Do's and don'ts of detoxing

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Detoxing may be more popular than ever.

People are swearing off meat, dairy or sugar, hoping to give their digestive system a break and maybe even jumpstart their weight loss.

CentreSpring MD founder Dr. Taz Bhatia says if you're ready to give detoxing a try, there are some do's and don'ts.

"First make sure you're healthy enough to do a detox," Bhatia says.  "Secondly, go slowly and go gently with it."

Sometimes when you jump into a detox too aggressively, Bhatia explains, you feel pretty terrible.

"You'll get things like headaches, feel nauseated, faint or weak," Bhatia says.  "You may have low blood sugar. So, when

people don't feel good, they get demotivated. They don't want to stay on the plan. So, you'll fall off it."

Next, she says, do choose high quality, organic foods.

 "Bring in a lot of those fresh, healthy vegetable and fruits that are full of antioxidants," Bhatia recommends.  "Those help detox the system and they provide a lot of fiber, which only makes detoxing easier."

Staying hydrated is key, too.  

"Do drink water," Bhatia says.  "You've got to drink a lot of water, ideally electrolyte water. That helps you to feel energetic. It helps to keep everything flushing through.

And what about the detox don'ts?

"First of all, don't drink alcohol," she says.  "That's going to mess up your detox, that's going to set you back."

And don't starve yourself.

"You don't want your calories to go under 1,000 calories a day," Bhatia warns.  "Many people go into a very low-caloric mode. That really makes me uncomfortable. That's where you have muscle breakdown."

Finally, don't hit the gym hard right now.

"You could end up feeling really bad," Bhatia says.  "Your body is already under stress. So, a real aggressive workout is only going to make you feel more tired."