It’s true. A detox does not have to involve popping pills all day long while fasting. Your body can do the job quite nicely on it’s own, so avoid crash diets or detox programs. Nutritionists know that weight loss of more than one kilogram per week is detrimental. Any detox program that provides less than 1400 calories or less than 80 grams of protein each day is merely a drastic starvation diet. Without supervision these kinds of programs will cause a loss of muscle, bone and lower your metabolism. In short we could end up fatter in the long run.

Now is the perfect time to boost your body out of winter hibernation mode and into summer. If you start making a few small changes to your current diet you can improve digestion, lighten the load on your liver and regain your energy for summer.

Meals should be based around plenty of fruit and vegetables, including whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, fish and skinless poultry. For one to two weeks try to avoid wheat, dairy products, processed meats, sugar, excess salt, soft drinks and alcohol. Kick start your day with a squeeze of lemon juice in a glass of water, then be sure to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water during the day. Take a supplement to support liver detoxification and exercise outdoors at least three to four times a week.