The word detox has become a trend in recent years. I think it depends on the unconscious desire to clean up our body and our mind from the excesses of a lifestyle that is not exactly lenient. It is as if we were looking for a reset or restart key, which cancels all previous actions. A sort of remission of gluttony or behavior.

But it’s a word that also hides a truth: that is, the awareness that our diet is undermined by junk food. And this is positive because it means that a breach has been opened, that as citizens we are more informed about the risks of modern nutrition (dominated by exasperated consumerism and the speed of assimilation) and that there is a need to change.

A very important point to reiterate is that it is never too late to embrace the principles of proper nutrition. By adopting them you don’t even need to resort to more or less credible detox techniques.

And it must also be said that our body is a wonderful machine, which already has the weapons of detoxification: liver and kidneys. In particular, the liver is of incomparable importance as it is engaged in hundreds of functions necessary for the proper functioning of the organism.

The digestive system has the essential purpose of assimilating the energy coming from food (and indirectly from the sun) and distributing it to the organs through the blood circulation . Energy – which we measure in calories – is needed not only to make our body work in all its functions, but also to keep it at the ideal temperature (for this reason the calorie intake is greater as the temperature decreases).

The idea of ​​ detox therefore comes from the belief that one has eaten badly and too much, even if in reality the body assimilates the calories we have sent it, behaving accordingly (for example it creates fat reserves if calories are in excess and are not used, but paradoxically it does the same if the caloric intake drops drastically and you enter a condition of real hunger).

Another fact that I would like to stress is that calories are not all the same .

So a simple weight loss or even a detox based on the calculation of calories is conceptually wrong. And I say it right away: any magical recipes that promise to cleanse the intestine of poisons and toxic substances, bacteria (!) And pathogens are simply false.

Having established these important points, let’s get to the point. Is it possible to keep the intestines healthy and clean? Are there any foods that facilitate digestion and are beneficial for colon health? Given the incidence of colon cancer in different strata of the population, is there a diet that lowers the risk factor?

Improving gut health

To keep the colon in shape the basic rules are:

• Drink more water . Hydration promotes digestion. It does not necessarily have to be hot, although this often falls within the phenomenology of “grandma’s remedies”.
• Eat foods rich in fiber. In particular, vegetables that do not need cooking are ideal (as well as carbohydrates based on wholemeal flour).
• Accustom the intestine to a certain variety of foods. Legumes, for example, create bloating in the stomach, but they are healthy and complete foods and represent a valid alternative to the excess meat typical of our diet.
• The fries are tasty, but they are rich in fats that are more difficult to assimilate.
• The same goes for red meats and cured meats rich in fat.
• Moderate latticini.
• Limit your coffee intake.

• Limit alcohol intake.
• Eat more fruit.
• Eat less with smaller portions, but spread over more meals.
• Drastically cut the sugar.
• Give priority to foods rich in vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and iron, such as whole carbohydrates (avoiding their abuse). Often the white rice diet is used as a detox, but in this case it is better to consume brown rice with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
• Please note that vegetable juices and vegetable soups , legumes and vegetables, despite being healthy, can be deceiving. Vegetables contain carbohydrates and if deprived of fiber or taken in liquid form, it is always advisable not to overdo it. This is why nutrient distribution and a certain variety in nutrition are important. The equation more liquid food = more assimilable food is not always valid.
• Fasting is not a form of detoxification in itself, however it actually has the advantage of resting the digestive system and inducing cellular cleansing at a deeper level. There are forms of therapeutic fasting for which the basic recommendation always applies: it is an experience that can only be done if followed by a doctor and after a careful evaluation of the risks and benefits. based on the results of the blood and urine tests.For this purpose, there are specialized health facilities in which the technique is carried out under strict medical supervision.

  A form of fasting-mimicking diet (which tends to simulate the positive effects) is intermittent fasting which prolongs abstinence for at least 16 hours.

• Eat more probiotics to regulate intestinal fiber. Read my guide to probiotics and benefits for the intestinal flora.

As usual, remember that your health must be evaluated overall . It is not only what you eat or don’t eat, but also how you eat it and how much physical activity you do, how much sleep you allow yourself, how much socialization you do, how much you manage to isolate and detach and relax, thus fighting all the inflammatory phenomena underlying the states of stress and debilitating diseases.

The path of rebirth or detoxification compared to the not very moderate uses of your recent past, cannot fail to take into account this overview.

By adopting a more balanced lifestyle you will be able to derive satisfaction and happiness from the little things, you will align your brain and your body to take pleasure in healthy aspects and not by gobbling up french fries or staying on the sofa for 5 hours to watch your favorite TV series.

There is a measure for everything and you can do everything by choosing priorities. Your well-being starts with the way you eat .

By adjusting your diet over time you will reach the goal of a less strenuous digestion, and therefore also a cleaner intestine, if that’s what you want.

But remember to never confuse the medium with the purpose. If you focus only on the medium you will end up losing sight of the purpose.

Which in this case is feeling good.