f you are familiar with the basics of detoxification and considering trying a detox, you should know what methods are available and which will work best for you. The correct method depends on what symptoms you are trying to relieve. Is your detox to be a quick fix from bloating, relief from digestive problems, or the beginning of making long-term changes toward a healthier lifestyle? Whatever your motivation, one of these following programs may work for you.

	Many diseases can be reversed through pure water fasting.

The Dietary Restriction Detox

This detoxification method is healthy and sensible, and can have long-term, permanent results if properly maintained. The purpose is obvious—to restrict your diet. First and foremost, eat less. Most Americans tend to overeat, especially when dining out.

Here are some basic guidelines for detox:

• Choose leaner meats,
  
• Add plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables,
  
• Limit fatty dairy and meats,
  
• Avoid soft drinks, sugar, and caffeine,
  
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco products.

For additional dietary suggestions, refer to the What is a Detox? article.

If at all possible, choose organic meats and produce. You’re trying to reduce your toxin level, so eating meats pumped with hormones and produce sprayed with chemicals is counterproductive.

It’s also important to increase your water intake to at least eight 12-ounce glasses daily. If you exercise regularly, you may need to boost that quantity by drinking water before, during, and after you exercise to prevent dehydration. For more specifics on dietary health, consider scheduling an appointment with a nutritionist.

Body Cleansing Kits

These programs usually combine dietary restrictions with an over-the-counter package of herbal and fiber supplements to clear toxins from the body. (See The Detox—Body Cleansing In Action article for an in-depth rundown on body cleansing kits.) Available online or through your local nutrition center, these kits are easy to follow, but because you are also curbing your diet, you must plan your meals ahead of time to be successful. Without good planning, you’ll likely find yourself eating whatever is closest at hand—like a doughnut or chips.

Water Fasting

The reasoning behind a water fast, in which one consumes only water for a specified period of time, is that the body will spend less energy on food digestion, allowing more energy for the body to flush out toxins. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Plan for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss, believes that many diseases (e.g. asthma, psoriasis, colitis, high-blood pressure) can be reversed through pure water fasting. Usually performed for no more than three days, some practitioners even recommend doing a pure water fast one day each week.

Gerson Therapy

Gerson Therapy is the dietary restriction detox taken to the extreme. Dr. Max Gerson developed this program nearly 100 years ago as a natural way to activate the body’s ability to heal itself. The patient sticks to a largely vegan diet consisting of thirteen glasses of fresh, organic juices (everything should be organic on this diet), three large vegan meals, several snacks of fruits and vegetables, supplements, and—hold onto your hats—enemas to help eliminate buildup of toxins in the liver. It‘s interesting to note that Dr. Gerson used the diet to cure the 75-year-old Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Albert Schweitzer of diabetes.

Master Cleanse

This detox diet has become famous among Hollywood celebrities like Denzel Washington and Beyoncé. Also referred to as the Lemonade Diet or the Maple Syrup Diet, Master Cleanse was created by Stanley Burroughs in 1941, but found a popular resurgence in 2004 with Peter Glickman’s book, Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days.

Here’s what you do. Drink a mixture of fresh lemon or lime juice, maple syrup, water, and cayenne pepper for at least 10 days, though some people go as long as 45 days. You eat nothing for the entire cleanse, which is technically not considered a fast since the mixture contains vitamins and minerals. To avoid constipation, the program recommends drinking Senna tea every night and warm saline in the morning.

Whichever detox you choose, you’ll likely see a reduction in bloating and pounds, but note: weight, age, lifestyle and exercise routine will effect results.