Detox is the process or state of removing a toxic substance from someone's body. A detox diet includes eating more fruits and vegetables as well as cutting back on processed foods. The word "detox" originated from the Latin verb "deterere", meaning to remove dregs, referring to the process of clearing itself out of liquid or matter. Nowadays, people use the term detoxification to refer to the body's natural processes of clearing itself out of any harmful substances. In a nutshell, cleansing or detoxing refers to the elimination of toxic substances from the human body.

In food and nutrition contexts, some dietitians regard detox diets as fad diets that offer no nutritional value and have potential for causing nutritional deficiencies, weight-loss plateaus or actual weight gain. Detox diets also bring up ethical issues surrounding the marketing and selling of detoxification products as well as issues with documenting health benefits from a product that purports to achieve this purpose. There are various types of products available in the market claiming to aid in detoxification, such as the foot detox machine, which is believed by some to be the best ionic foot detox machine.

Detoxifying diet plans are diets that "claim" to 'cleanse' the body by providing a set of meals and nutrition guidelines. These diets can be considered as any combination of fruit, vegetable, herbal or other types of juices, smoothies, etc.

Method #1

What you will need:

• A clean glass jar
•  Water
•  Fresh fruits and vegetables of your choice
• A knife

Instructions:

1.  Fill the jar with water
2. Add in fresh fruits and vegetables of your choice (organic produce is best)
3.  Pour water into the jar until it's about 3/4 full – Give yourself about an inch to spare at the top. After all your produce is inside, you'll still have some space leftover on top, so don't fill it too up!
4. Place a lid on the top and tighten securely so no air  will escape during the fermenting process. Screwing a ring around the lid at this point is also helpful so that if the lid does pop off from a bit of expansion, it doesn't get lost and fall into the fermenting food.
5. Leave the jar at room temperature for two days (most vegetables will be ready in about one day)
6. After two days, move to a cooler place. Some people use their basement or cool closet; others use their refrigerator.
7.  Leave the jar in a cool environment for one week (You can taste the produce after day 3 to see if you like it, but leave it longer than a week for more macrobiotic goodness.) When your fermenting is complete, store it in the fridge and enjoy!
8. Typically, you leave the vegetables inside as long as they are still good looking and crispy. You can taste them every day to decide when they are ready to eat.
9. You can enjoy your veggies in a variety of ways: on their own or mixed with other vegetables, chopped up in salads or sautéed with eggs for breakfast. Another option is to use the liquid as a base for soups, sauces or mixed into drinks.

Once you understand the basics of this recipe, you can be creative and try out different ingredients every time! Some other vegetables that taste greatly fermented are fennel (the core parts only - the feathery fronds are too fibrous), okra, celery root, and daikon radish.

 You can also ferment fruits! Strawberries make a delicious fermented snack, as do apples (but not the peel). Berries are sensitive to oxygen, so mixing them with some brine before putting the lid on might be useful. Be sure to add enough salt!

If you find mould on top, scoop it off and eat the vegetables below. Moulds are natural preservatives that help foods last longer; they are not harmful unless you have an allergy or sensitivity. (source) ( source )

Method #2

What you will need:

• Two large pots
• Water
• Salt (non iodized) [optional]
•  Fruit or Veggies - choose from the list below. To be really safe, stick to vegetables that are low in oxalic acids, like cucumber and carrots. These two do not use salt.

Instructions

1. Fill one of your pots with water and bring it to a boil; add in fruits or vegetables (your choice) - add enough so that they are fully covered by the water (that's why two pots). *tip: if you forget and leave them for a while, no biggie! Don't worry about overcooking them, as long as the water isn't too hot when you add in your fruit. It is much more important than they are underwater than fully cooked.*
2.  Once vegetables have softened a bit (if you aren't sure if veggies are done, take one out and taste it to be sure - if you still have a bit of crunch, turn the stove off and let them continue steaming) - add in 1 tsp salt per quart of water
3.  Take your second pot (or large bowl), fill it with ice-cold water (this is really important so your ferment will stay cold overnight). As soon as you reach this step, take your pot of veggies out of the hot water and submerge it in your bowl of ice-cold water.
4.  Cover with cheesecloth or a porous lid - Don't screw on top securely, or fermentation will not proceed correctly! Let sit at room temperature (it should stay pretty cool overnight). You can place it by an open window or in your refrigerator.
5.  The next day, take out your veggies with the cheesecloth and put them into a glass container that will fit in your fridge.
6. Add enough to cover all of the fruit vegetables completely and press down on it, so there is no air space at the top (be sure not to add too much brine).
7. Leave in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

Enjoy! This is also a great way to preserve your produce your garden and end up with more than you can eat at one time. You can do this using any of these veggies you like.

Don't forget to watch your ferment throughout the process - when there is 1/4 left in the container, you can either eat it and start all over again with new veggies or start a new batch. If you are consuming your ferment throughout this process, be sure to taste it as you go. If you like the flavor at 1/4 left or even a bit less, then you can stop there (make sure it smells and tastes good). If you want a stronger fermented flavor, keep going! It will continue to get sourer.