Whether its eating a diet consisting only of cabbage soup, downing gallons of cucumber water or sipping on ‘detox’ teas, we’re all familiar with the concept of a detox diet. But before you pick up the juicer or put your feet up with a mug of ‘skinny tea’, let me tell you that you’re wasting your time, energy and cash.

Your skin, liver, kidneys and your other organs detox your body daily, so why would you need to starve yourself, drink magic concoctions or spend money on doing something your body does naturally anyway?

So pour that glass of lemon juice and Cayenne pepper down the drain, ditch the detox diet, and read on if you want to know how to truly kick start your health.

Our Expert Nutritionist’s tips on how to help your health this year:

• Eat real food: Nourish your body and boost your energy by eating real food with real ingredients and do not rely solely on pills, powders and potions.
• Calories: If weight loss or weight gain is your goal, don’t worry too much about the macro nutrient breakdowns and focus more on your calorie intake as this is the number one predictor of weight. If you don’t know your caloric needs, speak to one of our Nutritionists, or use our online Diet Tool.
• Ditch the fad diets: ‘Detox’ and fad diets might provide you with some short term success, but I can assure you, your results won’t last long. The only way to achieve a sustainable weight loss is through a gradual calorie deficit, exercise, and healthy eating!
• Don’t listen to Nutrition Novices: Don’t get your Nutrition advice from unqualified sources, only speak about your nutrition with a qualified Nutritionist or Dietician.

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