By Brooke Beason

Detox diets can be effective if used in the right manner.

According to Alicia Potter, writer for CNN.com Health, detox diets usually involve certain types of natural foods or mostly liquids which try to “cleanse” the body of harmful toxins which some believe are attributed to depression, lethargy, acne, or in some cases, kidney stones.

She suggests detox diets be performed in short term phases. If you prolong your intake of detox diet items, sometimes you can actually depreciate your body of natural vitamins and minerals.

Most detox diets consist of some kind of prolonged liquids that are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. If you want to take the subtle approach, start by just adding fruit more and more to your diet.

If you suffer from kidney stones, a very helpful hint that is always shared is to keep your body flushed with water so the liver and kidneys have easier jobs filtering out the natural toxins your body endures.

Potter points out the objective of detox; it’s simple, stop putting the bad things in your body and replace them with natural items - some of which your body can easily digest.

Detox diets are sometimes used to shed some pounds as well. If that is the case, a detox diet can be helpful as well for obvious reasons. You’re skipping the pancakes and opting for nutrient rich liquids. However, there might be healthier more realistic, long-term options for weight loss if that is your sole goal.

As for colon cleansing detox regimens, a simple high fiber diet is encouraged to avoid infection and to do things “naturally.”