Food & recipes

Tried and Tested

Detox delivery companies provide a hassle-free way to clean up your act. We put four to the test. By Dawn Mellowship

The Juice Fast

Actor Amy Burnett opted for the Purifyne Five Day Bespoke Detox Plan hoping to cleanse before a trip to Thailand.

Basis: The Purifyne Detox Plans aim to give your body a rest from toxins by offering nutrient packed freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices.

What’s provided: Four bottles of natural fresh vegetable and fruit juice, along with supplements. The plan is tailored to individual needs.

Cost: £225 for the five day plan tested.

Taste: Delicious! Juices included apple, carrot, ginger and celery, cucumber, pineapple and mint, among others.

Verdict: It’s pretty expensive but hassle free – all juices delivered to work, fresh every day. I was impressed at the amount of supplements that came with the delivery. There was also the option for an enema kit… which I chickened out on. I didn’t feel hunger pangs but I did get horrible headaches. I lost a few pounds and I found my bloating eased, energy levels increased and 100 per cent of any trace of cellulite disappeared!

For more information see purifyne.com

The New Body Plan

Dorota Brockbank, editor of Education magazine, tried the MY Food New Body Plan for a health boost.

Basis: This plan is based on 1,200 to 1,300 calories per day and balances protein, fats and carbohydrates, along with containing low GI food, helping your body to use the energy rather than storing it as body fat. What’s provided: Three meals a day plus snacks. The meals on the New Body Plan are free from dairy, wheat and artificial additives.

Cost: The New Body Plan starts at £122.50 for seven days.

Taste: Breakfast was mostly granola (very tasty and surprisingly filling!) – with soya milk. The lunches were mostly full of flavour. Sadly the Risotto Verde and Pea Guacamole just tasted of cardboard. Dinners were excellent overall.

Verdict: Overall, I didn’t find the diet a hardship at all. I eat healthily most of the time anyway and exercise regularly. I did lose a few pounds which was an added bonus and felt a bit more energised as a result of eating so healthily and not snacking in between meals. It is quite expensive though!

For more information see myfood.co.uk

The Gourmet Detox Diet

Reiki teacher and author Andy Chrysostomou opted for the Pure Package Detox and Cleanse Plan, hoping to boost his stamina and energy levels.

Basis: Pure Package offers a healthy gourmet food delivery service with different programmes tailored to your height, weight, lifestyle habits and food preferences.

What’s provided: A chill bag is delivered every night and contains three main meals and two snacks for the day. The food was fresh and well presented. Portion sizes were very generous, with plenty of protein and carbohydrates to support my training regime.

Cost: The Detox and Cleanse Package is £46.95 per day for 21 days.

Taste: The menu was varied and very tasty. There was always a good mix of salads, vegetables and protein sources!

Verdict: During the programme I felt more awake and full of energy during the day and I found when training that I had more stamina. I thoroughly enjoyed my five day detox diet.

For more information see purepackage.com

The Alkalising Detox Diet

Musician Adam Day tried the Nosh Detox Delivery Detox ABC Plan to cleanse his body.

Basis: The Nosh ABC Plan is designed to alkalise, balance and cleanse your system.

What’s provided: The food was split into six small meals for each day with a different detox tea to be sipped throughout the day (mint tea, camomile flowers, bark teas etc). It also included a skin brush and bath salts containing various herbs/flowers to aid the detox process.

Cost: Starts at £32.95 per day.

Taste: The quality of all the products was impressive and so much better than I was expecting. The food was delicious.

Verdict: I found the whole Nosh experience to be positive and I was surprised by how flavoursome the meals were. I wasn’t hungry, lost quite a bit of weight and felt healthy at the end of the week.

For more information see noshdetox.com

“My energy increased and 100 per cent of my cellulite disappeared”

Skin deep

Try these purifying and cleansing beauty treats to detox your body from the outside in!

Gadi 21 Minerals Purifying Dead Sea Mask, £50, combines the 21 purest minerals such as sodium, magnesium and bromide with the finest essential oils and botanical extracts to stimulate the skin’s repair system.

Heaven Total Detox Body Wash, £26This body wash is excellent for fluid retention. Contains patchouli, juniper and cypress oils which will refres, restore and tone the skin.

Tisserand Detox Bath Oil, £8.10,from escentual.com, is rich in organic ginger, rosemary and lemongrass oil to stimulate a sluggish circulation and encourage the elimination of toxins

This Works new Clean Skin 5-in-1 water, £14, is a multi-purpose, alcohol-free cleanser that gently cleans and purifies the skin, balances PH levels and helps to refresh and remove all traces of make-up, without the need for water.

Vichy Purete Thermale Detoxifying Exfoliating Cream, £11 from escentual.com, has a rich, creamy texture that allows for a high concentration of exfoliating grains, cleansing pores in-depth and visibly refining skin texture

Article by

Dawn Mellowship

Article by

Dawn Mellowship