Cranberry Detox Diet

Thanks to the popularity of such original detox plans as the "Master Cleanse," the market is now flooded with a plethora of plans to suit almost anyone's needs. Detox plans generally fall into one of two categories--solid food and liquid diets. The Cranberry Detox diet is a (mostly) liquid plan that can help you meet your detox goals.

About Detox Diets

Detox diets are heavily restricted plans of eating that can last anywhere from several days to several weeks. The intent of the detox is to purge your body of accumulated environmental toxins, which build up over the years because of contaminants in the air, food and water.

The Power of Cranberries

A cranberry may be a good detox choice because the tiny berries contain a number of nutritional benefits. Cranberries are full of antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins A, C and K. Additionally, promoters of these plans say cranberry juice "cleans" your lymphatic system.

Preparing the Drink

Your main sustenance while on this plan will be homemade cranberry juice. You should avoid the store-bought variety, as they are often concentrates with unwanted ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup, that will interfere with the effectiveness of your detox. Your homemade mixture should contain about 2 tablespoons of pure cranberry juice diluted with 1 cup of spring water. This should be consumed first thing in the morning and throughout the remainder of the day.

Food Choices

Cranberry juice is not the alpha and omega of your nutritional allowance. You also may consume fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and other foods containing significant amounts of fiber. The additional fiber will help flush out your system while the foods provide necessary vitamins and minerals from natural sources.

Considerations

There is some controversy over whether detox plans are safe or even necessary. With this in mind, limit the overall amount of time you remain on a detox to balance the potential rewards against the risk of malnutrition. Thus, remain on the plan for no longer than a week or so. This will give your body a fair amount of time to "reset" itself without depriving it unnecessarily.