Detoxing the Body

Another obvious reason behind trying a detox is to lose weight. There are numerous ways out there to lose weight, but only a handful of them are actually good for the body. Starvation is NOT one of the healthy ways, and 99% of the time the weight is gained back in a very short time period anyways. Your body needs nutrition, so the ideal way to lose weight is to give your body all the proper nutritional needs, and maintain a healthy diet that is low glycemic. Low Glycemic also known as GI foods are the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels. Maintaining a diet with low GI foods is the secret to long term health. It reduces your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.
The USANA Reset Kit is designed to keep your blood sugar levels steady. After 5 days of this low GI diet, you will find you have less carb cravings than before. Your body has become so used to these spikes that it now feels as though it needs them.

Here is a short list of some foods that have high, moderate and low GI levels.

Low = less than 55
Moderate = 55 - 70
High = 70 +

Bakery Items

Pound Cake - 54
Danish Pastry - 59
Muffin (unsweetened) - 62
Croissant - 67
Donut - 76

Drinks

Soy Milk - 30
Apple Juice - 41
Grapefruit Juice - 48
Orange Juice - 52

Breads

Multi Grain - 48
Pita Bread (white) - 57
Pizza, cheese - 60
White Bread - 71
White rolls - 73
Baguette - 95

Pasta

Spaghetti - protein enriched - 27
Fettuccine - 32
Ravioli, meat filled - 39
Wheat Spaghetti - 55
Macaroni Cheese - 64
Rice Pasta, brown - 92

Fruit

Apples - 38
Pears - 38
Plums - 39
Peaches - 42
Grapes - 46
Bananas - 54
Mangoes - 56
Apricots - 57
Pineapple - 66
Watermelon - 72

Rooted Crop

Carrots cooked - 39
Yam - 51
Potato, boiled - 56
Mashed Potato - 70
Chips - 75
Microwaved Potato - 82
Parsnips - 97

Snack Foods

Peanuts (M&Ms) - 32
Snickers - 40
Popcorn - 55
Corn chips - 74
Jelly Beans - 80
Pretzels - 81
Dates - 103

Veggies

Asparagus - 15
Broccoli - 15
Celery - 15
Cucumber - 15
Peppers - 15
Spinach - 15
Zucchini - 15
Lettuce - 15
Eggplant - 15
Tomatoes - 15
(Are you seeing the trend? Veggies are so good for you!)

Aside from the desirable benefits which include improved health and vitality, enhanced immunity and extra energy, your skin will become clearer, liver and kidney function will improve and your bowels will become more regular.
Detoxing removes toxic wastes from tissues and cells of the body. Toxins not properly eliminated from the body are stored like fatty tissues. Toxins will eventually accumulate to the point of causing disease. Similar to scrubbing dishes, detox programs work together to remove toxins from the cells of the body and the blood stream.

Symptoms your body needs a Detox
- headaches
- lethargy
- temporary muscle aches
- mucus or other discharge
- a coated, pasty tongue
- flu-like symptoms
- irritability
- difficulty sleeping
- weakness
- cravings
- nausea
- constipation
- diarrhea
- gas

If you feel as though you have a few of these symptoms on a regular basis, you should consider trying out a Detox. One of the best I have found is the USANA Reset Kit. Its only 5 days, and will leave your body feeling refreshed and recharged. Everything you need is included in the Kit, and it is easy to bring with you on the go. All you need are fresh fruits and veggies.

So, I know I talk a lot about the USANA Reset Kit but it doesn't mean I haven't looked at what else is out there. Some other common Detox Programs around are:

Chicken and Brown Rice - 12 day program allowing you to eat only chicken and brown rice. (gets pretty tough pretty fast!)

Total Cleanse - Customer Reviews say it is a scam so beware

Colon Cure - Also reviewed as a scam, plus reviews of making people sick

Perfect Cleanse - includes 2 pill bottles and a bottle of the most horrific tasting powder.
Almighty Cleanse - Customer reviews say the product takes months to arrive, and it is impossible to speak to anyone, all you get is a machine.

Bowtrol - Customer Review says the "great colon cleanser" advertising was all fake. Customer experienced extreme stomach pain. Return process nearly impossible.

Raw Food Diet - The concept is great, but I feel as though this is something that should always be done, and by forcing yourself to eat only raw foods, you might turn right off of them, and not want to eat them once you are finished. Any weight loss may ultimately be gained right back.

South Beach diet - A 3 phase diet that has a good philosophy. The only real problem I found is that it is very open to error. Since it is a self monitoring diet, and there are no real instructions, it is easy to waiver. Similar concepts to the Reset Kit, but the Reset Kit gives more structure in the first 5 days.

Atkins Diet - Protein rich, Carbless diets. Restricts all carbs, even good ones. Can be quite challenging.

Cabbage Soup Diet - This is another one of those diets that will have you hating cabbage soup by the end. Also, it is a temporary fix for temporary weight loss.