The philosophy behind detoxification is very important to the process itself. Sticking to a detoxification plan can be extremely challenging. Detoxing will test a person’s perseverance, will-power, stamina and resolve, and in order to get through it, they must truly want the detox and take it seriously. In order to embrace and follow through with a detox plan, one must thoroughly recognize and accept their own personal need to take drastic measures to restore their body to an optimal state of chemical health.

Throughout human history, even in ancient times, we find examples of people fasting or limiting their diets for spiritual, religious or health reasons, and the medical profession has always recognized that the substances we ingest act as more than just sustenance, but medicines and toxins as well. In modern times, however, when we hear about “detoxing” or “cleansing”, it is a result of the natural, organic food movement that arose at the turn of the century. Modern research into cancer, heart disease and other ailments lead us to intense scrutiny of the foods we consume, and into a radical reevaluation of everything we eat. Detox plans and cleanses were created to rid our systems of the toxins that accumulate within them because of unbalanced, unnatural diets or repeated substance abuse.

For health enthusiasts, detoxing is not done so much out of necessity as it is out of a lifestyle choice. The healthiest among us may not have a pressing need to undergo a detox, but they often do just to keep their health at a pinnacle level. This kind of person usually embraces the idea of food as medicine, and of physical health as a means to happiness and wholeness. Sometimes a person has a healthy lifestyle but may still have a disease or disorder that restricts their diet, so they may be passionate about detoxing as a way of keeping their systems free of the substances they cannot process correctly.

For people who are severely addicted to a substance and frequently abuse it, detox is a matter of necessity, not lifestyle choice. This person’s detox process is usually quite different from a health enthusiast’s. A detoxing substance abuser does follow a regimented diet plan, but their detox is supplemented with medications and medical supervision. This sort of detox is created around getting a specific substance out of the body in order to terminate the body’s dependence on it. Because dependence on a substance can create severe withdrawal symptoms within a person, their detox should take place under medical surveillance with the help of medications that can ease the withdrawal symptoms. For professional help, try Ontario drug detox.