Top detox tips

Thinking of doing a detox? Got a few questions before you begin? Let us help you on your way by answering a couple of common detox-related ponderings...

When is the best time to detox?

A detox is a way of cleansing the body of toxins that may make you feel sluggish, bloated, irritable or affect your skin and hair. Therefore the best time to start detoxing is when your less than healthy living practices are impacting on your body and mind. If you are experiencing unwanted bloating or a sudden onset of acne or if you’ve noticed yourself having severe mood swings lately, a detox could be the perfect solution to your issues.

How often should you detox?

Rather than looking at a detox as a one-off health food splurge, try readjusting your perception. Detoxing in many ways is just good, healthy eating that isn’t sabotaged by foods that clog the body up and slow it down such as takeaway, fried food and sweets. So instead of setting a specific number of times to detox throughout the year, you should try to make healthy eating a continuous process, encouraging your body to be in an ongoing state of healthy detoxification. You don’t have to deprive yourself to do this, having the odd twice a week treat is ok, just stay away from alcohol and junk food binges.

What should I do once I've finished my detox?

What you do after a detox is almost as important as the detox itself. Going straight from healthy living and good nutrition to your old fast food ways is a recipe for disaster. You’re likely to end up with an illness, an increase in acne or a barrage of headaches. Keep your after detox ‘glow’ by sticking to the basic principles of your detox and just adjusting small parts of it. Rather than only eating fresh fruit as snacks, you can treat yourself to chocolate or ice-cream, but make it a small portion and set a limit for how often you’ll do it. Ideally you should stick to the same healthy eating practices you employed while detoxing and only eat ‘treat’ foods two to three times a week.