Is a detox good at any time of year?

A detoxification, or detox, is a treatment designed to rid the body of poisonous substances and toxins. It’s something that many people think about doing in January or February each year, during that upsurge of good intentioned, New Year’s Resolutions that always happens after the excesses of our Christmas celebrations.

Should we be putting our body through a detoxification at this time of year or should we be thinking differently?

My personal opinion is that we shouldn’t be carrying out a detoxification at this time of year.

Why do I say that?

Well, January in this country, is a very cold month and our body needs nourishment to fight off the bugs that are always going around at this time of year. We also need plenty of good nourishment to help our body keep warm during the cold weather.

Putting our body through a detox starves us of nutrients for a period of time – anything from 3 to 9 days or more, depending on the detoxification programme that you follow. This is not good when you consider my previous statement.

At this time of year we need lots of nourishing foods like soups, broths and stews. They’re an ideal way to provide the nutrients we need to keep those bugs at bay and to keep us warm. It’s a great time of year to get the slow cooker out.

What I’m saying here may well be at odds with the messages coming from other sources. After all, we do get bombarded with articles about “detoxing” at this time of year. But how many of us really understand exactly what is meant by detox?

For many, it simply means spending money on pills and potions to give our body a quick fix after the festive season. This is futile and a complete waste of money. It’s far better to have a long term strategy, such as having a few alcohol free days during the week and eating healthy foods throughout the year, and starting such a long term strategy would be one of the best resolutions you could make for your health and body and it would be far easier to stick to.

Did you know that the 17th January is known as Failure Day? The day by which the vast majority of New Year resolutions have been ditched!

You could start your long term strategy in January, but if you do fancy trying a full blown detox, my advice would be to wait until the weather warms up. Sometime from mid-march onwards is perfect.

What about going on a diet in January?

This is a whole other topic, so, watch out for another post, coming soon.