Body shock

Some detox programmes would have you cutting down overnight to a diet of raw vegetable juices accompanied by their recommended vitamin and herbal supplements. They require you to go cold turkey on caffeine, alcohol, wheat, dairy, salt, sugar, processed foods and many other toxin-laden or difficult-to-digest substances.
It's plans like these that have given detoxification a bad name in certain medical circles, because they would make you feel very ill if you tried them. A lifetime's worth of pesticide residues, drugs and other poisons stored in the fat cells is suddenly broken down and released into the bloodstream, causing all kinds of unpleasant symptoms. These can seriously compromise your immune and nervous systems and interfere with the action of your thyroid gland, and you would have been much better off staying as you were.

A Balanced Diet

Another criticism that the medical establishment fires at detox diets is that they are lacking in protein and essential nutrients that the liver requires in order to metabolize food. In the following pages we will look at how to select your detox foods and drinks to keep your diet balanced. Quick-fix detox diets, like crash diets, are not successful methods of losing weight, because when your body is deprived of food it goes into starvation mode and will retain all the calories it can to supply energy. When you start eating normally again, your metabolism will still be programmed to retain calories and so you could put on weight very rapidly. The first step in this gentle detoxification programme is to cut out any bad habits, such as smoking, excessive drinking of alcohol or caffeine, use of street drugs or over-the-counter medications.

WARNING: Don't stop taking any prescription medication without discussing it with your doctor.

Each type of fruit and vegetable has its own unique combination of healthy phytonutrients.

If you are ready to quit the evil weed, there are dozens of organizations, books, tapes, herbal remedies and complementary therapies that can be of use. Oat straw, a concentrated source of B vitamins which is available from health food shops and alternative chemists, can help reduce cravings and quell the irritability that often accompany the first nicotine-free days.

If you regularly consume more than two units of alcohol a day (for women) or three (for men), or if you ever drink more than six units in one session, you are putting your health at serious risk. One in three heavy drinkers will die in middle age because of drinking, even though they and their friends might not consider themselves to be 'alcoholics'.

Seeking Help

Cut out alcohol completely at least seven days before you plan to detox. Your liver will start to recover straight away, from the first alcohol-free day. If you have trouble cutting out alcohol, you may need help. Talk to your GP or call Alcoholics Anonymous. A Chinese remedy called kudzu, which is available from alternative chemists or TCM centres, is useful for combating cravings when you give up alcohol, Take 150mg three times a day, and drink lots of water.

An estimated 30,000 people in the UK are addicted to OTC medications, with painkillers at the top of the list and cough medicines second. There are many side effects of this kind of dependency. One study, for instance, found that the regular use of ibuprofen doubles your risk of suffering a heart attack and substantially increases your risk of stroke. The long-term misuse of painkillers can lead to physical and psychological dependency, chronic constipation, headaches, nausea, liver dysfunction, all kinds of gastrointestinal disorders, depression, mood swings, chronic lethargy and restless limbs, to name a few.

The warnings on packets state that patients taking these drugs for longer than three days should see their doctor, so do heed this and get treatment for any underlying illnesses that are causing your symptoms. Talk to a herbalist, homeopath or naturopath if you would like to investigate a holistic path to feeling well enough so that you no longer need OTC drugs.

which could include headaches, irritability, and inability to concentrate, cravings, anxiety, fatigue, a runny nose and, possibly, nausea. Don't rush to the medicine cabinet for some paracetamol, though, or you'll undo the good work you've started. Use rosemary, peppermint or lavender aromatherapy oils applied to the temples, the pulse points behind earlobes and the back of the neck to relieve headache and nausea. Chamomile tea is also good for the relief of mild to moderate headaches, and Bach flower essence Rescue Remedy can help.

If you are having a real problem with caffeine withdrawal symptoms, you may need to take this stage more slowly. Switch from coffee to green or black tea, which still has caffeine but also contains bioflavonoids and catechin, a substance that protects against heart disease and cancer and boosts the metabolism. When you are accustomed to drinking tea instead of coffee, cut back gradually by replacing a cup a day with herbal teas- there are lots of delicious varieties you can try. Don't attempt to start a detox programme until you have sorted out your caffeine dependence or you will give your system too much to cope with.

Free radicals are unstable molecules which are created in the body as a result of some normal metabolic reactions. However, more are generated by smoking, drinking alcohol, environmental pollutants, taking antibiotics or paracetamol, or burning body fat while on a weight-loss diet. Free radicals have a negative electric charge and they try to neutralize this by colliding with other molecules so they can pass on their spare electron in a process known as oxidation. Excess oxidation damages cell material and causes a number of degenerative problems and diseases, including atherosclerosis (furring and hardening of the arteries), heart disease, premature ageing and cancer.

The main defences against free radicals in the body are substances called antioxidants that can neutralize their negative electric charge before the damage is done. Antioxidants are nutrients taken in through the diet, and as you prepare for a detox it is crucial that you increase your antioxidant intake. By boosting your intake of foods containing the four major antioxidants at the same time as you are cutting out alcohol and caffeine, your detox preparation will be well under way.

Carotenoids

These are found in yellow, orange, red and dark green fruits and vegetables, including carrots, tomatoes, spinach, sweetcorn, mangoes, peaches, watermelons and pumpkin. By reducing the oxidation of fats circulating in the blood, they diminish the risk of heart disease, cancers and cell damage, especially to the eyes.

Vitamin C

As well as being a powerful antioxidant, this vitamin prevents the conversion of nitrites (found in many processed meats and other pre-packaged foods) into carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Vitamin E

Food sources include avocado, eggs, nuts, seeds, whole grains, oily fish and broccoli, and should always be eaten raw where possible, because cooking destroys part of the vitamin E content. This crucial vitamin is the most important anti-ageing nutrient and it does seem to counteract some of the negative effects of pollution and heavy metals, while boosting the immune system and reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Selenium

This valuable mineral binds to harmful toxins like mercury, arsenic and cadmium and strengthens the immune system's ability to destroy cancerous cells. You'll find it in Brazil nuts, fish, poultry, whole grains, mushrooms, onions, garlic, broccoli and cabbage.

Did you pass the stools test on our previous page? You should have bowel movements at least once a day and pass well-formed, walnut-coloured, non-sticky stools that float on the surface of the water but flush away easily. The minimum recommended level of fibre is 18g per day but many experts say that 35g is optimum. Almost all of us would benefit from including more fibre in our diets,

Choose one when you don't have important work commitments, as you may find your concentration is not up to par, and avoid weeks with a lot of social engagements as it will be hard to resist the pressure to join in. You may get more tired than usual, so you will need plenty of early nights. Don't choose a week when you have a major sporting commitment, such as a tennis tournament. Your performance will be affected and you could make yourself ill.