You will probably have heard of the Lemon Detox Diet and the Grape Diet but maybe you have not come across the 2 Day Apple Detox Diet. It is another of those well tried and tested Naturopathic detox diets and is an ideal short detox to do when you don’t have time to organize a week long detox.

Here’s how to do the Apple Detox Diet

For 2 days eat only apples. Eat them in place of your regular meals and in between as snacks. Eat them whenever you feel hungry. You can eat as many as you want. You can keep to one variety or choose different varieties to vary the flavors a bit. Organic are best to avoid any pesticide residue but still wash them well.

For variety you can chop them up, grate them, blend them with water or eat them whole. In fact you should eat the complete thing apart from the stalk – skin, seeds and core. eat slowly and chew really well. Try them spiced up with a little ground cinnamon, ginger or cardamom.  More important, cinnamon actually increases glucose metabolism—the process your cells use to convert glucose to energy.

Drink only pure water and herbal or fruit teas while on the apple detox. Aim to do the diet at a weekend or when you have a chance to relax as detox can take a lot of energy. Do some skin brushing, walking and deep breathing to keep the circulation going and help with the detox. Combine it with the Epsom Salt Detox Bath or a Salt and Soda or Vinegar Bath Keep away from chemicals and pollution as far as possible.

How to prepare for and finish the 2 day apple detox diet.

Prepare for the diet for 5 – 7 days before by cutting down on tea, coffee, alcohol and fizzy drinks, carbohydrates like pasta, bread, cereals. Reduce the size of your meals and make your last meal of the day a large vegetable salad with a little healthy dressing such as fresh lemon juice and a little cold pressed oil.

After the 2 day detox ease back onto a healthy diet. Start by eating a bowl of mixed fruit, or a healthy green smoothie, some vegetable soup or a plate of steamed vegetables.

Fruit detox not for everyone

Apples are less sweet than a lot of fruits but you could have trouble eating only fruits if you have a blood sugar balance problem, are a fast metabolizer, or have yeast overgrowth in the bowel. Cinnamon has been found to help make your cells more responsive to insulin which regulated sugar metabolism so adding cinnamon to the apples can help blood sugar problems. Otherwise you can substitute the apples with non-sweet vegetables like lettuce, cucumber, celery and tomatoes.

Apples are however high in fiber which helps to slow down the release of sugars. They can be alkaline forming in the body depending on your metabolic type. Don’t attempt this if you are a diabetic or pregnant.

Side effects of cleansing

You can get certain detox symptoms that are usually caused by cleansing such as fatigue, aches, headaches, bowel symptoms such as bloating, gas, constipation or loose stools, but each persons experience is unique.

Drinking plenty of filtered water, skin brushing and combining with an Epsom Salt Detox bath can help with the detox reactions. Or try a relaxing bath and add a few drops of essential oils such as ginger, chamomile, rose or juniper.

What do apples do?

Apples have always been associated with health.  There is that old saying that an apple a day will keep the doctor away. But recent research shows that an apple a day may keep breast cancer away. The anti-oxidant effects of the flavonoids in the apples were credited with the slowing the growth of adenocarcinoma tumors in rats.

So what is so special about apples?

They supply vitamins in a good balance to ensure that your body can efficiently digest and use them. The apple is a rich fruit source of vitamin E and contains biotin and folic acid – two B-complex vitamins important in energy production, emotional balance and in keeping your digestive system clean and functioning well.

It is also a source of betacarotene (that your body can convert to vitamin A), and vitamin C, which are both antioxidants. They contain many minerals including sulfur, potassium, iodine, silica, boron, magnesium and calcium and even essential amino acids in small quantities.

Good fiber

Apples contain cellulose a type of fiber which binds water and increases the bulk of the stools.  They also contains an important fiber called pectin which can detox toxic metals from the body. Toxic metals like mercury, lead, cadmium and aluminum interfere with how our cells function, cause free radicals and can cause lowering of immune function, depression, memory loss, aging and malfunction of the nervous system.

Dianne Hyson, M.S., R.D., a research dietician at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center says “The combination of nutritional components in apples as a whole food show promise in reducing the risk of heart disease and some cancers, promoting lung health, and maintaining general health in other areas.”

Researchers have found that apples are abundant in flavonoids. They are effective in stopping oxidation-the process in which cell-damaging substances called free radicals accumulate. Apples are reputed to be good for the skin for this reason.

Try a 2 day apple detox from time to time.