A clean break
Begin the year feeling great with glowing skin and bags of energy. Just follow this 30-day detox programme, says JANE SCRIVNER
If you are still feeling sluggish after all that festive overindulgence, your body will appreciate an internal spring clean to flush out any build-up of waste and toxins. Detox Yourself, developed by Jane Scrivner, co-founder of the British School of Complementary Therapy in Harley Street, is a 30-day programme that will leave you feeling in the peak of health. High energy, glowing skin, vanishing cellulite and weight loss are promised. All it needs is your motivation.
Don't worry if you suffer from a furry tongue, a small break-out of spots - not generally on the face - or bad breath in the first few days. These only indicate that the detox is working and will quickly pass.
The detox programme is very specific.
Foods not listed here are not included. You don't need to be a whiz in the kitchen, but do try to be as varied as possible in your food choices, as it will make the programme more interesting and, therefore, easier to stick to.
Apart from the forbidden foods listed on the next page, you can eat whichever fruit and vegetables - including roots such as potatoes and parsnips - you like, as well as raw, unsalted and fresh nuts.
Fish should be fresh wherever possible. If you have to use canned fish, pick those canned in olive or vegetable oil. Choose from cod, crab, haddock, halibut, herring, lemon sole, lobster, mackerel, monkfish, pilchards, plaice, prawns, salmon, sardines, scampi, shrimps, skate, trout or tuna.
Pulses, seeds and sprouts add flavour and colour to our foods, but their vitamin and nutrient content is of critical importance.
Choose from alfalfa, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, and add zest and spice to meals with basil, cardamom pods, cayenne pepper, coriander (fresh and powdered), dill, fennel, ginger (fresh and powdered), lemon grass, marjoram, parsley, fresh ground pepper, rosemary, sage, tarragon or thyme.
To add variety and flavour, include as many of these foods in your regime as you can:
balsamic and cider vinegar, grapeseed oil, miso, mustard (grain not powder), olive oil, olives, Quorn, unsalted rice cakes, seaweed, sesame oil, tahini, tofu and walnut oil.
Your required three pints of water a day can be fizzy, spring, hot or cold, but drink tap water only in emergencies. Add natural flavourings such as honey or lemon, and drink any herbal teas. Freshly squeezed, or ready- squeezed, pure and unsweetened apple or grape juice and any juiced vegetable can be drunk in addition to the required amount of water.
Remember, this is not a diet, so portion sizes are not all-important. Indeed, you should eat more rather than less, and each meal should be a full plate or bowl. If at any stage you get hungry, you must eat something, especially in the first half of the programme as your body adjusts. You are likely to think you are eating more than you should, but this is normal and correct.
Next week, in Part 2 of Detox Yourself, we shall describe the entire bodycare programme in detail. But there are two aspects of it that really must be started on Day 1 for a thorough detox: dry skin brushing and self-massage.
Dry skin brushing : you need a natural bristle brush, loofah, dry flannel or mitt, which should be firm rather than hard, as you will be brushing your skin quite vigorously.
Each stroke should be long, firm and towards the heart. The whole process should take only three or four minutes and will leave you feeling invigorated.
1 Begin at the ankle, brushing up to your knee, then repeat until you have covered the entire calf and shin several times. The next set of strokes should run from the knee to the top of the thigh and over the buttocks.
2 Brush both arms, from the wrist to the shoulder. The neck and shoulder area should be treated more gently as the skin here is very delicate. Work from the top of your arm, up and over the shoulder and gently up your neck to the base of your skull.
3 When brushing your stomach, use gentle circular strokes in a clockwise direction. This will follow the flow in your intestines and not disrupt bowel functions.
4 Brush your face with a soft facial brush or flannel (otherwise the skin can be damaged).
Self-massage : you should massage yourself every day during the detox, but as this can be time-consuming, the massage sequence has been broken down into smaller elements. Try to do at least two elements every day to ensure that over each week you get a full-body treatment.
Face and neck: place the pads of your fingers together and press them onto your face quite firmly. Working together, circle both hands upwards, out and down, all over the face - remember to work the cheeks, forehead, nose, lips, etc. Then relax your jawbone and let your mouth relax. Continue strokes down your neck and over the front of your chest in small and large circles.
Shoulder and arm: place your hand flat onto your lower arm. Keeping as much of your hand as possible on the arm, work in long, smooth, firm strokes from the wrist up and over the shoulder. The pressure should be on the upward stroke and released on the downward stroke. What you are doing is pushing the blood up to the top of your arm.
Hand and wrist: place the thumb of your left hand on the knuckle of your right thumb.
"Drain" the blood and lymph from your knuckle to your wrist in long, smooth strokes.
Repeat with all knuckles until you have drained the entire hand and wrist. Firm pressure is required from the start to the end of each stroke. Repeat for left hand.
Stomach and chest: place your hands flat on your stomach and massage both of them in large circles over the entire torso. The right hand should travel anticlockwise and the left hand clockwise, with firm strokes.
Lower back and spine: stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips with the fingers in front and the thumbs on your back. Press your thumbs firmly into your spine and lower back and move in deep, firm circles. Cover as much of the spine area as possible.
Thigh and hip: sit with your legs supported on the side of the bed or bath or with pillows beneath them. Working on one leg at a time, use flat hands to work in firm circles over the entire hip and thigh area. Once the flesh becomes warm and slightly pink, clench your fist and continue with the firm circles. Work gently at first and build the pressure slowly.
Calf and foot: placing both hands flat onto the tops of your feet, brush them up towards your knees in long, firm strokes. Repeat rapidly several times. Move your hands to the back of your leg and press the flesh firmly, lifting it and pushing it alternately. Work the flesh backwards and forwards, taking care not to "burn" it.
* Next week: Delicious detox recipes, more bodycare essentials and how the programme works * Detox Yourself is published on January 8 by Piatkus Books, Pounds 6.99
Foods to avoid
Avocados: too much starch and fat Bananas: too much starch and fat Bread: gluten in the wheat flour can be difficult to digest Caffeine: chemical stimulant Chocolate: too much sugar and fat Cow's milk, cheese, etc: lactose (milk sugar) can be difficult to digest Lentils: too much gas Mushrooms: too much fungus Oranges: too acidic Peanuts: too much fat and starch Salt: too much salt results in potassium deficiency and water retention Spinach: too acidic Sugar: disturbs blood-glucose levels, causing disturbed appetite and energy Tomatoes: too acidic
The detox diet
Every day you must:
If you are still feeling sluggish after all that festive overindulgence, your body will appreciate an internal spring clean to flush out any build-up of waste and toxins. Detox Yourself, developed by Jane Scrivner, co-founder of the British School of Complementary Therapy in Harley Street, is a 30-day programme that will leave you feeling in the peak of health. High energy, glowing skin, vanishing cellulite and weight loss are promised. All it needs is your motivation.
Don't worry if you suffer from a furry tongue, a small break-out of spots - not generally on the face - or bad breath in the first few days. These only indicate that the detox is working and will quickly pass.
The detox programme is very specific.
Foods not listed here are not included. You don't need to be a whiz in the kitchen, but do try to be as varied as possible in your food choices, as it will make the programme more interesting and, therefore, easier to stick to.
Apart from the forbidden foods listed on the next page, you can eat whichever fruit and vegetables - including roots such as potatoes and parsnips - you like, as well as raw, unsalted and fresh nuts.
Fish should be fresh wherever possible. If you have to use canned fish, pick those canned in olive or vegetable oil. Choose from cod, crab, haddock, halibut, herring, lemon sole, lobster, mackerel, monkfish, pilchards, plaice, prawns, salmon, sardines, scampi, shrimps, skate, trout or tuna.
Pulses, seeds and sprouts add flavour and colour to our foods, but their vitamin and nutrient content is of critical importance.
Choose from alfalfa, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, and add zest and spice to meals with basil, cardamom pods, cayenne pepper, coriander (fresh and powdered), dill, fennel, ginger (fresh and powdered), lemon grass, marjoram, parsley, fresh ground pepper, rosemary, sage, tarragon or thyme.
To add variety and flavour, include as many of these foods in your regime as you can:
balsamic and cider vinegar, grapeseed oil, miso, mustard (grain not powder), olive oil, olives, Quorn, unsalted rice cakes, seaweed, sesame oil, tahini, tofu and walnut oil.
Your required three pints of water a day can be fizzy, spring, hot or cold, but drink tap water only in emergencies. Add natural flavourings such as honey or lemon, and drink any herbal teas. Freshly squeezed, or ready- squeezed, pure and unsweetened apple or grape juice and any juiced vegetable can be drunk in addition to the required amount of water.
Remember, this is not a diet, so portion sizes are not all-important. Indeed, you should eat more rather than less, and each meal should be a full plate or bowl. If at any stage you get hungry, you must eat something, especially in the first half of the programme as your body adjusts. You are likely to think you are eating more than you should, but this is normal and correct.
Next week, in Part 2 of Detox Yourself, we shall describe the entire bodycare programme in detail. But there are two aspects of it that really must be started on Day 1 for a thorough detox: dry skin brushing and self-massage.
Dry skin brushing : you need a natural bristle brush, loofah, dry flannel or mitt, which should be firm rather than hard, as you will be brushing your skin quite vigorously.
Each stroke should be long, firm and towards the heart. The whole process should take only three or four minutes and will leave you feeling invigorated.
1 Begin at the ankle, brushing up to your knee, then repeat until you have covered the entire calf and shin several times. The next set of strokes should run from the knee to the top of the thigh and over the buttocks.
2 Brush both arms, from the wrist to the shoulder. The neck and shoulder area should be treated more gently as the skin here is very delicate. Work from the top of your arm, up and over the shoulder and gently up your neck to the base of your skull.
3 When brushing your stomach, use gentle circular strokes in a clockwise direction. This will follow the flow in your intestines and not disrupt bowel functions.
4 Brush your face with a soft facial brush or flannel (otherwise the skin can be damaged).
Self-massage : you should massage yourself every day during the detox, but as this can be time-consuming, the massage sequence has been broken down into smaller elements. Try to do at least two elements every day to ensure that over each week you get a full-body treatment.
Face and neck: place the pads of your fingers together and press them onto your face quite firmly. Working together, circle both hands upwards, out and down, all over the face - remember to work the cheeks, forehead, nose, lips, etc. Then relax your jawbone and let your mouth relax. Continue strokes down your neck and over the front of your chest in small and large circles.
Shoulder and arm: place your hand flat onto your lower arm. Keeping as much of your hand as possible on the arm, work in long, smooth, firm strokes from the wrist up and over the shoulder. The pressure should be on the upward stroke and released on the downward stroke. What you are doing is pushing the blood up to the top of your arm.
Hand and wrist: place the thumb of your left hand on the knuckle of your right thumb.
"Drain" the blood and lymph from your knuckle to your wrist in long, smooth strokes.
Repeat with all knuckles until you have drained the entire hand and wrist. Firm pressure is required from the start to the end of each stroke. Repeat for left hand.
Stomach and chest: place your hands flat on your stomach and massage both of them in large circles over the entire torso. The right hand should travel anticlockwise and the left hand clockwise, with firm strokes.
Lower back and spine: stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips with the fingers in front and the thumbs on your back. Press your thumbs firmly into your spine and lower back and move in deep, firm circles. Cover as much of the spine area as possible.
Thigh and hip: sit with your legs supported on the side of the bed or bath or with pillows beneath them. Working on one leg at a time, use flat hands to work in firm circles over the entire hip and thigh area. Once the flesh becomes warm and slightly pink, clench your fist and continue with the firm circles. Work gently at first and build the pressure slowly.
Calf and foot: placing both hands flat onto the tops of your feet, brush them up towards your knees in long, firm strokes. Repeat rapidly several times. Move your hands to the back of your leg and press the flesh firmly, lifting it and pushing it alternately. Work the flesh backwards and forwards, taking care not to "burn" it.
* Next week: Delicious detox recipes, more bodycare essentials and how the programme works * Detox Yourself is published on January 8 by Piatkus Books, Pounds 6.99
Foods to avoid
Avocados: too much starch and fat Bananas: too much starch and fat Bread: gluten in the wheat flour can be difficult to digest Caffeine: chemical stimulant Chocolate: too much sugar and fat Cow's milk, cheese, etc: lactose (milk sugar) can be difficult to digest Lentils: too much gas Mushrooms: too much fungus Oranges: too acidic Peanuts: too much fat and starch Salt: too much salt results in potassium deficiency and water retention Spinach: too acidic Sugar: disturbs blood-glucose levels, causing disturbed appetite and energy Tomatoes: too acidic
The detox diet
Every day you must:
- Drink hot water and lemon juice first thing and three pints of water during the day.
Take two of these liver tonics: medium bunch of black grapes; fresh garlic clove (in food); high-dose garlic tablet; medium glass of pure carrot or beetroot juice; two cups of fennel or dandelion tea.
Take two of these kidney tonics: 1 tsp fresh honey in hot water, sipped slowly; medium glass of freshly squeezed cranberry juice or a cranberry tablet supplement; half a medium melon (do not eat anything else for 30 minutes before or afterwards, as it may cause indigestion).
Take a kelp supplement. Kelp provides the body with good quantities of iodine, which keeps the metabolic rate balanced.
Take a multivitamin supplement for the first 15 days.
Eat at least three meals a day from the food lists. Ideally, eat breakfast before 9am, lunch before 2pm and dinner before 7pm.
Have at least one portion of rice - preferably short-grain brown rice.
Have at least three portions of vegetables - one should be raw.
Eat at least three portions of raw or dried fruit.
Have at least three portions of salad.
Have at least one portion of non-dairy yoghurt, cheese or milk. Non-dairy means goats', sheep's, rice or soya products.
Have two portions of either pulses, seeds, nuts, herbs, olive or any seed oil, or fish.