DOs

Begin your detox at the weekend or during a time when you don' t have too much going on.

Walk for at least 15 minutes every day.

Drink at least 2 litres of purified, distilled, filtered or bottled water a day. You can also drink dandelion coffee or herbal teas.

Every day have half a pint of fruit or vegetable juice either carrot and apple juice (you can buy these two separately and combine with onethird water) with grated ginger, or fresh watermelon juice.The flesh of the watermelon is high in beta carotene and vitamin C. The seeds are high in vitamin E, and antioxidant minerals zine and selenium. You can make a great antioxidant cocktail by blending watermelon flesh and seeds in a blender.

Eat in abundance: Fruit the most beneficial fruits with the highest detox potential include fresh apricots, all types of berries, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kiwi fruits, papaya, peaches, mango, melons and red grapes.

Vegetables - especially good for detoxification are artichokes, peppers, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, kale, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, tomato, watercress and bean and seed sprouts.

Eat in moderation: Grains - brown rice, corn, millet or quinoa, not more than twice a day.

Fish - mackerel, sardines, or organically farmed or wild salmon, not more than once a day.

Oils - use extra-virgin olive oil for cooking and in place of butter, and cold-pressed seed oils for dressing.

Nuts and seeds - one handful a day of raw, unsalted nuts and seeds should be included. Choose from almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecan nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds.

DON' Ts

Avoid all wheat products, all meat and all milk and dairy products, eggs, salt and any foods containing it, hydrogenated fats, artificial sweeteners, food additives and preservatives, fried foods, spices and dried fruit.

Limit potatoes to one portion every other day and bananas to one every other day.

Don' t be surprised if you feel worse for a couple of days before you feel better. This is especially likely if you are eliminating foods to which you are allergic/ dependent.

Commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) may also have been damaging your gut lining, so you may need to detoxify your bowel. You can help restore the heakh of your gut lining by supple menting Sg of glutamine powder before bed. I would also recommend youworkunder the guidance of a nutritional therapist, who could assess why you have needed to continue taking medications longterm, and explore ways of improving your overall health.