Time For a Detox?

Back at my computer after a lovely break.

Woke up this morning to a couple inches of snow ... and still falling which was something I've never had the privilege to see! Life is good.

In keeping with this marvellous sense of renewal, I thought that I'd point my way-too-cynical mouse at the whole "detox" thing.

Like the word "diet" which has morphed in meaning from what we consume to a commercial imperative for losing weight, we are all now being bombarded with "detox" products.

How on earth will you survive without a "detox hair straightener"? Yes folks, you didn't misread this. There are hair straighteners containing nano silver riding firmly on the detox bandwagon.

So are these products worth the bucks?

Science suggests that our liver and kidneys can do the job of detoxification amply and unassisted... provided these two work horses are not over-loaded.

So, with decent sleep, sufficient water, moderate movement and a nutritious diet (there's that word again) ... we can assist our bodies to perform their normal function quite admirably without the need to consume any commercial fortification.

But let's face it, if we were already in the habit of doing all those good things, we probably wouldn't need to "detox" in the first place. So it's not that hard to buy into the notion that we could benefit from a little herbal assistance. We live in an imperfect world.

My 2008 attempt at a detox failed on both a psychological and physiological level. I wasn't mentally prepared ... and I still ate too much, drank the odd glass of red wine and warmed myself in the morning with a cup of hot coffee. So I squandered my money ... no doubt.

I'm determined that 2009 will be different. In fact I am coming up with a devious plan to whip myself into the shape of my life and lead the way for those of my readers who want to join me. I will have everything in place within a few short weeks ... so watch this space. And yes, I will formalise my resolve with a detox program.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to look at all this snow.