The summer excess detox

Immune detox

This is the most important month for getting your body back on track. You might have had a wonderfully relaxing holiday, but now that you're back in the rat race your body will be reacting to those weeks of cocktails, barbecues, inactivity and too much sun. Here is our guide for those cold months ahead ...

Lazing on the beach combats stress but inactivity can also make the lymphatic system - the part of our immunity that clears away dead cells, bacteria and toxins - stagnate. Sweet, summery foods such as ice cream and fruit smoothies can significantly reduce immunity - new research has found that within 15 minutes of eating sugar, immunity can drop by as much as 90 per cent, an effect that lasts for around two hours. Combine this with the immune-weakening effects of a sudden drop in temperature when you get home, and you're likely to succumb to the latest bug.

The risk: You could end up with low energy levels and an immune system that's under par.

Action plan: Do two 30-minute bouts of exercise a day to boost your lymphatic system. Exchange sweet foods for bitter ones, such as dandelion leaves, red lettuce and rocket, which boost the levels of white blood cells.

Skin detox

People use more skin products over the summer months than any other time of year, and skin absorbs up to 60 per cent of what you put on it including chemical preservatives, UV filters and emulsifiers in sunscreens. So while products keep your skin moist and protected from UV rays, they also increase its toxic load.

The risk: A number of ingredients in sunscreen, such as oxybenzenes, are known carcinogens, while sodiumlaurylsulphate, a commonly used emulsifier, is a skin irritant. The risk of using sunscreens over many years is unknown but must be weighed against the fact that they protect you from harmful UVs.

Action plan: Massage daily with natural organic products containing skin-cleansing herbs into your skin. These include Napier's Calendula Cream (£5.95, 60ml) from www.napiers.net and Greenpeople's No Scent Vita Min Fix (£11.99, 50ml) from www.greenpeopleorganichealth.co.uk. Or drink a skin-cleansing tincture such as Bioforce's Calandula Complex (£7.99 for 50ml), from most health stores.

Heart Detox

Ice cream and fried foods such as calamari containing hydrogenated fats clog arteries faster than roast meals containing red meat.

The risk: Apart from leaving you feeling sluggish, this sort of diet may raise risk of stroke and heart disease in later life.

Action plan: Cut out fried and processed food, eating steamed oily fish three times a week. Eat plenty of flavenoid-rich berries, ginger and garlic - to help maintain healthy arteries. For a kick-start, take Citrus Bioflavonoids by Solgar (£9.65 for 100 tabs from health food shops) or Crategus Tincture (£7.99 for 50g from www.bioforceshop.co.uk).

Liver Detox

If summer has left you with sugar cravings, PMT, poor digestion or nausea, you may need a liver detox. The main culprit is often alcohol, but holiday bugs, exposure to exhaust fumes, mosquito sprays and eating deep-fried fatty foods can all put stress on the liver.

The risk: A stressed liver can't clear toxins from the body effectively - and that will lower your energy levels and immunity. The liver also helps balance blood sugar and hormone levels. Poor liver function can leave you with sugar cravings followed by sudden energy lows.

Action plan: Cut out alcohol for at least two weeks; instead, drink two litres of water and diluted juices a day. Take a course of detox herbs such as Napier's Ten Day Detox Formula, £7.25 for 30ml (www.napiers.net), Milk Thistle Complex, £7.99, 50ml (www.bioforceshop.co.uk)

Hair and Nail Detox

Too much chlorine, salt water and sun can play havoc with your hair, while varnish starves your nails of oxygen.

The risk: Your hair will be brittle and discoloured, while nail varnish addicts are likely to end up with weak, brittle, discoloured nails that are prone to fungal infections.

Action plan: For hair, try the Apple Cider Cleansing Rinse by Frederic Fekkai, £13; Philip B products are great for damaged hair - try the Deep-Condition Creme Rinse, £21, left (both from Space NK, 0870 169 9999). Leave your nails varnish-free for several days. Massage daily with avocado or wheatgerm oil for a week, and avoid varnish removers that contain acetate. Alternatively, take a herbal supplement containing mineral-rich nettles such as Napiers' Nettle Blend (£12.55 for 200ml, www.napiers.net).