I avoided doing a liver cleansing diet for a long time – a very long time. Who would deliberately take all the interesting foods out of their life and replace them with raw or steamed vegetables? Did you hear that? That was my stomach talking – because unless you’ve been living under a rock, the head knows that a healthy detox is a necessity and the best natural detoxification for anyone eating a western diet.

It’s not just rich or fried foods but also the amount of processed food in our diets. And you don’t really need to take a month off to do a healthy detox. But you do need to have your head right and some determination.

The daily rounds of refined, glossy but nutrient poor trash we throw down our throats and hurl towards our livers puts a huge burden on our bodies. Most of us walk around with very tired, frustrated livers that simply can’t keep up with the volume and variety of toxins they need to eliminate so we can live healthy lives.

A liver cleanse diet is designed to benefit the liver by naturally cleansing excessive toxins, helping the liver to work its finest. Not going to happen if the stomach gets its way.

A liver cleansing diet can help improve immune function, allergies and even help with weight gain. Everyone can benefit from doing a liver cleansing diet. But you have to start with really wanting and determined to do it because before you know it those cravings and addictions you’ve been housing for most of your life will be calling you.

And even though you’re head will know what’s best for you, your stomach will be teasing you to lighten up, do it another time and set yourself free. After all, if your friends, family, lover, husband or wife really loved you they’d stop nagging you and see the inner you! Well, no matter what lies you tell yourself to get out of your liver cleansing diet the ghost of Christmas pudding will be haunting you again – because you’re not doing this to be loved – you’re doing it for your health.

Okay, seriously if it’s all too hard stop reading here but if you’re ready to get the most from your liver cleansing diet then listen up.

It’s good to drink lots of fresh, preferably filtered water, vegetable juices and eat fresh fruit. Not too much of anything; your goal is to lighten the load for your organs. Your food intake can increase again after you’ve done this for a few days.

Here are a few body detox diet tips you should consider before you start:

1. The easier and simpler you make it, the longer you can manage this kind of healthy detox.

2. Don’t detoxify if you’re pregnant, having your period, just had major surgery or have a serious medical condition. Get medical advice if you’re not sure.

3. Plan your detox with the right foods, clear your calendar and anticipate side effects. (The more often you do this the less often you’ll get any side effects.)

4. Don’t overeat. Reduce the burden on your organs for the greatest benefit - so eat small to moderate size meals through the day.

5. Eat your largest meal at breakfast and the lightest and smallest meal at dinner.

6. When was the last time you got eight hours of sleep a night? This one thing alone can help your liver recuperate from the year’s indiscretions.

7. Avoid fatty and processed foods – take them out of your universe and banish temptation – or else you are doomed.

Once you’ve let go of some of the rubbish in your body and your head you’ll probably find you sleep better, feel lighter and less sluggish.

But before you can have this great new energized and evolved you, you have to let go of all your past patterns of eating late, eating rubbish and eating and drinking too much. Don’t do it because others are telling you to - because you will fail – do it because you are the master of your universe and in that universe you are fit and healthy. Doing a liver cleansing diet will help you get that feeling again.

I still get confused about the best way to do a liver cleansing diet. I mean, there are shelves of liver cleansers, digestive enzymes and herbs all around town promising to deliver the best whole body cleanse, healthy detox and body detox diet in 24 hours or less.

Unfortunately, all I have to show for all the spin are shelves of half empty bottles that I can’t bring myself to throw out because they cost so much… irritating reminders that I still need to find a decent liver cleansing diet.

One thing I do know is that a liver cleansing diet is probably one of the best things you can do for your body - ever. The liver helps remove toxins from our bodies – okay, most people know that - but I found something you may not know. The liver also removes damaged red blood cells, stores vitamins and minerals, and actually produces these vitamins and minerals for use throughout our bodies.

That’s a lot of responsibility! And I don’t know about you but I don’t exactly help my exhausted liver with my less than perfect, all right,  poor diet, drinking alcohol, never enough exercise or  sleep. I have moments when I’m good – but will my liver ever catch up?

I know I have to do something when my skin looks pasty grey, I’m forever waking up tired and I catch every cold and flu that’s hit town. As my liver slowly grinds to a halt from overwork, the level of toxins in my body increases – and will go on increasing until I get over myself and get on with actually doing a liver cleansing diet and not just reading about it.

So back to the ever increasing cost of a liver cleansing diet – well, surprise! A whole body cleanse shouldn’t cost the earth.  In fact, a good healthy detox costs very little if you use common sense….

First, if you eat food that normally takes four or five hours to digest, yes, were talking mainly red meat and heavily fried foods, and before that time is up eat more of the same again, your body won’t have time to break down the first lot of food let alone the second round.

Waiting for your food digest doesn’t cost money – it’s discipline… can’t buy it in a bottle - unfortunately.

Second, what supplements are you planning to take during your whole body cleanse? The wrong supplements are a waste of money. But some supplements are a good investment if not necessary to the process. Be sure to take a fiber supplement. This will help soften and clear waste from your body easily. Also include supplements like dark green superfoods. These superfoods absorb toxins from your blood stream and at the same time give your body extra protein and nutrients.

A third, inexpensive piece of advice for your healthy detox is body work. This includes anything from body wraps to massage therapy, colon hydrotherapy or lymphatic drainage – and let’s not forget exercise. These will help remove toxins and waste out of your body. Body work can free toxins from your body, softens waste buildup and removes it.

The body is an amazing machine that is not meant to break down or get old – if you treat it right… Your organs do all the hard work to cleanse and detoxify your body. But, you have to keep the tools that help your body cleanse in good order.

So, a good liver cleansing diet is really at best a healthy detox. Follow these few simple rules, go on line to find the right cleansing supplements or visit your local health food store.

My last piece of advice – which I learnt the hard way - if you find a product and the instructions tell you to eat anything you want during your liver cleansing diet - put it back. It’s like saying you can lose weight while eating as much as you want. There are lots of good liver cleansing diets or body detox diets around. Look for a natural detoxification diet where ever possible; more chemicals will just tax your liver even more.

Good luck – good liver cleansing diet!