Other detox aids

Flower remedies are the concentrated essence of particular flowers dissolved in an alcohol base. They are designed to help with specific mental states, especially negative emotions, and the theory is that if you heal the mind, the body will follow. Deciding which flower remedy to take depends on analyzing your own mental state or getting a therapist who specializes in flower essence to do it for you.

You take flower essences by dotting them on to your tongue, or by drinking a dew drops in a glass of water. The amount of alcohol you will ingest this way is tiny but if you want to be completely alcohol free during your detox, then stick with the pulse method. For information and advice on flower remedies and which to use, see below.

Types Of Essence

- Bush Flower Essences Purifying Essence is specifically designed for detoxing, both physically and emotionally. It should help you to let go of emotional baggage and leave you feeling relieved and cleansed. Its exotic-sounding ingredients are Bush Iris, Bottlebrush, Dagger Hakea, Dog Rose and Wild Potato Bush.

- Bush Flowers Mountain Devil is also good for detoxification and deep cleansing of the system, particularly if you are feeling angry and irritable.

- Bach Flowers Rescue Remedy is an excellent handbag standby to relieve headaches and problems with concentration or grogginess.

- Bach Flowers Crab Apple is also a cleansing remedy for those who feel unclean or polluted, physically or emotionally.

- Yarrow flower essence is said to detoxify and strengthen the body.

According to Chinese medicine, the body has over 360 acupuncture points with more than 60 on the soles of the feet. Foot patches containing a blend of mineral and clay powders draw out toxins through the soles of the feet, taking the pressure off your liver, kidneys and other detox organs. They help release blockages in the lymphatic system, clear nerve pathways and accelerate toxin release in the blood.

Before you go to sleep at night, tape a white detox pad to the soles of your feet. You may be aware of a slight burning, throbbing sensation, but it's not uncomfortable. When you wake up in the morning, the pads with be brown and sticky with all the toxins they have drawn out of you as you slept.

Claims made for the foot patches include improving blood circulation, increasing metabolism, relieving joint pain, enhancing the quality of sleep, relieving stress and tension, and removing toxins. Whether you believe this or not, you'll be amazed at the gunk that appears on your foot patches and relieved to have the toxins outside your body rather than inside.

You may have seen these for sale in chemists. They often contain different supplements for you to take during the first half and second half of your detox, so there is a 'cleansing' and then a 'restoring' phase. Typically, the cleansing supplements will contain milk thistle, dandelion, burdock root, kelp powder and psyllium, among other substances. The restoration supplements will include lactobacillus or other probiotics, beetroot juice, and more milk thistle. There is nothing wrong with using a detox kit if you are in good health and not taking any other medications, but you may find the levels of active ingredients you consume are not as high as if you bought the individual herbs.

The essential detox rules are as follows:

- Only eat detox foods.

- Drink 2 litres (3 ½ pints) of water a day and as many herb teas as you like.

- Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement, plus an essential fatty acid supplement.

- Take milk thistle or another herb to suit your symptoms.

- Dry brush your skin once a day before bathing.

- As for the foot patches, aromatherapy oils and flower essences, it's entirely up to you. If you can afford it, try them all and see what you think works.

- In the next section Holistic Detox Therapies, there are a number of spa treatments that are offered specifically to help detox efforts- once again, the choice is yours.