt it regularly over the top of your head to cool down mid-run.

 

8. Do your short runs in installments.

For example, on a hot day that is scheduled for an easy, 30-minute run, do 10 in the morning, 10 at noon and 10 at night. The long run, however, should be done at one time. Speed workouts should also be done all at once, but take more rests between reps and break up the distance (running twice as many 800s as one-mile repeats).

 

9. Take a pool break or a shower chill-down.

During a run, it really helps to take a two- to four-minute dip in a pool or shower. Some runners in hot areas run loops around their neighborhoods and let the hose run over the head each lap. The pool is especially helpful in soaking out excess body temperature. I have run in 97-degree temperatures at our Florida running retreat, breaking up a five-mile run into three, 1.7-mile runs. Between each, I take a two- to three-minute "soak break" and get back out there. It was only at the end of each segment that I got warm again.

 

10. Sun screen–a mixed review.

Some runners will need to protect themselves. Some products, however, produce a coating on the skin that slows down perspiration and produces an increase in body-temperature buildup. If you are only in the sun for 30 to 50 minutes at a time, you may not need to put on sunscreen for cancer protection. Consult with a dermatologist for your specific needs–or find a product that doesn’t block the pores.

 

11. Drink six to eight ounces of a sports drink like Accelerade or water, at least every two hours or when thirsty, throughout the day during hot weather.

 

12. Look at the clothing thermometer on my website or in my books. Wear loose-fitting garments that have some texture in the fabric. Texture will limit or prevent the perspiration from causing a clinging and sticking to the skin.

 

13. When the temperature is above 90 degrees, you have my permission to re-arrange your running shoes–preferably in an air conditioned environment.

Symptoms of Heat Disease:

• Intense heat build-up in the head
• General overheating of the body
• Significant headache
• Significant nausea
• General confusion and loss of concentration
• Loss of muscle control
• Excessive sweating and then cessation of sweating
• Clammy skin
• Excessively rapid breathing
• Muscle cramps
• Feeling faint
• Unusual heart beat or rhythm

Risk Factors:

• Viral or bacterial infection
• Taking medications, such as cold medicines, diuretics, medicines for diarrhea, antihistamines, atropine, scopolamine, tranquilizers, and cholesterol and blood pressure medications. Check with your doctor on medication issues–especially when running in hot weather.
• Dehydration (especially due to alcohol)
• Severe sunburn
• Overweight
• Lack of heat training
• Exercising more than one is used to
• Occurrence of heat disease in the past
• Two or more nights of extreme sleep deprivation
• Certain medical conditions including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, extreme stress, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease, smoking or a general lack of fitness

Take Action!

Use your best judgment, but in most cases anyone who exhibits two or more of the symptoms should get into a cool environment and get medical attention immediately. An extremely effective cool-off method is to soak towels, sheets or clothing in cool or cold water and wrap them around the individual. If ice is available, sprinkle some ice over the wet cloth. Call 911 if symptoms persist.

 

BODA Weight Loss Supplements

 

"…reducing body fat and increasing or preserving lean muscle mass – giving you a leaner, healthier appearance."

 

Staying Young is Just Another Meal Away

 

Healthy foods to stay young? Of course, you’ve heard it before, probably when mom insisted to eat more apples and less burger even when you thought you were too young to age.
   
Indeed, mom was right. You’ll never know when you’ll start to age until you notice some crumpling and folding on your skin. Premature aging might just be a sleep away. And you never want to see that happen.
   
But it’s never too late. You can delay aging now by changing some items on your plates, and it’s just another meal away.

You Are What You Eat
   
The food and all other things that you take or don’t are laying the groundwork for your health and your appearance as well. For example, a person who has a pretty huge room for french fries and beef patties in his stomach may suffer more diseases and may not look age-appropriate. A person deficient in unsaturated fats, on the other hand, may have dry, flaky skin, and eventually look older than he actually is.
   
According to Samantha Heller, MS, RD, a clinical nutritionist at NYU Medical Center in New York City, what you eat becomes the outer fabric of your body. And the healthier that you put in your mouth, the better you will look. 
   
Sure, you don’t wanna look like french fries, or do you? Then, what should your next meal include?

High- fiber foods
   
Whole grains, cereals, black beans, apples, and pears are just some of the foods that are rich in fiber. Fiber found in these foods moves quickly and relatively easily through your digestive tract keeping bowel movements regular. Thereby preventing constipation,-one of the problems that aging people commonly encounter.

Fish, walnut, and flax seed oil
   
These foods are among the best sources of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). EFA especially the omega-3 fatty acids regulate the fluidity or softness of the cell membranes, thus making your cell membranes healthy and hold more moisture. So that means younger looking skin.
   
Deficiency is visible in a hardening of the skin, as with dry skin and acne. And to those who are living in colder climates, you need more EFA for membrane fluidity.

Fruits and vegetables
   
Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables fight off free radicals, the byproducts of the body’s everyday processes that damage DNA, cells, and tissues. The antioxidants and other phytochemicals lessens the chances of damage to he body’s cells. And because you are guarding your cells from premature damage, you are also protecting yourself from premature aging.

Whole-grain cereals, organ meats, chicken, egg yolk, and garlic.
   
Selenium, found in these foods, plays a key role in making the skin healthy. It is a sulfur-like mineral that lessens the oxidative damage of skin cells. It also helps in regulating the thyroid hormone and helps prevent hypertension, cancer, and stroke. Selenium is often added to antioxidant vitamins.

Easy Move
   
If you think looking younger is difficult, there’s not much to worry. The easiest move you can make is to include more fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains to your daily menu. Control yourself from eating foods stuffed with much cholesterol, sodium, and calories. What you get is a healthier body and a younger-looking you.
   
Well, if you think it’s too early to look old, better think twice. It just doesn’t feel good to be called older than you really are.
   
And if you think you’re too old to look young, you’re never right. You can stop aging right at your plate, and even prove that "looks can be deceiving."
 

 

 

Women+Belly Fat = Not good

 

Belly Fat Doesn’t Bode Well for Women

Having a big waist may raise women’s death rates, even in women who aren’t overweight.

That news comes from a study of 44,600 female nurses enrolled in a long-term health study.

The bottom line: Waists mattered more than weight.

Being in the normal weight range was less important than having a waist less than 34.6 inches and a waist-to-hip ratio of less than 0.88 .To calculate your waist-to-hip ratio, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.

"Although maintaining a healthy weight should continue to be a cornerstone in the prevention of chronic diseases and premature death, it is equally important to maintain a healthy waist size and prevent abdominal obesity," the researchers write in the April 1 edition of Circulation.

Belly Fat Study

When the nurses were 40 to 65 years old, they measured their waists and hips for the study. At the time, none had had heart disease or cancer.

Every two years, they updated their health and lifestyle records for the study, including their physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, and menopausal status.

The nurses were followed for 16 years. During that time, a total of 3,507 of the nurses died, including 751 who died of heart disease and 1,748 who died of cancer.

Regardless of other factors, including BMI ( body mass index, which relates height to weight), women with larger waists and greater waist-to-hip ratios had higher death rates from all causes, including heart disease and cancer, which are the top two killers of U.S. women.

For example, among women of normal weight, those with a waist larger than 34.6 inches were three times as likely to die of heart disease, compared to women with smaller waists.

Large hips weren’t a problem, if the waist wasn’t also large. In fact, having large hips and a small waist was associated with lower risk of death from heart disease.

 

Waist Check

Simply measuring the waist will do. The waist-to-hip ratio wasn’t a better predictor of death rates and is more cumbersome, note the researchers, who included Cuilin Zhang, MD, PhD, of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Zhang’s team used the definitions for abdominal obesity recommended by the American Heart Association and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Those cutoffs are waist circumference of 34.6 inches for women and 40 inches for men.

The study doesn’t prove that abdominal fat is lethal. Observational studies like this one don’t prove cause and effect.

Ten Surprising Nutrition Facts

 

The American diet circa 2007 is a disaster – but positive change has begun. Those were the twin themes of the "Fourth Annual Nutrition and Health Conference" held in San Diego, Calif., May 14-16, 2007. The conference was sponsored by the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine in conjunction with the Program in Integrative Medicine (PIM); PIM was founded and is co-directed by Dr. Weil. 

The three-day event brought together leading nutrition researchers from around the world, bearing plenty of both bad and good news. Some highlights:

 

Bad News:

 

1. Hunter-gatherers in the Australian outback today live on 800 varieties of plant foods. Modern Americans live principally on three: corn, soy and wheat.

   From the presentation, "Phytonutrients: Nature’s Bonus from Plant Foods" by David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Medicine and Public Health and Director, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

2. One third of Americans get 47 percent of their calories from junk foods.

   USDA" Trends in the United States – Consumer Attitudes and the Supermarket, 2000. From the presentation, "Phytonutrients: Nature’s Bonus from Plant Foods" by David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Medicine and Public Health and Director, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

3. The average American is eating 300 more calories each day than he or she did in 1985. Added sweeteners account for 23 percent of those additional calories; added fats, 24 percent.

   Putnam et al. USDA. From the presentation, "Cultivating the Common Ground of Food, Nutrition and Ecological Health," by David Wallinga, M.D., Director, Food & Health Program, Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy, Minneapolis, Minn.

4. Vitamin D deficiency is widespread. The following health problems have been linked to vitamin D deficiency: type 1 and 2 diabetes; multiple sclerosis; rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, periodontal disease, increased susceptibility to infection; osteoporosis, low birth weight infants; low seizure threshold; cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, pancreas and ovary; non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure; wheezing in childhood, and compromised muscle strength and falls in the elderly.

   From the presentation, "Vitamin D Deficiency: The Cause of Everything?" by Louise Gagne, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept. of Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

5. In real dollars, the price of fresh fruits and vegetables has risen nearly 40 percent since 1985. In real dollars, the price of soft drinks has dropped 23 percent. The reason unhealthy foods tend to be less expensive on average than foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables has much to do with American farm policy.

   Condensed from "Food without Thought: How U.S. Farm Policy Contributes to Obesity" Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Environment and Agriculture Program, from the presentation, "The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Searching for the Perfect Meal in a Fast-Food World," by Michael Pollan, Knight Professor of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.

           Hopeful News

6. Ten cups per day of green tea delayed cancer onset 8.7 years in Japanese women and three years in Japanese men.

   From the presentation, "Beef or Broccoli? Nutrition and Breast Cancer" by Victoria Maizes, M.D., Executive Director, Program in Integrative Medicine, Assoc. Professor, Clinical Medicine/Family & Community Medicine, the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Ariz.

7. Three meta-analyses of randomized, placebo-controlled trials found a 5-12 percent decrease in cholesterol levels in hyperlipidemic patients after at least 30 days’ treatment with 600-900 mg of garlic extract.

   Warshafsky S., et al Ann Int Med 1993; 19;599-605; Silagy C, et al. JR Coll Phys Longdon 1994; 28:2-8; Ackermann RT, et al. Arch Intern Med 2001: 161: 813-24. From the presentation, "The Medicinal Spices" by Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., Education Director, Program in Internal Medicine, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.

8. Maternal limitation of seafood consumption to less than 340 grams per week during pregnancy did not protect children from adverse outcomes. In contrast, this observational study [Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children] showed beneficial effects on child development when maternal seafood consumption exceeded 340 grams per week, with no upper limit of benefit…

   Hibbeln et al., The Lancet, 17 Feb., 2007. From the presentation of Joseph Hibbeln, M.D., Senior Clinical Investigator, Sectional of Nutritional Neurosciences, Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Md.

9. "I see a lot of hopeful trends, including the rise of alternative agriculture: organic, local, biodynamic…There are now over 4,000 farmers’ markets in the U.S. The number has doubled in 10 years."

   From the presentation, "The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Searching for the Perfect Meal in a Fast-Food World," by Michael Pollan, Knight Professor of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.

10. Chocolate…may have a mild hypotensive [blood-pressure lowering] effect.

    From the presentation, "The Medicinal Spices" by Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., Education Director, Program in Integrative Medicine, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson. Ariz.

 

‘Superfoods’ Everyone Needs to Stay Alive and Healthy

 

Experts say dozens of easy-to-find ‘superfoods’ can help ward off heart disease, cancer, cholesterol, and more.

Imagine a superfood — not a drug — powerful enough to help you lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and, for an added bonus, put you in a better mood. Did we mention that there are no side effects? You’d surely stock up on a lifetime supply. Guess what? These life-altering superfoods are available right now in your local supermarket.

"The effect that diet can have on how you feel today and in the future is astounding," says nutritionist Elizabeth Somer, author of Nutrition for aHealthy Pregnancy, Food & Mood, and The Essential Guide to Vitamins and Minerals.

"Even people who are healthy can make a few tweaks and the impact will be amazing," Somer says. "I’d say that 50% to 70% of suffering could be eliminated by what people eat and how they move: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension can all be impacted."

You don’t need specific foods for specific ailments. A healthy diet incorporating a variety of the following superfoods will help you maintain your weight, fight disease, and live longer. One thing they all have in common: "Every superfood is going to be a ‘real’ (unprocessed) food," Somer points out. "You don’t find fortified potato chips in the superfood category."

Top Superfoods Offering Super Health Protection

 

• Beans
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Oats
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Salmon
• Soy
• Spinach
• Tea (green or black)
• Tomatoes
• Turkey
• Walnuts
• Yogurt

Blueberries — Antioxidant Superfood

Packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, these berries are also high in potassium and vitamin C, making them the top choice of doctors and nutritionists. Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also anti-inflammatory.

"Inflammation is a key driver of all chronic diseases, so blueberries have a host of benefits," says Ann Kulze, MD, of Charleston, S.C., author of Dr. Ann’s 10-Step Diet, A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss & Lifelong Vitality. When selecting berries, note that the darker they are, the more anti-oxidants they have. "I tell everyone to have a serving (about 1/2 cup) every day," Dr. Kulze says. "Frozen are just as good as fresh." Be sure to include lots of other fruits and vegetables in your diet as well. Remember too that, in general, the more color they have, the more antioxidants.

Omega 3-Rich Fish — Superfoods for the Heart, Joints, and Memory

"We know that the omega 3s you get in fish lower heart disease risk, help arthritis, and may possibly help with memory loss and Alzheimer’s," Somer says. "There is some evidence to show that it reduces depression as well."

Omega-3s are most prevalent in fatty, cold-water fish: Look for wild (not farmed) salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. Aim for two-to-three servings a week. Other forms of omega 3s are available in fortified eggs, flax seed, and walnuts. These superfoods have the added benefit of being high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol.

Soy — Superfood to Lower Cholesterol

A study reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association (2003) showed that a diet of soy fiber, protein from oats and barley, almonds, and margarine from plant sterols lowered cholesterol as much as statins, the most widely prescribed cholesterol medicine. "Look for tofu, soy milk, or edamame — not soy powder," says Somer. In other words, soy sauce won’t do the trick. One caveat: If you have a family history of breast cancer it is not recommended that you eat extra soy.

Fiber — Superfood Aids Weight Loss and Checks Cholesterol

A diet high in fiber will help you maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. As a bonus, because fiber helps you feel full longer, it’s a great tool in weight management. Whole grains, beans, fruit, and vegetables are all good sources. Try throwing some beans in your salad, recommends Kulze. "Fresh, frozen, or dried are the best. You can use canned, but they tend to be higher in sodium," Kulze warns.

Tea — Superfood for Lowering Cholesterol and Inhibiting Cancer

"The overall antioxidant power of black tea is the same as green tea," says Kulze, "but green tea does have ECGC, a powerful antioxidant that we really do think is quite special." A recent Japanese study on green tea found that men who drank green tea regularly had lower cholesterol than those who didn’t. Researchers in Spain and the United Kingdom have also shown that ECGC can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. For a double health whammy, replace sugary sodas with tea.

Calcium

OK, OK, you know the drill: Calcium helps build strong bones and prevents osteoporosis. Look for it in dairy products or supplements. Added bonus: Some studies show that calcium helps with weight loss. Here are the calcium levels recommended for adults by the USDA:

• Age 9 to 18 — 1,300 mg
• Age 19 to 50 — 1,000 mg
• Age 51 and over — 1,200 mg

And Finally, the Yummiest Superfood Yet … Dark Chocolate

New research has shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and can lower blood pressure. Kulze recommends that you look for chocolate with 60% or higher cocoa content; the darker, the better. In addition, the darker it is, the lower the fat and sugar content. Now that’s our kind of health food!

 

Heatlh Diet

 

Why should I try to have a healthy diet?

Having a healthy diet is one of the most important things you can do to help your overall health. Along with physical activity, your diet is the key factor that affects your weight. Having a healthy weight for your height is important. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), osteoarthritis, and some cancers.

You can find out if you’re overweight or obese by figuring out your body mass index (BMI). Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, whereas women with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. All adults (aged 18 years or older) who have a BMI of 25 or more are considered at risk for premature death and disability from being overweight or obese. These health risks increase as the BMI rises. Your health care provider can help you figure out your body mass.

Having a healthy diet is sometimes easier said than done. It is tempting to eat less healthy foods because they might be easier to get or prepare, or they satisfy a craving. Between family and work or school, you are probably balancing a hundred things at once. Taking time to buy the ingredients for and cooking a healthy meal sometimes falls last on your list. But you should know that it isn’t hard to make simple changes to improve your diet. And you can make sense of the mounds of nutrition information out there. A little learning and planning can help you find a diet to fit your lifestyle, and maybe you can have some fun in the process!

 

What are the most important steps to a healthy diet?

The basic steps to good nutrition come from a diet that:

1. Helps you either lose weight or keep your BMI in the "healthy" range.

2. Is balanced overall, with foods from all food groups, with lots of delicious fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.

3. Is low in saturated fat,trans fat, and cholesterol. Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

4. Includes a variety of grains daily, especially whole-grains, a good source of fiber.

5. Includes a variety of fruits and vegetables (two cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a 2,000 calorie diet).

6. Have a small number of calories from added sugars (like in candy, cookies, and cakes).

7. Has foods prepared with less sodium or salt (aim for no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, or about one teaspoon of salt per day).

8. Does not include more than one drink per day (two drinks per day for men) if you drink alcoholic beverages.

 

How can I follow a healthy diet if I eat out a lot?

1. Ask the server to make substitutions, like having steamed vegetables instead of fries.

2. Pick lean meat, fish, or skinless chicken.

3. Make sure your entrée is broiled, baked, grilled, steamed, or poached instead of fried.

4. Ask for baked, boiled, or roasted potatoes instead of fried.

5. Order lots of vegetable side dishes and ask that any sauces or butter be left off.

6. Ask for low-calorie salad dressing or a lemon to squeeze on your salad instead of dressing.

7. Order fresh fruit or fruit sorbet in place of cake, pie, or ice cream desserts.

Detox Diets 101: Keeping Your body in Shape through Proper eating

 

If you’re feeling sluggish, or you think you’re always full and the food has settled in your stomach, undigested. If you think you’re fat and need to lose weight. And if you think that you’ve ingested more than the allowed preservatives and additives into your body and your liver’s starting to show symptoms of abuse, then it’s time for you to go on a Detox program.

Detox or detoxification is the process of neutralizing or eliminating toxins from the body. Detox plans may be in different forms and ways – from regular exercise to body scrubs and spa massages, to yoga and meditation. But the simplest and the most common perhaps is to go on a detox diet.

A detox diet is a program that minimizes the chemicals ingested into the body by going for organic food. It highlights food like vitamins and antioxidants that the body needs for detoxification. It also involves taking in of food that will aid in the elimination of toxins like high fiber food and water. It generally suggests a high intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and lots of fluids, while cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, yeast and sugars.

So why go for a detox diet? If you’re a regular fast food chain eater, you’ve probably ingested many fat-soluble chemicals contained in the French fries, cheeseburgers, twisters and soft drinks you’ve consumed. An ‘overload’ of these chemicals in the body can lead to illness and conditions like liver malfunction, kidney problems, hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies and inefficient metabolism. And the most common symptoms of these illnesses are the usual fatigue, poor skin and low tolerance to pain.

By going on a detox diet, people would have improved energy, clearer and fairer skin, a regular bowel movement, improved metabolism and digestion, increased concentration. Generally, it spells wellness and a better well-being.

A word of caution…though anyone is allowed to take on a detox diet, pregnant women or those who are nursing are cautioned not to go on such plans as they need the necessary nutrient for nursing. And unless recommended by a doctor, people with anemia, eating disorders, heart disease, low immunity, low blood pressure, ulcers, cancer, the underweight or those suffering from alcohol or drug dependency should try on a detox diet. Furthermore, such detox diet programs should be properly planned with the doctor and a nutritionist.

Other Things You Need to Know

Side effects may occur within the first few days of starting the detox diet. There’s headache and a general feeling of weakness as the body is adjusting to the change in food intake. So it is recommended to start your diet plan gradually or on Fridays when you won’t be doing much physical activity or requiring much energy. Others may experience diarrhea as the body eliminates the toxins, so take care not to be dehydrated. Drink plenty of water.

Take note that such detox diet programs should not be done for a long time. They are normally recommended to be done at least one to two times a year, and should be done during the warm months.

If you’re thinking of getting started, make sure you consult a doctor or a nutritionist. Read up on detox diets and seek advice from the experts. Remember: Too much is bad. After all, you’re doing it to improve your health, not ruin it!
 

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