A detox diet is a diet where the individual makes a complete change in their consumption habits so that the body gets detoxified by removing toxins and contaminants. With a detox diet, it is possible to improve health, energy, digestion, mental state, your resistance to disease and even experience weight loss.

The modifications that you have to make in detox diet includes fasting with juice fasting and water fasting, increasing the consumption of fish like salmon, restriction in calorie intake and using a herbal detox or master cleanse called the lemonade diet. Most important, a detox diet calls for more of fruits and vegetables in one's food intake, limitations in processed food and the elimination of alcohol and smoking.

The main reason people go on a detox diet is because a human body ingests lots of water, food and air in a day. It is very possible that fat soluble chemicals existing in them get deposited in the cells of the body. With a poor diet, the human body cannot detoxify these chemicals and this leads to a further build up of toxic waste in the body which in turn leads to illnesses, hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies and a weak metabolism.

Once you go on a detox diet, you tend to experience improved energy, have regular bowel movements, find an increase in concentration and clarity in life, improvement in your digestion and clearer skin. However before you go on a detox diet, it is better that you consult with your doctor to see if the detox diet is appropriate for you. Nursing women, children and pregnant women should never go on a detox diet. People with anemia, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, cancer, low blood pressure and with additions to drugs and alcohol should not go on a detox diet unless advised by the doctor.

Like all good things in life, a detox diet too has its side effects of which the most common one is a headache that starts within a few days of the start of the detox diet. This is often due to the sudden quitting of caffeine. This is why practitioners often suggest a gradual stopping of caffeine instead of a sudden stop. In fact, some people take time off for a detox diet or start it on Friday night to last the weekend.

Some people go through a bout of diarrhea because of dehydration and a loss of electrolyte while there are some people who increase their fiber intake, but don't drink sufficient water. This in turn leads to constipation. Prolonged use of a detox diet can lead to a deficiency of nutrients, especially proteins and calcium as some detox diets omit animal products.

Other side effects of the detox diet include acne, weight loss, hunger, irritability and tiredness. If you find any worsening of these symptoms when on a detox diet, it is advised to visit a qualified health professional immediately. You never know if these symptoms had arisen because of the detox diet or because of some other underlying cause as the symptoms of some diseases like cancer similar to the side effects of a detox diet.