WEEK ONE DETOX (diet; exercise and skin care)

Not only do many of us overeat through habit, but our food has lost much of its nutritional value through processind and is packed full of fat, sugar and additives.  When we pour these and other toxins like alcohol and caffeine into our bodies, our metabolism prioritizes rendering them harmless or "detoxed".  This leaves less energy for the everyday processes of cleansing, healing and renewal.  Over time, the body cannot keep up the pace, strain on the overworked liver and kidneys shows and the body's performance slows down.

Although this detox diet could be adapted to last anywhere from one to four weeks, one week of detoxing should be sufficient to start your Lose Weight Look Great programme.  This detox diet is split into seven stages, so in a week-long detox each state will last one day (in a two-week regime each stage would last two days and so on).  It is important to follow the plan in the order given.  After the liquids-only stage you must come back to food slowly or you will overload the digestive system, undo all you have achieved and even feel quite unwell.

THE 7 DETOX STAGES

Stage 1     Liquids only
Stage 2     Liquid and fruit only
Stage 3     Add raw vegetables
Stage 4     Add cooked vegetables and brown rice
Stage 5     Add beans, lentils, nuts and seeds
Stage 6     Add grains and live yogurt
Stage 7     Add fish

EXERCISE PROGRAM WEEK ONE

1. Warm-up (5-10 minutes)
2. Aerobic exercise - walking and / or running and / or skipping for at least 15 minutes
3. 10-minute tones (10 minutes)
4. Cool-down (5-10 minutes)

SKIN DETOX

Giving yours skin a thorough clean out helps to balance moisture, clean the pores and get rid of dead skin cells, paving the way for a smooth new skin surface.  External methods for cleansing the skin are exfoliating and skin brushing, which boost circulation, stimulate the elimination of toxins through the lymphatic system and speed skin cell renewal.  Alternatively, the 'inside-out' bethod involves boosing circulation and sweating from the inside by heating the body in a sauna or steam room or by undergoing hydrotherapy.