Exclusive article by Lindsey Patterson at EMRIndustry.com
There are fad detoxes, which claim to help you lose weight, and doctors do not recommend them if they suggest that you stray from a balanced diet, consume abundant amounts of herbs or stop using salt. Symptoms of such a detox could be dangerous and compromise your health. Recommended detoxes, like those for smoking or increasing the liver and kidneys’ natural detox abilities can be done at home. They are usually safe and don’t stray too far from a normal healthy diet. Other detoxes, like those done when you have developed an addiction, should be done under the supervision of a medical professional.
Smoker’s Detox
A drop in blood pressure is the first sign that your body is detoxing from smoking. It decreases to a more healthy level, and your heart rate too. Sometime in the first three weeks after you quit smoking, your circulation will start to get better, and your lungs will function more optimally. It takes a full year for your lungs to detox completely, and eventually, your lungs will have recovered 100%. Your risk of heart disease will have decreased by 50% too. Over the following years, your body’s health will improve dramatically, you will be at far less risk of having a stroke or getting most types of cancer, and your chances of having heart disease will be the same as someone who doesn’t smoke 15 years after you have had your last cigarette. This is based on studies from The American Cancer Society. They were done on people who had smoked for years. If you haven’t smoked much, then your health will improve much faster. Even though all of this good stuff is happening to your body, you won’t feel it right off. Instead, you will feel sluggish and weak, and it might be difficult for you to focus. Make the transition easier by drinking plenty of water and eating a lot of greens and cruciferous vegetables.
Alcohol Detox
The first symptoms of alcohol detox appear as soon as 6 hours after alcohol consumption and they are fatigue, diarrhea, insomnia and night sweats. You could also experience palpitations, anxiety, sore muscles, hallucinations and delirium. Three days after your body has begun detoxing from alcohol, you could experience Delirium Tremens from alcohol, which is confusion. DT could last for up to three days. For those who consume alcohol regularly, symptoms of alcohol detox can be very severe and could lead to a relapse or require hospitalization. Such a detox from alcohol should be done under the supervision of a doctor.
Drug Detox
The symptoms that arise when undergoing a drug detox include increased pain sensitivity, irritability and emotional instability. Anxiety, depression, restlessness and insomnia can also occur as well as more severe symptoms, such as heart attack, sweating and hot flashes. The symptoms could also mimic those of a flu, including weakness, headaches, body aches and lack of or increased appetite. It is dangerous to try to detox from drugs on your own as it could be life threatening.
Liver Detox
Even if you haven’t done anything excessive, a liver detox can be beneficial at times, and the safest type involves moderate consumption of certain herbs, fruits and vegetables. Foods that burden the liver should be avoided at this time and include oil, sugar, chemical additives in foods and alcohol. You should still meet your daily calorie needs at this time and consume protein. The symptoms of liver detox show that your body is being cleansed and include:
Weakness
Body odor
Skin breakouts
Headaches
Vertigo
Anxiety or irritability
Confusion
Foul-smelling stool or diarrhea
sore muscles
Insomnia
Cold and flu symptoms
Kidney Detox
A recommended kidney detox is simple, easy and doesn’t put any stress on the body. Juniper berries consumed straight or made into a tea are beneficial for the kidneys as is dandelion tea. Other than this, following a “clean diet” free from pesticides, chemical additives in foods and processed foods allows the kidneys to detox. You should also be sure not to consume too much protein and avoid animal protein if possible. Fruits, vegetables and herbs in moderation help too. Going on a fast for several hours where you just consume water or juice can give your kidneys a break as long as the juice doesn’t have a lot of added sugar. Natural cranberry juice, even diluted with water, is a good choice. Recommended grains are barley and millet and red grapes, blueberries and cranberries are good fruits to consume. If your kidneys have decreased function, then take the recommended dosage of food enzymes.
Kidney detox symptoms include headaches, body pains, bad breath, skin rashes, body odor, nausea, thirst, dizziness, depression, moodiness, fatigue, diarrhea, gas and insomnia. You will probably have cravings, which you must avoid if you want the detox to work. Any severe pain should be reported to a doctor.
One of the reasons why doctors won’t recommend most of the glitzy detox diets that are popular today is because the most extreme ones are more dangerous than beneficial and could lead to a doctor getting a visit from your accident attorney.
