The Best Detox Diet to Curb Cravings

Do you have a difficult time saying "no" to foods loaded with salt or sugar? Do you need caffeine to wake up in the morning or keep going in the afternoon? If so, you are a prime candidate for a detox diet that can help curb your cravings while cleansing your body of toxins.

The Basics of Detoxification Diets

• Detox diets work to rid the body of excess waste and toxins. These elements can contribute to food addiction, cravings and digestive disorders.

  The best detoxification diet lasts long enough to cleanse the body. This usually occurs between three and 10 days after beginning the diet. After you have gone 48 hours without a solid bowel movement, you will know that your system have been completely cleaned out and that you can end the diet.

  Don't engage in strenuous exercise during a detox diet; however, light to moderate exercise is fine and even encouraged.

A Classic Detox Diet

• Start your day with a glass of water mixed with 2 tbsp. of lemon juice. Allow about an hour between drinking the water and having breakfast.

  There are a number of detoxification diets and programs but one favorite is the juice diet. Choose any fruit juice or juices you like, but ensure that they are 100 percent pure, with no sugar added. (One popular choice, cranberry juice, is often sweetened with apple juice, which is fine.) Drink eight glasses of diluted juice per day, mixing water and the juice in equal parts for each serving.

  It's very important to stay hydrated during any detoxification diet, so aim to drink eight to 10 glasses of water per day.

What to Expect

• You can expect a weight loss of between five and 10 pounds, improvement of your digestion and metabolism, and an elimination of cravings for caffeine and sweet, salty and greasy foods.

  During the first days of the detox diet, you'll likely experience more-frequent bowel movements that will decrease until the bowel movements are loose and almost watery. You'll also urinate frequently, as the water and juice flushes the toxins from your system.

  Between the third and fifth days of the detox diet, you may sweat more than usual. One of the ways that the body releases toxins is through the sweat glands, so this is perfectly normal.

  If you feel tired during the diet, rest or take a nap. Light fatigue is a normal side effect of the diet's extreme calorie reduction and your body's release of toxins.