Detox diet: Is it right for you?

　　新春过节不可少的排毒食物

　　It’s a new year, and the new you might be looking to de-clutter not just your desk and closet but also your mind and body.

　　新年伊始，万物更新。除了书桌和衣柜需要整理以外，你的身体和心灵也需要进行一番大扫除了。

　　If so, you might be a good candidate for a detox ― a cleansing of the mind and body that starts with healthy, plant-based eating, Elson Haas, author of the “Detox Diet,” says.

　　如果你正好有这种想法，那么就加入“食疗排毒”这个行列里来吧!作者Elson Haas称，“食疗排毒”的主旨是通过食用绿色无公害食物而达到净化身心的作用。

　　“Detoxing is a treat. It’s a vacation for the body, and especially for the digestive tract,” says Haas, who has been promoting detox diets in his medical practice for 35 years. He is the founder and director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, Calif.

　　他说：“排毒是一种治疗方法。就好比让身体，尤其是消化道休个假。”Haas在自己35年的医疗实践过程中一直推荐人们进行食疗排毒。他也是加州San Rafael马兰预防医学中心的创建人及负责人。

　　“It will leave you feeling lighter and younger,” says Haas, who is also known as Dr. Detox. “It will cause you to think about food differently, and to look at your emotional connection to food. Ultimately, it’s about reprogramming the mind about food and emotional well-being.”

　　人们还亲切的称他为“排毒医生”。他说：“排毒后，你就会感觉自己更年轻，体重也降了。它会让你以一种全新的视角来看待饮食，看待情绪与饮食的关系。最终，你对食物及幸福的看法会改变。”

　　So what exactly does a detox diet entail?

　　那么，食疗排毒究竟能带来哪些作用呢?

　　Haas offers a few different detox programs, which differ in length (three days to a lifetime) and intensity (three-meals-a-day plan to fasting). But the basic detox diet is plant-based, deriving proteins and other nutrients from grains, vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts.

　　Haas为人们提供不同的排毒饮食方案，时限以及次数都不尽相同。有的只吃三天，有的是一生。有的一日三次，有的则禁止食用。最基本的排毒食物就是纯天然食物，如可以提供蛋白质和其它营养的谷物、蔬菜、水果、种子果实以及坚果类。

　　So is the plan offered by Ebeth Johnson, a chef and healthful eating specialist at the P Street Whole Foods in Washington.

　　Ebeth Johnson提供的饮食方案也与之大致相同。她是华盛顿P Street Whole Foods的主厨，也是一位健康饮食专家。

　　“Your body is detoxing on its own all the time, every day,” she says at a cleansing-foods event that drew at least 20 people.

　　她在一次至少20人参加的排毒饮食宣传活动上说道：“我们的身体以自己的方式每时每刻都在进行排毒过程。”

　　Anytime the body processes or removes waste from the body it’s “detoxing.” Not surprisingly, the liver and the intestines are big players.

　　人的身体无时无刻不在进行着排毒以及把废物排出体外的过程。人所共知，肝脏和肠道是最好的排毒场所。

　　“So the food that we pick should support the body’s natural detox process. That means incorporating the G-Bombs, for example.”

　　“因此，我们每天吃的食物要给身体的自我排毒作用提供帮助。这也就意味着让绿色饮食参与进来。”

　　G-Bombs: Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Seeds

　　绿色饮食包括：绿色蔬菜、豆类、洋葱、蘑菇、浆果及种类果实。

　　G-Bombs, she explains, stands for greens (packed with antioxidants), beans (high in fiber and protein), onions (anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants), mushrooms (help regulate blood sugar and promote healthy weight management), berries and pomegranates (antioxidants) and seeds and nuts (packed with healthful fats and protein).

　　G-Bombs代表着绿色蔬菜(富含抗氧化剂)、豆类(纤维及蛋白质含量高)、洋葱(抗炎及抗氧化)、蘑菇(调节血糖及体重)、浆果及石榴(富含抗氧化剂)、果实及坚果类(健康脂肪和蛋白含量高)

　　But all this bulk (fiber) can be a bit of a shock for the body. To counteract gas, Haas suggests chewing more, especially when it comes to cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli.

　　但是每天吃这么东西，身体也是吃不消的。为了中和毒素的影响，Haas建议人们咀嚼的时间延长，尤其是吃菜花以及西兰花等十字花科类蔬菜时。

　　An added benefit to chewing more is you get more fullness with less, he says. “You reach your satiation point with less food.”

　　多咀嚼还有一个好处，就是你可以吃少量的东西就会有吃饱的感觉。

　　And drink plenty of water ― up to 64 ounces a day ― to go with the bulk, he says.

　　他还说，每天要喝至少64盎司的水。

　　Cut down on protein

　　减少蛋白质摄入量。

　　While the detox diet is heavy on fiber, it’s light on protein. But it’s intentionally so, Haas says, because most Americans consume more protein than necessary ― especially the animal kind ― and a break is usually welcome, he says. Meat can be hard for the body to process.

　　排毒的食物含纤维都高，但蛋白质含量低。这样安排也是很有道理的。因为大部分美国人的饮食中蛋白质含量都高，尤其是肉类蛋白摄入过多。偶尔换品味还是比较受欢迎的。肉类摄入过多会另身体的排毒过程受到阻碍。

　　Johnson recommends that participants in her 14- to 28-day healthful-eating and detox challenges eat no more than three ounces of fish or meat twice a week.

　　Johnson就建议她的14-28天健康饮食活动参与者们，每天最多吃三盎司的鱼和肉类，每周最多两次。

　　But if you are concerned about protein intake and detox safety in general, contact your doctor before setting out on a detox program, she suggests.

　　如果对这种排毒饮食的健康问题存在担忧，提前和你的医生沟通一下。

　　Who needs a detox?

　　哪类人群适合排毒饮食呢?

　　If you feel and look great, you probably don’t need a detox. And if you’re underweight or nursing, it could actually cut out the fat and protein your body needs, Haas says. But if you have headaches, sinus congestion, fatigue, allergies, acne, joint pain or depression, you might benefit, he says.

　　如果你感觉很好，就不需要进行食疗排毒。如果你体重过轻或是处理哺乳期，排毒饮食会降低身体所需的脂肪和蛋白质含量。如果你感觉头痛、鼻窦充血、疲劳、易过敏、长粉刺、关节疼痛或没有精神，你就需要进行食疗排毒了。

　　“This is all very individual,” he says. “I recommend to patients that they see what works for them. The detox diet is experimental and experiential.”

　　但是每个人的情况都不尽相同。Haas说：“我会根据病人的实际需求来进行食疗排毒的治疗。目前这种方法还处于实验阶段，也只是凭经验进行的。”

　　If you, for example, start out by eliminating refined sugar, alcohol, caffeine, wheat and dairy for a few weeks and you feel better ― but you really, really miss the morning cup of joe, then reintroduce the coffee and see how you feel. If the symptoms ― for example digestive issues ― come back, then reevaluate, he says.

　　他举例说，如果你几个星期内减少糖类、酒精、咖啡、面粉及牛奶的摄入量，而且感觉还不错。但是如果你非常非常想念早晨起来喝杯咖啡，就重新喝一下，再来看看你的感觉。如果以往的消化道问题重新出现了。你就该重新考虑饮食选择了。

　　“You have to ask: Is the experience worth the symptoms?” he adds.

　　“你就得自问一下：症状跟饮食有关吗?”

　　Detox for a day, or a lifetime?

　　食疗排毒需一天时间还是一生的时间?

　　Both Johnson and Haas hope that people will see detox as more than just a two- or three-week-long effort and incorporate the body-cleansing ideas into daily habits.

　　Johnson和 Haas都认为，食疗排毒不只是一两天或一两周就能起作用的。你需要让这种意识影响到你每天的饮食。

　　Suzanne Scruggs, who participated in Johnson’s 14-day detox and healthful eating challenge at Whole Foods in January, says that’s what she wants to do.

　　一名叫做Suzanne Scruggs的参与者说道，这正是她想要做的事。

　　“It’s made me look at food differently,” Scruggs says, adding that she knows now how to use dates as a sweetener, make cashew milk from scratch and cook without using oil.

　　她说：“这让我对食物的看法完全改变了。”她还表示，她现在知道如何把枣当成甜味剂，如何制果粒奶，以及如何不用食用油做菜了。

　　“I definitely have more energy,” she says.

　　她说：“我能感觉到自己每天精力充沛。”

　　So, although detoxing for many is triggered by a wish to lose weight, it can be much more than that.

　　尽管这种食疗排毒是由那些渴望减肥的人推动起来的，但它的作用远不止这些。

　　Haas says that detoxing can pave the way for changes that go well beyond food, because when you look closely at your relationship to food, other habits tend to surface. Do you eat when you’re stressed? Do you eat when you’re sad? Do you drink to feel socially accepted? The list goes on.

　　Haas说道，食疗排毒可以为人们提供一条饮食之外的改变之路。因为当你看待食物的方法有所改变时，其它的习惯也会有所改变。感觉有压力的时候你会吃东西吗?伤心的时候会吃东西吗?你是为了被社会所认可才喝酒吗?远不止这些。

　　“It’s about eliminating destructive habits,” Haas says. “And that means dealing openly with emotions.”

　　食疗排毒可以帮你去掉一些坏习惯。也就是说，你可以更自由的发泄情绪。