WHEN television presenter Carol Vorderman first embarked on a short-term detox diet she famously went from frump to fab in just a few weeks.
Now the new-look Carol is constantly turning heads and has launched her own range of detox books.
But can a quick detox help shake off winter sluggishness and boost energy levels?
We test out six different detox plans to find out.
Bio-Light 3-Day Detox
The big downside is the drink is absolutely disgusting
Price: pounds 13.50
AFTER a week-long skiing holiday where, although I was healthy in terms of plenty of alpine air and daily exercise, I filled myself with large amounts of stodgy food washed down with generous helpings of alcohol, I thought a three-day detox upon myreturn home would be a great idea.
The Bio-Light detox claims it works as an internal cleanser containing 23 natural ingredients which help to curb hunger pangs and promote weight loss and digestion.
It comes in four flavours and a third of the bottle is diluted in 1 1/2 litres of water each day and sipped regularly.
The detox also recommends following a healthy low-fat/high-fibre eating plan.
It sounded easy as I already follow a healthy eating plan, don’t drink caffeine and make sure I get in my five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
But the big downside is that the drink is absolutely disgusting.
Sure it helps to curb hunger pangs – because just a whiff of the liquid puts you off eating for hours.
Perhaps it was my taste buds that were the problem because I made my boyfriend try it and he said it wasn’t the nicest liquid he’d ever tasted but it was okay.
I, on the other hand, had real trouble drinking the stuff and, rather than sip, I opted for the ‘hold the nose and get it all down as quickly as possible’ strategy.
Verdict: The taste of the detox drink meant I only managed one litre on the first day and a mere 500ml on the next two days.
I did drink plenty of water and continued to eat healthily but by day four I had lost no weight and I felt pretty much exactly the same.
Maybe I should have opted for the citrus or Island fruits flavour instead.
Score: 3/10 Helena Markovic
Ortis Pure Plan 10-Day Detox Plan
Amazingly, I lost 7lb over 10 days
Price: pounds 13.25 (10-day supply)
I RATHER grandly announced I’d eat my hat if a bottle of something which smelt suspiciously like syrup of figs could help kickstart my new year, new me pledges.
Okay, pass the trilby – I’m a convert.
I have to confess the swaying factor when it came to choosing what kind of detox I did was that PurePlan’s apple and green tea plan – containing plant extracts like dandelion and artichoke – demanded no special diet, just to cut down on the obviousnasties like booze, caffeine, fatty and sugary foods, and increase fruit, veg and water.
So far, so sensible – but amazingly I lost 7lb over the 10 days, even after falling off the wagon and into the pub at the weekend.
After I got over the headaches of the first two days (probably from cutting down on my zillion cups of tea in the office) I felt full of energy and my skin looked and felt more hydrated.
My only gripe would be that the syrup, which you dilute in a litre of water and drink through the day, does not taste like the “pleasant apple juice” as its makers claim. Admittedly, it tastes nowhere near as bad as it smells, but you’re never going tothink ‘ooh, I fancy a glass of detox juice’ in the same way you would a G&T.
But the litre of juice on your desk at work is a good reminder of your good intentions.
Verdict: I will definitely do this again in time for the summer.
Score: 9/10 (10 if they could only make it taste like a fabulous cocktail). Hayley Cuthbertson
HealthAid Weekend Detox Plan
The smell is enough to put you off, but …
Price: pounds 7.99
THIS detox promises to eliminate or neutralise toxins in the body and leave you feeling clean and healthy in just two days.
It is, so the packaging says, the perfect antidote to excessive alcohol intake and consumption of fatty foods.
The mixture (prune juice, milk thistle, liquorice root and Swedish bitters) has to be diluted in water and taken three times the first day and twice the second.
The smell is enough to put you off but I found that if you hold your nose it makes it much easier to take.
The rest is up to you, but it does recommend staying away from excessively fatty and sugary foods, alcohol and caffeine.
My weekend diet consisted of lots of fruit and salads and plenty of water.
The sense of self restraint felt good and it provided a good kick start to a healthier new year.
Come Monday I didn’t feel any different and it had no noticeable physical effects.
But I trust it has done some good. From what I have read the detox process usually lasts for a period of seven to 14 days.
Verdict: This is an ideal product for the novice detoxer.
Plus I am not sure I could cope with it for much longer than two days.
Score: 5/10 Jonathan Goode
Holland & Barratt Bio-Cleanse
Difficult to swallow – and they taste foul
Price: pounds 17.95
THIS product claims it “may help to firm the body and have a draining effect”.
Quite how these tablets are supposed to detox you is unclear but after Christmas we are willing to try anything.
There’s some interesting stuff in here: chicory root, artichoke, dandelion and asparagus – but no obvious vitamin or mineral boost.
You are directed to take two tablets with a glass of water three times a day for a minimum of two weeks.
I found this very hard to stick to – especially at work or when I was out for the day.
I’m used to taking vitamins and capsules but even for me I found these very difficult to swallow – they tasted very unpleasant.
The packet even warns that “taking this product without adequate fluid may cause it to swell and block your throat” – yikes.
They have to be used in conjunction with the usual detox methods by cutting out alcohol, red meat, fatty foods, sugary snacks and caffeine. But I found this impossible!
I indulged in many of the above ‘sins’ and as a result neither saw or felt any benefit from taking Bio-Cleanse.
Verdict: One for the hardened detox junkies only.
Score: 3/10 Helen Cotterill
HealthAid Detox Kit
I was quite cynical the detox would have no effect
Price: pounds 19.99
THIS kit comes in a smart box which contains three items; herbal tea, herbal detox tincture and capsules of triphala with psyllium fibre.
The details on the box claim that “internal cleanses have been part of the human ritual since almost the beginning of time … it has long been recognised that enhancing elimination of waste products from the body enhances the feeling of well-being”.
It says the cleansing process should be seen as a ritual – users are meant to consider their own lifestyle while sipping the tea. I must admit as I drank it at work I didn’t have much time to do that.
It’s claimed the kit will help eliminate toxins from the body, and give a natural glow.
But I was surprised it didn’t suggest changing anything else – no instructions to drink less alcohol, eat better, spend less time in smoky pubs or get more sleep.
The tea (dandelion leaf, marigold flower, burdock root, angelica root, fennel seed, orange peel, clove, green tea and peppermint) was fairly gently flavoured, and not unpleasant to drink, though you need a tea strainer if you are not using a teapot, orthere are too many bits of leaves and peel floating around the cup.
The tincture (aqua, milk thistle, angelica root, prune juice concentrate, oregon grape root, red clover, liquorice root, cardamon and ethanol) I had to drip into warm water and drink – it had a pleasant alcohol-type smell and was also fairly enjoyable.
I had to take three capsules after my evening meal. I was worried that as the emphasis is on cleansing the body it might have explosive consequences – but I didn’t get any sort of upset stomach which was a relief.
I was highly cynical the detox would have any affect at all as I hadn’t changed anything else about my lifestyle – but after three weeks I had lost 2lb and was feeling generally quite healthy.
Whether this was down to the detox herbs or just getting back into the swing of normal life after Christmas was hard to say.
Verdict: Difficult to determine whether it worked, but no negative affects.
Score: 4/10 Julie Chamberlain
Koyatakara Easy Nite Detox
This trial meant sticking teabags to my feet – definitely the one for me!
Price: pounds 24.99 for 12 sachets Available from www.koyotakara.com or phone 020 8427 9978
WHEN I was asked to take part in a detox trial, I thought no way, I’m too lazy and hungry to do the fruit and water thing.
But this trial meant sticking teabags to my feet – definitely the one for me!
This is an overnight treatment created to make you feel energetic, relax your muscles and improve sleep.
The natural preparation may relieve localised pain, activate body cells and enhance the immune system.
Ingredients included wood vinegar, chitin and loquet leaf, designed to draw out toxins by stimulating the pressure points of the feet.
A six-day course is provided – 12 sachets plus adhesive patches.
Before going to bed I applied the sachet to the adhesive sticker and put the whole thing on the soles of both feet.
Ideally you have to leave it on for eight to12 hours.
The process was easy and I soon got used to sticking teabags to my feet, but when I peeled off the patch on the first morning I was horrified to see a particularly unpleasant, brown, sticky residue, not dissimilar to my niece’s dirty nappy!
I was rather sceptical that the residue was really just the ingredients reacting to the sweat in my feet, but as each day passed the residue got less and less, proving to me that the detox process was really working.
I found I slept much better and woke refreshed and with a sense of massaged feet.
My energy levels were increased – I presume as a result of being less toxic.
Verdict: This really is ideal for the lazy detoxer.
The patches are easy to apply and with natural ingredients, produce results you really can experience day by day.
Score: 10/10 Suzanne Jackson
Comments