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Looking after mine and my familys health has always been very important to me. I don’t get ill, and can’t remember the last time I had a cold or virus of any kind - or certainly not that lasted more than half a day or so. So it came as a bit of a surprise when I started feeling run down and tired all the time, and I was even finding it hard to get up in the morning. Over the course of about 12 months I’d seen my doctor many times and had all the tests he threw at me, but every one showed nothing wrong.

As luck would have it, not long after I met up with a naturopath who suggested I could do with going on a detox diet, and generally learning about how to detox the body and understand the impact of toxins on my health. From what people were telling me it was clear that detoxing had a lot to offer, so took it upon myself to learn as much about the process as possible, and try to understand why alternative health therapists say it’s so popular and advocate following a detox diet and in particular the 7 day detox diet so strongly.

Something else she recommended I try was a foot detox. I have a foot spa two or three times a week now, if I have the time, but as a suitable alternative, the foot detox patches can do just as good a job - but doing it this way you miss out on the relaxing foot massage at the same time

Here’s what I learnt to detox your body.

Drink water or herbal teas

Drinking plenty of fluid is absolutely vital while you are following a detox diet as it will prevent the build up of toxins and man made chemicals in your body. There’s lots of other health reasons to drink water as it helps prevent constipation, stops water retention (believe it or not), and improves your complexion. Your goal should be to drink about 8 glasses (or 2 liters) of water each day, and a good bit more in hot weather or on your exercise days.

As a guideline, aim to drink an extra half liter of water for every hour you exercise. The best water to drink is home filtered tap water, or boiled water which has cooled, or bottled water. Ideally drink water that is at room temperature. Herbal teas are a great alternative in helping your reach your daily quote - loose leaf is better than tea bags as it hasn’t been processed as much. Peppermint, camomile, dandelion root, horsetail and yarrow are especially great in a detox as their hidden ingredients help boost the detox process. Green tea and redbush is also beneficial as it is very high in OPC antioxidants.

Should You Go Organic

Buying organic produce where possible is better for your health but not totally necessary, because organic is usually much more expensive, but if you can afford to stretch to buying a few organic products it will be a great help.

If you can’t buy many organic foods, don’t worry. Just eating plenty of fresh fruits and veg is more important - even if they are non-organic - rather than not get enough of them. Having said that, there are some very beneficial health reasons of going organic on a healthy detox diet.

Organic foods are free from artificial pesticides and sprays, so they contain the lowest possible amounts of artificial, potentially toxic chemicals (such as nitrates). Organic farming is a hotly debated and controversial topic because there is mounting evidence that the build up of toxins from man made chemicals and bug sprays overtime may cause health problems in the future.

There is a lot less processing of organic produce on its journey to your kitchen. Ultimately this means organic foods not genetically modified and are free from hydrogenated fats and artificial additives. And you may notice that organic foods also taste better and have much deeper flavors.