Hi Debbie,

I've read about so many different detox diets but do you know a healthy one that I'll realistically be able to stick to? I got given a juicer for Xmas!

Thanks,

Cara

UKTV Style's Agony Aunt replies:

Hi Cara,

It's extraordinary how complicated our relationship is with food. Over Christmas we spend a huge amount of time buying and preparing food and booze - then spend a day or two consuming it - all in the name of 'having a good time'. Then as soon as January arrives, we are filled with guilt and instantly start dreaming of 'purging' ourselves in a kind of ritualistic punishment. So it is hardly surprising that so many of us reach for the catch-all 'detox diet' solution.

What then does detoxing really mean? Literally, it means getting rid of toxins from the body - something which the body is designed to do naturally. But in a world dominated by junk food and additives, it has come to mean the process of purging and cleansing the body of anything undesirable.

Special herbal drinks and tonics are encouraged, as is the rather grim process of colonic irrigation. You can even buy a 'detoxing foot spa' which, for a mere £195, claims to be able to 're-energise, re-balance, and relax' you. Books abound with celebrity endorsements involving special diets limited to raw, or juiced fruit and vegetables. All of which are supposed to lead to more energy, great skin, better sleep and weight loss. Those in the know also claim that detoxing 'strengthens' internal organs such as kidneys, liver, colon and lungs.

But the fact is that if you cut down (or better still, cut out) alcohol, nicotine, additives, preservatives and sugar, then you are bound to feel and sleep better, and lose a bit of weight. Add to this a healthy eating plan, centred around fruit, vegetables, protein and some carbohydrates - and you have a healthy way of life, rather than a punishing detox, which will only leave you with a splitting headache.