Proponents of alternative medicine say that body cleansing diets like the lemon detox, for instance, are a form of treatment which helps you to cleanse your body of dangerous and unhealthy toxins. Scientists are quick to point out that any toxins that enter our bodies are flushed out naturally by the body and that the need for extra detox diet recipes is entirely bogus.

Mainstream science does acknowledge the existence of the placebo effect which is basically the contribution of a change in thinking, routine or lifestyle towards an improvement in health or the alleviation of symptoms of an illness. The trouble is the placebo effect always works because of some kind of self-deception on the part of the patient or flim-flam on the part of the “practitioner” administering the diet or treatment. Most doctors and scientists will allow that there is nothing harmful in a cleansing diet or weight loss detox diet plan like for instance, the lemonade cleansing diet, as long as the person embarking on the diet is not ill in the first place. But some individuals are inclined to take these kinds of programs to extremes.

A cleansing detox diet can be made up of a number of ingredients. Increasing the level of your fiber intake and drinking a lot of water are key elements in cleansing your body of toxins. Cleansing diets usually insist on no alcohol or caffeine, plenty of water and lots of fruits and vegetables. No meat or processed food is allowed and often the juice of certain berries or fruits is recommended.

Almost all body cleanse diets recommend increasing your intake of water to help flush the toxins from your body. The scientific fact is that if you drank a reasonable amount of water every day any toxins would be adequately flushed from your body without the need for any special diet or exercise regime.

Let’s take a look at one very well-known cleansing discipline called the lemon detox diet. Increasing energy, loss of weight and a raised level of health are among the benefits claimed for the lemon detox. The central part of the diet is a drink made up of:
8oz water
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
fresh juice from half a lemon
a dash of Cayenne Pepper

There is also a salt drink involved in the lemonade cleansing diet which is just a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water. Some people swear that the Lemon Detox diet is the turning point in their lives. Others who have tried it say it was the most unpleasant experience they have ever had. I guess it depends on your attitude.

Another alternative is the fruit detox diet which basically means going on a diet of fruit for about a week. No nasty drinks, just fruit. The downside is that fruit has a high sugar content and if you go on a fruit detox diet for too long you may develop sugar cravings.

One definitely harmful aspect of body cleanse diets is that they are usually devoid of protein which is an important part of our dietary needs. If you persist with depriving yourself of protein your body will not be able to make enough amino acids for the maintaining of muscle tissue. This means you may be looking quite starved and wasted by the time you have finished your cleansing. Not a good look if your aim was to enhance your appearance.