Although detox is recommended by many, those who have undergone it know that there are a few potential side effects. When you start your detox program, you could potentially undergo some pain.
This is due to the fact that your body has become used to being fed harmful toxins, resulting in resistance of helpful items like nutritious foodstuffs and digestive aids.
On the other hand, experiencing such negative effects can be a good sign. There is no need to be worried about any potential malaise that you might face as this is an indication that the detox program is working effectively.
However, it is always important to be well-informed before starting on a new program, so keep reading this article to find out more about the potential side effects that you might face as your body tries to find a new equilibrium on detox.
Here is a list of these potential side effects:
Intense Cravings
A sudden withdrawal from unhealthy food results in cravings. Your body is probably not used to consuming high amounts of nutritious food and going completely cold turkey on your bad diet habits. As a result, you will face intense cravings, potentially even craving food items that you never cared much for before your detox.
Stomach Cramps
You could potentially experience stomach cramps due to the sudden change in diet. Your digestive system needs time to readjust to absorbing the sudden influx of healthy nutrients that have been lacking in your diet up until now. However, it is crucial not to give in to these cravings and stay strong. Continuing with your detox means that you will feel better eventually.
Sudden Changes in Mood
Mood swings are a common occurrence for those undergoing detox. These mood swings will differ from person to person as every individual experience their detox differently. You might become intensely happy, euphoric, and feel weightless and invincible on your detox. Alternatively, you could become very irritable.
No matter the mood you find yourself in, it is important to ensure that you behave logically and rationally according to the situation that you are in. For example, if you are at work, you cannot display feelings of intense happiness or intense anger and need to continue acting professionally as usual.
Tiredness
In order for toxins to be removed from your body, your internal systems and organs will need to work much harder than before during your detox. However, this is also crucial to curing any autoimmune diseases that you have, helping with energy levels, or just decreasing your weight. To bid adieu to diseases like a leaky gut, your body needs to exert a great amount of effort which is unfortunately reflected as fatigue.
Irritated Skin
The liver and kidneys are the primary organs that break down toxic substances in your body. Toxins are then removed either through feces, urine, or skin in terms of sweat. Unfortunately, the latter irritates the skin, resulting in clogged pores, acne, hives, and rashes.
It is important to remember that these are only temporary problems that will be resolved automatically by your body in a few weeks. Ultimately, your health is more important than your looks, and your health will be greatly improved by undergoing a detox.
Gas
If you’re wondering why you seem to be gaining weight on a detox, when you’re traditionally supposed to be losing weight, don’t fret. A bloated belly is just a sign of gases trapped in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These trapped gases are brought about by the nature of the detox and aid in cleansing your body.
Prevent yourself from passing gas no matter how unsanitary you think it is can be quite dangerous and result in digestive problems and an upset stomach. If you’re not on your first detox, you will probably not have to deal with the problem of passing gas as your body remembers and has gotten used to the foods consumed on your previous detoxes.
Headaches
Headaches can occur for a number of reasons but the most common one is withdrawal. Withdrawals from junk food, caffeine, and refined sugar can make you irritable and prone to headaches. Other reasons for headaches can be dehydration, anxiety over the experience and outcome of your detox and tension caused by this anxiety in your shoulders and neck.
As with mood swings, some people might not experience headaches at all while others are plagued by migraines. Although it is impossible to predict the severity of a headache or whether you will be affected by one at all before your detox, a forewarning of the side effects usually makes it easier to go through as you will be prepared with remedies to cure it.
Bowel Issues
As detox is essentially a cleansing of the digestive system, it is more than likely that you will be facing some potential bowel problems. Before healing your body, you will experience some pain with the excretion of toxins.
This potential pain can come in the form of:
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Increased bowel movements
Restlessness
With such a big upheaval to your diet, you might become restless and disquietened, especially if you’re not fond of change in your life. Perhaps you find yourself unconsciously reaching for a kind of food only to remember you threw it out, so you would not be able to cheat during your detox. This kind of restriction can manifest itself in anxiety, sleeplessness, general tension, and even flu-like symptoms.
Is Detoxing Too Painful?
Detoxing is not for everyone. Some people face such debilitating, lasting side effects that it becomes impossible for them to continue with a detox. However, it is paramount to be able to gauge your body’s symptoms. Are you at that debilitating state and do you really need to stop or are you are just facing some mild discomfort and are good to go?
Eventually, undergoing a detox program is like paving the path towards a healthier version of yourself. You need to be mentally strong enough to keep participating in a detox even if it is unpleasant as you will be the one reaping the benefits in the end.
