What to Expect from a Detox Water Cleanse – Are There Negative Side Effects?

Detox water is just one of the ways to go through a proper body detox. However, when doing so, it is important to remember to eat healthy as well.

There are many people who think starving themselves while drinking detox water is the best option, especially when they want to lose weight. The problem is not eating healthy while drinking this water is going to cause many unwanted health issues. It is helpful to know how to start a water detox plan properly.

Once you know how to do a proper water detox, you can utilize it to its full potential.

How to Do A Detox Water Cleanse (The Proper Way!) 

Detox waters can help you out in many ways. They can help you lose weight, give you more energy, improve your bowel movements, boost your immune system, and help in other ways too.

However, before you start experimenting with drinking detox recipes, you need a plan. Eliminating processed foods from your diet is a great start but make sure you replace them with healthier foods. Starving yourself won’t be good for your health at all.

What does detox water do? It helps to cleanse your body, as long as you are eating real and organic foods. When you go on a detox water diet make sure to keep hydrated. Some people don’t drink enough water which causes dizziness and other health issues. Also, make sure you eliminate alcohol and sugar from your diet. Including more fiber and protein in your diet is a great idea as well. Stock up on veggies and eat those a few times each day. Be sure to include healthy fats into your diet and avoid sodium.

These are some of the best and most effective ways to start a detox properly. (1)

What to Expect from a Detox Water Cleanse

1. Detox Water Provides Better Focus and More Energy

Now that you know how to begin, you can start to get detox water results. One main benefit people have noted with detox water is better focus and more energy.

For those who have recently been exhausted and fatigued, detox water can help to boost energy. Some people state this water will help to get rid of toxins. There isn’t enough evidence supporting that but drinking homemade detox water and following a detox healthy eating plan has worked for many. (2) One of the best for better focus and more energy is detox water chia seeds.

2. Detox Water Helps with Healthy Bowel Movements

Many people who have drunk detox water before bed found it helps to create healthy bowel movements almost right away or first thing in the morning. Not enough research has been done for backing up this claim, however, research has shown water to relieve constipation.

When more fluid is brought into the body, those flow through the color and ease the stools out. Daily hydration is important and detox water helps with this, not to mention certain detox water recipes contain fibrous ingredients that can also help add bulk to stool. (3)

3. Detox Water Helps with Weight Loss

Detox water for weight loss is another benefit. The studies that have been completed show great results. Participants of the studies show that drinking water before meals, especially detox water, helps with weight loss over the course of a couple months. It is not major weight loss but it does help.

Obesity is linked to many health issues and drinking water is one way to lose weight. Drinking water with other healthy ingredients in it regularly keeps the body hydrated and helps to speed up weight loss. It also reduces the risk of other health issues as well. (4) One of the best for losing weight is a coconut water detox.

4. Detox Water Helps Boost Immune System

Boosting the immune system is another positive effect from detox water. The lemon water liver detox is a helpful recipe that helps to get this result. While the main goal of doing a detox plan should be an overall healthier lifestyle, boosting the immune system helps to fight off infections and illness. It also helps in the prevention of these things as well. (5)

5. Detox Water Improves Skin Health

Improved skin health ranks in the top list of positive effects from detox water as well. Clinical studies show excellent results when looking at how a detox water recipe can improve hydration of the skin. Many people who had dry skin before drinking this kind of water were relieved with the results. Their skin felt smoother and softer after just a week of drinking detox water. (6)

While it is great to know about the positive effects that happen with detox water ingredients, it is also just as important to know some of the negative side effects that could occur if you don’t follow a detox plan properly as well.

6. Detox Water Plans May Cause Fatigue

If you are going through a detox, be sure to talk to your primary care physician about it first. Some of the detox water plans can cause you to become severely fatigued because of improper implementation. As long as you continue to eat healthy while going through a detox plan, you should be fine. If you limit your diet too much from healthy foods, you can become fatigued. Only do the detox diet for a short-term and eat well during the process. (7)

Any diet, whether it is touted as a ‘detox’ plan or otherwise, can cause lethargy and fatigue if it is low in calories.

7. Detox Water Plans Can Lead to Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

Another thing to watch for when following detox water plans is vitamin deficiencies. This goes hand in hand with fatigue at times. You must make sure you are eating healthy foods when drinking the detox water, otherwise you could be doing your body more harm than good even though you believe yourself to be detoxing.

If you aren’t eating healthy, you won’t be getting enough vitamins in your body. Long-term use of a vitamin-deficient plan can lead to numerous health problems, and simply drinking a multi-vitamin supplement will not suffice. Keep your detox water plan short and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. (7)

8. Detox Water Plans Can Lead to Bloating

Last but not least, detox water plans can lead to bloating. When you suddenly change the way you eat, like eating a lot of fiber quickly when you don’t usually get enough fiber, your body may have a reaction. It could cause diarrhea, gas and bloating. To avoid this, you should ease into the detox water plan as you would any major change in diet, lifestyle or fitness routine.

Bloating usually settles after a few days. Give yourself time to naturally adjust the changes, and reintroduce other foods slowly after you have completed your detox water cleanse.

9. Detox Water Plans May Cause Uncontrollable Cravings for Sodium and Sugar

Processed foods are laden with fat, sugar and sodium to make them tasty and addicting. Studies show that certain foods have the ability to cause symptoms similar to alcohol or cigarette addiction due to certain ingredients and additives in food nowadays. Depending on how much of these foods you have on a regular basis, you may experience some withdrawal symptoms.

If you notice strong cravings for sodium and sugar during your detox water plan, don’t be scared. This is simply your body’s way of rebounding from your poor eating habits and it will eventually pass. Have natural sugars such as fruits to help curb your cravings, and keep your mind occupied to avoid becoming fixated on foods that are not on the plan.

Conclusion

Now that you are aware of how to start a detox water plan properly and you know the positive and negative effects of doing this, you can decide when you want to begin your healthier lifestyle.