Purge Those Christmas Calories

By Jen Falk
So, you've polished off the turkey, finished all the chocolate you got in your stocking, scraped the last remnants of the pudding from the plate and there aren't even any satsuma’s left. In other words, you've eaten everything under the sun and are feeling bloated and unfit.

Oh yes, it's time for New Year's resolutions, and most important for a clear mind is a clean body - which means detox!

A detox should purge your body of unwanted toxins and give you bags more energy, as well as boosting your immune system.

Even when we think we are eating right and living healthily, toxins still build up in our bodies, apparently, and can become a major factor behind common health complaints such as fatigue, headaches, stress, weight gain, bloating and just feeling run down.

Detoxing is not easy. During my stint there were some hunger pangs - and giving up alcohol even for a few days was difficult - but I felt slimmer (even if part of that was probably psychosomatic) and clear-headed.

Plus, the emotional boost gained from knowing you are doing right by your body almost equals any physical advantages.

There are plenty of different ways to give your body a thorough cleanse, from extreme fasting to more moderate methods that suggest a healthy diet with a few 'super' ingredients. Find the right one for you and it can be relatively painless and even, dare I say it, fun.

It'll still take some willpower, but here are a few ways to give your body a clean start for 2009:

FIRST THINGS FIRST
It's all very well changing your diet, but first it's necessary to get rid of the most toxic things you put in your body, which unfortunately tend to be the fun ones.

So, for however long you plan to detox, it's time to cut out the booze, fags and caffeine. That's right - no morning coffee! Switch instead to drinking water. You may not think it'll give you the wake-up boost you need, but after a few days you should feel the benefits.

Ironically, this is often the hardest thing for anyone embarking on a detox, because cutting out caffeine, which is a drug, will lead to withdrawals - namely headaches. Again, keep drinking plenty of water and you'll start to feel better and brighter in time.