Lighten-up Plan: Lighten-up Programme

7am Wake up Don't jump out of bed and get dressed. Your body regenerates overnight, creating natural waste products that, if released suddenly by you charging around because you're late, can tax your liver. By stretching the muscles first thing in the morning, you start the toxins moving more gently through the system.

So try the following stretching programme in bed:

  • Start with your feet, tensing and extending each muscle in them and then letting them relax. Now move up to your calves, again tensing and relaxing. Do the same with your thighs, buttocks, stomach. Now start with your upper body: clench then relax your hands and lower arms, then tense and relax your upper arms, and finally your shoulders. Don't clench the muscles in your neck because they are generally tense enough, but turn your head gently to the left then to the right, and repeat the other way. Clench and relax your shoulders again, your chest and your back. Shake out your muscles and get up.
7.30am Take the following supplements with a large glass of water (the first of eight glasses you'll drink over the day - try for one every hour):
  • 1 multivitamin
  • 1 probiotic supplement
  • 140ml milk thistle (take with each meal)
These supplements start to strengthen your liver and digestive system. Leave half an hour before eating.

7.35am Have a detox bath. While bedtime may more commonly be bathtime for you, you can't have a detox bath before bed since the diuretic properties of many of the oils will keep you up all night.

The good news is that the oils used in detoxing are usually energizing so, as long as the water isn't too hot, you won't feel sleepy when you're finished. Start by body-brushing while the bath runs. When it's full, add three to six drops of any of the oils listed on pages 36-37, or try a stimulating detox blend of two drops geranium oil, two drops mandarin oil and one drop grapefruit oil.

Agitate the water to prevent a concentrated dose settling in any one place, then relax for 10-15 minutes.

8am Eating breakfast is vital for detoxing. Not only is it the first chance in your day to replenish all the nutrients your body used in repairing itself during the night, but it also stimulates the elimination system to start removing the debris created.

A good detox breakfast contains high levels of nutrients and fibre like the three below. Choose one of these each day, but don't accompany them with tea or coffee. If you want a hot drink, try ginger or peppermint tea or chicory, all of which stimulate the body but don't contain caffeine.

  • Fibre provider: A bowl of bran cereal with soya milk, topped with a chopped banana and some prunes.
  • Fruit salad: Chop an apple, a slice of watermelon, a banana, a handful of grapes and a pear and mix with half a cup of unsweetened orange juice.
  • Supersmoothie: Many detox diets use juice drinks to cleanse the system because they are easy for the body to digest, but since they include no fibre they are not nutritious enough to use as meals. Instead, if you want to drink a meal, choose a smoothie, which retains fibre. Combine a large slice of watermelon, a banana, a handful of strawberries and a glass of orange juice (you could also add a scoop of chlorella powder) in a blender and whisk until liquid.
10am Snack on two pieces of fruit. Choose any fruits that you particularly like, but good detoxers include oranges, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries and apples. By eating small, regular meals and snacks, you boost the amount of nutrients you take in and also prevent sudden drops in your blood-sugar levels, which can lead to low energy and cause cravings for coffee and tea. However, if you are craving either, try a little acupressure. A good one for caffeine withdrawal is a point called 'Bigger Rushing'. You'll find this on your foot, in the valley between the big toe and the second toe. Rub it gently for a minute. If this doesn't work and you're desperate, then have a coffee; one or two cups in a day really won't hurt you.

1pm Use lunch to strengthen your detox system and also give you the energy to face the afternoon ahead. The mistake many of us make with lunch is to pack it full of carbohydrates (like bread or jacket potatoes). These are healthy choices, but too many carbohydrates in one go can make you sleepy, aggravating the natural energy dip we get mid-afternoon and causing cravings for toxin-filled foods like chocolate or biscuits. Instead, focus your lunch on detoxing fruits and vegetables, and then add a 75g (3oz) serving of low-fat protein. Start your meal with a cup or glass of either the Winter Warmer Soup or the Cleansing Juice (see box below).

4pm Have another fruit snack to keep your energy up. If you normally have a sugary snack about now, you could be craving chocolate. If so, get some vanilla essence and keep it handy to sniff when a craving hits. Studies at St George's Hospital in London have shown this can help reduce the severity of chocolate cravings.

5-7pm Do some exercise. The early evening is the best time of the day for exercise, since muscles are at their warmest. Three days a week, do 30 minutes of exercise, such as swimming, running, aerobics or brisk walking. Three other days, practise some yoga. On the other day have a rest. Leave at least half an hour after exercise before eating.

7pm Use the power of carbohydrates to help you sleep, evening is the best time to eat them, so this time add a serving of carbohydrate foods (or starchy vegetables) to those detoxing fruit and vegetables.

  • Choose a starter - Winter Warmer Soup or Cleansing Juice.
  • Choose one of the Lunch vegetable bases.
  • Add a 75g (3oz) serving of one (or a mix) of the following: brown rice, jacket potato, new potatoes, mashed potatoes, wheat-free pasta, mashed swede, roast parsnips, corn on the cob, sweetcorn, rye bread or pumpernickel bread. 9pm Take a relaxing bath. Use a little essential oil of lavender to promote both deep sleep and regeneration in your body.