| In January, sickly and bloated from all the excess of | | | | fruits and vegetables which you could replace with |
| the party season, many of us announce we are | | | | organic produce: |
| detoxing, not drinking for three months, losing ten | | | | * apples |
| kilos or whatever our own personal hang-ups dictate. | | | | * pears |
| But is all this new year's virtuous activity likely to do | | | | * peaches |
| us any good? | | | | * nectarines |
| What detox diets promise | | | | * strawberries |
| Some people (Carol Vorderman and Kim Wilde, step | | | | * cherries |
| forward!) have made a fortune from promoting their | | | | * raspberries |
| own detox programs, which apparently can help us | | | | * grapes |
| lose a 10 kilos in 10 days, banish cellulite forever, feel | | | | * peppers (capsicum) |
| better than we've ever felt, and more. | | | | * celery |
| The detox theory | | | | * green beans |
| The theory goes, our bodies are continually | | | | * potatoes |
| overloaded with toxins from pollution, cigarette | | | | * spinach |
| smoke, pesticides, a poor diet, food additives, alcohol | | | | * lettuce |
| and caffeine. As these toxins build up in our system | | | | * cucumbers |
| we gain weight, get cellulite, headaches, dull skin, | | | | * squash |
| bloating, fatigue, lowered immunity, aches and pains, | | | | * pumpkin |
| and suffer from a general lack of wellbeing. | | | | Try introducing more fruits and vegetables to your |
| Supposedly, the process of detoxing helps to | | | | diet, maybe you could get a fruit and vegetable box |
| remove these toxins from the body so you lose | | | | delivered each week. Fresh seasonal vegetables |
| weight, feel healthier and recover from all those | | | | arrive at your door, forcing you to look for new |
| other niggling health problems. | | | | ways to prepare and cook them. Most cities have a |
| Do detoxes work? | | | | variety of organic and non-organic home delivery |
| Some doctors argue that our bodies are completely | | | | services. |
| capable of excreting waste without the aid of | | | | Clean up your skin |
| 'detoxing' - that's what our liver, lungs, kidneys and | | | | It's also important to consider how the products we |
| skin are designed to do, after all. Whether this is true | | | | use on our skin and in our homes may be affecting |
| or not, strict detox diets followed in the long term, | | | | our health. They routinely contain chemicals that are |
| can lead to nutrient deficiencies. And of course, if you | | | | carcinogenic or have gender-bending and other toxic |
| do a short-term detox then go back to your old | | | | effects. If you really want to eliminate some toxins |
| habits, it's unlikely to do you any long-term good. | | | | from your body, you should probably be looking at |
| I'm certainly not arguing that junk food and excess | | | | the contents of your bathroom cabinet and your |
| alcohol is good for you. But for me, the biggest | | | | household cleaning products, rather than eating only |
| problem with the idea of detoxing is that it doesn't | | | | cabbage. |
| allow for gradual, long-term development of healthier | | | | Get real (and realistic)! |
| habits. This all-or-nothing approach calls for complete | | | | A glass of red wine with a meal is good for you and |
| dedication to a severe program which is not | | | | can help protect against cancer, as can dark |
| sustainable or realistic in the long term. Naturally, | | | | chocolate. A half hour walk each day is all you need |
| when you fall off the wagon you feel guilty then you | | | | to protect yourself from depression and boost your |
| think 'what the hell' and hit the alcohol and chocolate | | | | immune system. So, rather than eating lettuce leaves |
| harder than ever! | | | | and drinking nothing but water for six weeks, be kind |
| Organic food for a clean system | | | | to yourself. Enjoy a glass of wine with your dinner, |
| Intuitively, we know that pesticides in our body from | | | | go for a relaxing walk and have the occasional |
| the food we eat can't be a good thing. Try | | | | dessert. That way you'll be less likely to devour a |
| introducing some organic food to your diet. You don't | | | | whole packet of biscuits in one sitting because you |
| have to go completely organic and many people can't | | | | won't feel deprived. Whoever said 'all things in |
| afford to. Here's a list of the more contaminated | | | | moderation' had the right idea! |