New year, old you? After all the gluttony of Christmas, a few days’ detox can seem like the perfect antidote to the traditional season of over-indulgence. From soup diets to a regimen of vitamin supplements, shakes and drinks, there is no shortage of suggestions about how to get started, and it’s hard not to be tempted by the idea of instant results in the form of a shrunken waistline and glowing skin. But just how necessary is a fruit or veg-only regime and, more to the point, is it even safe?
Amanda Wynne of the British Dietetic Association believes not. "The idea that you’re full of toxins post-Christmas is not scientifically valid," she says. "If that were really the case, your body would get rid of the toxins naturally, without you nee
ding to punish yourself. If you’re generally in good condition, there’s no benefit in following a strict detox regime."
Even worse, cutting food groups such as wheat and dairy out of your daily diet can deprive you of important nutrients. In a way similar to the Atkins diet, which compromises on carbohydrates, adverse effects can include ketosis (a condition that causes weakness, nausea, dehydration and bad breath) and weight loss based solely on the loss of the body’s carbohydrate stores and fluid. Stop this strict regime and it won’t be long before the pounds are piled back on.
Yet advocates of raw-food diets, such as Carol Vorderman, whose 28-Day Detox Plan is a bestseller at this time of year, and Leslie Kenton, author of the Raw Food Bible, disagree. They maintain just the opposite - that eating mostly fresh fruit and vegetables helps to lower cholesterol, eliminate cravings, lose weight, purge the body of accumulated toxins, balance hormones, maintain blood glucose levels and reverse degenerative diseases. It can, they say, even go some way to curing arthritis and cancer, gastric ulcers, diabetes and heart disease.
Kenton, who recommends a diet of 75% raw food, says: "Grain-rich, sugar-rich foods, most riddled with junk fats and chemicals as well, make up the largest portion of most people’s diets. When forced to handle them, our bodies rebel. Depending on our genetic vulnerabilities, this may show up as diabetes or obesity, energy swings, raised cholesterol or chronic fatigue, as well as any number of other degenerative conditions. Leave out grains, sugars and refined foods, and the skin not only loses its puffiness, but lines on the face begin to disappear and skin’s natural firmness returns."
There is, however, still no proof that cutting carbohydrates from your diet is beneficial. Since all the evidence is largely anecdotal, the safest option - and one most likely to keep weight off in the long term - is to follow sensible advice from the dietetic association, which, according to Wynne, recommends a gentler approach to improve your general health.
"Limiting your intake of alcohol and caffeine and not having too much refined or fatty food, alongside a balanced diet, is a more realistic strategy - and you won’t be nutritionally compromised," she says.
If you are still adamant about detoxing, she suggests fasting for no longer than a day or two.
"If you’re considering fasting for a longer period, I’d suggest you take a multi-vitamin supplement and get medical advice. As to whether you opt for a fruit or vegetable fast, there’s not a lot of nutritional difference between them, but if you’re going to try it it’s a good idea to base it around starchy vegetables like corn, sweet potatoes, dried beans and peas or starchy fruit, such as bananas."
Breaking bad eating habits • Get rid of leftovers so you’re not tempted.
• Drinking plenty of water helps you feel fuller so you eat less.
• Identify danger times and keep a healthy snack to hand.
• Eat wholegrain cereals and breads. They’re bulky and you’ll feel fuller for longer.
• Start the day with hot water and a few drops of lemon juice.
• Only weigh yourself once a week, first thing in the morning. Weight fluctuates throughout the day and this gives a more accurate record of how much you are losing.
• Don’t set unrealistic goals. A sensible rate of weight loss is about 2lb (1kg) a week.
For nutritional information visit
www.nutrition.org.uk or
www.bda.uk.com