By Tim Jenkings Contributing Writer

A detox diet  sounds very reassuring for it is a fact that toxins are bad for the health of a person. You can even hear news about celebrities having detox diets as well as those people who are subjected to alcohol or drug rehabs and are detoxifying themselves. So, you would really ask if detox diets are safe. These diets  encourage you to eat foods that are natural which involves lots of veggies and water. Well, you can also add all the things that are good for your body.

The answer is dependent on who is going to utilize such a diet. Detox diets can be very effective if followed correctly.

To avoid misconception, you need to understand the lingo. Toxins are poisons or chemicals that have harmful side effects on your body. It could come from water or food, chemicals used for growing or preparing food, and from the air that you breathe. These toxins are processed in kidneys and liver eliminating it in the forms of urine, feces, and sweat.

Most people who are supporting detox diets are saying that dehydration or emotional stress is the cause why toxins do not leave the body properly during wastes elimination. Instead, these toxins are just hanging around the digestive system, gastrointestinal systems, lymph, skin, and hair. Even detox diet’s proponents said that these toxins are the promoters of problems such as headaches, tiredness, acne, and nausea.

So you must understand that the basic idea behind a detox diet is to give up temporarily the foods that are known to have toxins. It is a means of purifying and purging your body from all kinds of bad ingredients. Detox diets may also vary; however, most of  them are designed  to display fast results. You need to give up foods within a few days, then after that, gradually reintroducing a particular food in your diet. Lots of detox diets also encourage you to go through colonic irrigation or an enema to clean up your colon. The enema washes out your colon and rectum using water. But then others still recommend taking herbal supplements during the purification procedure.

There are lots of available detox diets.  Some will  involve one or two days of complete liquid diet. For the succeeding four to five days, add brown rice, steamed vegetables, and fruit that are all organic to your diet is advised. After one week of eating these foods, you will then gradually introduce certain foods except for wheat, red meat, eggs, sugar, and junk food in your diet.People who are on a detox diet are advised to chew up their foods thoroughly, drink only very little   water while eating, and relax before eating. It is often also suggested  that it is much better if you add one glass of lemon juice in every meal.

There are  numerous stated benefits made about the effects of detox diets on a person. They are said to prevent and cure diseases, to give you extra energy so that you stay clear-headed and focused, etc. Well, anyone who prefers low-fat but high fiber diets will probably feel much better and more healthy. But no matter what good things detox diets proponents say, it is still it is up to you to decide whether to try it or not for your own safety.

Keith Henry, N.D.

Below I have reprinted the contents of a newsletter that I receive from health educator Danny Vierra. The principles that he has outlined below are excellent and  if followed you will certainly benefit health wise in the upcoming  year.

Here are some wonderful health guidelines for you to practice in 2011. We are closer to Christ’s coming then ever before, and we need to get in the best shape as possible so we can share the health message with the world and the church. There is no better way of convincing people of God’s health program then by living out the principles in your own life. As people notice your health and energy and see the glow of health on your face, they will want to know what you are doing. Here are the guidelines for 2011 that you can share with them.

1. Eat a whole plant food diet with lots of organic fruits and vegetables from the garden. I always say, “Eat rainbows.” Remember that even the color of the plants have healing power. Such as the red pigment in tomatoes known as lycopene can help preventing prostate cancer. My advice for men is to eat many red fruits and vegetables to avoid prostate problems and cancer. Also a plant-based diet is highly alkaline. Acid foods like meat, dairy, and sugar will make you more vulnerable to disease and cancer.

2. Get 60 to 80 percent of your diet from living or live food such as fresh organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. There are many great raw cookbooks available with delicious recipes. Another easy way to get plenty of healthy raw food is to start the day with the following Super Energy Breakfast Drink: Start with a good blender or Vita-Mix. Add 1 apple, 1 banana, a handful of grapes, 1 kiwi, or whatever fruit you like, 3 tablespoons of Organic Flaxseed Oil, 2 Scoops of SuperManna, add a few ice cubes or use frozen fruit to give it a little chill but not too cold. I also may add a tablespoon of pumpkin, flax, and sunflower seeds  and perhaps 10 almonds. Add all of the above to 24 ounces of organic apple juice and blend for 30 seconds to one minute. This will make four or five servings. You will get amazing amounts of energy from the 14 Super Foods and the four or five servings of fresh live fruits seeds and nuts first thing in the morning, right when you need it. The Super Energy Breakfast Drink contains all the protein, essential fatty acids, and healthy carbohydrates you need for the a great start for the day. In addition to the breakfast drink, have a big green salad for lunch or dinner with all your favorite vegetables containing even more fiber and protein, vitamins, and minerals. If you will eat 8 servings of fresh organic produce every day you will protect yourself against cancer, heart disease and other major diseases. Eat a high alkaline diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.

3. Try growing some of your own food and plant some fruit trees. Citrus trees are beautiful in landscaping the yard and they are evergreen. Teach your children how to plant seeds and make a garden together. Make it fun. I just started a new garden method called the Square Foot Garden. You use less water, spend less time weeding, and get more produce with less time and energy. I bought 15 raised garden beds and am so excited on teaching this method at BellaVita and our coming Medical Missionary School — R I S E N!

4. Avoid eating animal foods. Animal food is high in protein and fat that increases one’s chance of getting cancer and other chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Animal food is void of all fiber making it a major cause of colorectal cancer. It is also high in cholesterol and therefore a contributor of heart disease. Cultures that eat the highest amounts of animal foods have the highest amounts of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and other diseases. Eating the flesh of animals is not necessary, and in fact contributes to an early grave. Global obesity is plaguing the world and animal foods are a major cause of the increase in overweight people. Obesity is a major cause of disease and diabetes.

5. Avoid all dairy products. Dairy is liquid meat, and any disease in the animal is most likely also in its secretions. Milk is the number-one cause of childhood anemia and allergy. I remember the late Dr. Vigil Hulse once told me that as a Milk and Dairy inspector for 13 years in California, he found 80% of the herds had cows with leukemia and 50% of the herds had cows with Bovine AIDS. This was in the county in which I live. Milk Does A Body Good? Instead, drink water or fresh juices when thirsty. The FDA allows 750 million pus cells per liter of milk.

6. Avoid refined white sugar, white flour, and ordinary salt or sea salt. Use Sugar is acid forming and weakens the immune system. It contributes to diabetes and obesity. When using salt, use Celtic Salt or Real Salt instead for they contain all the minerals from the ocean instead of just sodium and chloride.  Regular table salt is a poison to your cells. Learn to eat foods as close to God’s original design as possible.

7. Avoid artificial sweeteners like Nutrasweet that causes lesions in the brain, MS symptoms, diabetes, and painful joints to name a few. Learn to eat food as God gave it in the garden like fresh fruit which I call “God’s candies.” Artificial sweeteners are associated with increase disease and cancers.

8. Exercise at least four or five days a week.  We need all the oxygen we can get. My favorite exercises are racquetball and weightlifting. This gives me the combination of aerobic exercise like racquetball for my heart and circulation and anaerobic exercise like weightlifting for building bone density, strength, and toning the muscles. Both forms of exercise are good and necessary for eliminating toxins through the lymph system. Exercise is wondeful for fighting depression and increasing longevity.  Perfect health comes with perfect circulation.

9. Increase your consumption of pure water and drink 6 to 8 glasses a day or more depending on your size and weight. One rule is a half-ounce for every pound of body weight. Avoid chlorine and fluoride. They can cause cancer, hypothyroidism, and other complications. Use a water filter if necessary.

10. Start drinking fresh organic juices everyday if possible. A combination of carrot, apple, celery, chard and parsley is a great immune-building formula that is high in potassium and phytochemicals. I make a green smoothie in the morning by adding green leafy vegetables like kale to my fruit smoothie. The leafy vegetables with the fruits do not cause indigestion.

11. Cleanse your elimination organs on a seasonal basis. Cleanse the colon, liver, kidney, lung, blood, lymph and skin using organic herbal formulas, saunas, skin brushing, etc. And do not be afraid of cleansing. Remember the old saying: “Death begins in the colon.” I recommend doing a 10-day cleanse like Modern Manna’s Super Cleanse. Many people come to BellaVita for a fabulous cleansing and detoxifying experience like no others. We constantly witness healing miracles at our programs.

12. Have a positive attitude and get moving if you feel depressed. Doing something for someone else that has a need will help heal your own discouragement. My #1 recommendation for depression is exercise! Memorize Scripture promises and claim them when you are assailed with negative thoughts. I recite Isaiah 26:3, 4: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

13. Breathe deeply several times a day of fresh air. Take a walk in the open air. Walking outside or through a forest is always nice and refreshing. Exercise in the open air is a blessing.

14. Get 30 minutes of sunshine every day on your front and back if possible, but do not burn. The best times are before 11 AM or after 4 PM.

15: Exercise self control and practice temperance. Temperance is a Bible doctrine. It means to abstain entirely from things that are harmful and use judiciously the things that are good. In other words do not overeat or be a glutton. Some Bible verses to review on temperance are: Acts 24:24-26; 1 Cor. 9: 24-27; Galatians 5:22-25; Titus 2:1, 2; 2 Peter 1:6. Try to avoid eating between meals or before bed. Eat at regular intervals so digestion will be thorough and complete.

16. Trust in God, spend time in prayer, and study your Bible every day. Prayer is the key in the hand of faith that unlocks Heaven’s storehouse. Ask for fresh supplies of grace everyday. Make time for morning prayer, devotion and have family worship everyday. I have made family worship a priority and have seen the difference in my children.

17. Love your enemies and forgive those that have wronged you. Remember, Forgiveness is the key to freedom. Don’t delay since Christ is coming soon!

Please forward  email to your friends and family or anyone else who may benefit from it. May God richly bless you as you begin a new year!