How to Detox

By Lisa Campana

Some experts believe that detoxing is the answer to our over-fed, over-indulged lifestyles. Others stress there is a lack of evidence to whether anything we ingest or buy off the shelves can beat the body's own natural detoxification process.

But, whether it's simply a need to lay off the Sauvignon Blanc and chocolate cake for a while, or whether you want to investigate the effectiveness of a full-blown naturopathic detox, read on for our complete guide.

Do You Need to Detox?

As we all know, beauty starts from within. If you're feeling sluggish, suffering from rashes, unexplained headaches, breakouts, or even if you're finding it difficult to lose weight, this is your body telling you it needs to take a break. Learning to listen to your body instead of masking symptoms with that extra cup of coffee is vital to looking and feeling your best.

What Is a Detox?

A 'detox' can mean a variety of things, from simply avoiding alcohol to going on a detox diet. Quite simply, detoxification aims to help your body rest and recover from daily life. Your liver is a very important organ, which recycles and breaks down (detoxifies) substances that are bad for you. These substances are then eliminated from the body through the digestive tract and also through the skin.

Detox fans say that giving your liver and digestive tract a chance to clean itself out can make you feel better and get your skin glowing. Ideally you need at least one full week to detox properly as the cells in your digestive tract need time to replace themselves.

Detox Risks

The internet is loaded with radical detox plans that can have potentially dangerous side-effects. You should never undertake anything extreme without a doctor's consent. Your body naturally needs nutrients to keep you running fit, to help fight off infections and maintain everyday metabolic processes. Be wary of any unsupervised detox programme that sounds too good to be true, and if you start to feel unwell while detoxing, stop and seek medical advice.

> Page 2: Foods for Detox
> Page 3: Detox Your Mind