Detox diets and regimes can be incredibly hard to stick to if you lack the will to succeed however if you can manage to go the distance and complete the detox programme then you will, more often than not, quickly see and feel the benefits.

Our bodies are bombarded with numerous toxins each and every day through bad diet, air pollution, cigarette smoke, alcohol and caffeine. These are just the ingested toxins; it is thought that feelings of stress and depression can cause chemical reactions to occur within the body which naturally release toxins as a by-product. Thus it is no wonder that over time these harmful toxins begin to accumulate in many of the systems throughout the body.

The act of detoxing benefits not only the physical body but the mind as well. By taking the time to clean out the body's systems you achieve a sense of inner purity i.e. you can imagine your insides being as clean as your outsides. This helps many people to stick to the diet and resist the pull of their favourite foods.

On a physical level, the kidneys and the liver naturally detoxify the systems of the body but by embarking on a detox regime you can give an added boost to the process. In today's society there are many more toxins than the body can naturally excrete and so any help you can give it is always an added bonus.

Detoxing has ben reported to improve the functioning of many body systems including the digestive system (stomach and intestines), the renal system (kidneys and bladder), the circulatory system (lungs and blood vessels) and the lymphatic system.

By improving the efficiency of these systems you will almost certainly notice that you sleep better, you have more energy, you're more mentally alert, your skin looks better and the dark circles around your eyes disappear. You may even notice that you suffer less with colds and minor infections because of an improvement in your immune system.

Other potential benefits include the suppression of headaches, joint pain, cramps, indigestion and other digestive conditions i.e. bloating and excessive gas.

So, even though adhering to a detox diet or programme can be difficult it is well worth doing. After all, a week or two of detox could mean years of feeling happy and healthy.