The Christmas detox cure to stay slim over the holidays

Detoxes are not just for when the damage is done and the festivities are over. To make the most of the turkey and Christmas pudding without feeling too bloated, you might want to detox and purify your body beforehand. This is especially important in the winter when, month after month, your body accumulates toxins, which accelerate skin aging and reduce your resistance to infection. You may feel tired, irritable, sleep badly, suffer from dull skin, have listless hair... Changing your eating habits will help you to feel less tired and enhance and refresh your complexion. Some detoxes; based just on pineapple or apple; are rather controversial. Adopting the following tips from a few days to a few weeks will be enough to make the difference.

- The wonder of water: drinking at least a litre and a half of water every day is the key to purifying your body. Use and abuse water (either still or sparkling), of course, but also hot drinks, with a preference for herbal tea over coffee.

- You are what you eat: Fruit and vegetables should be on your plate at every meal. Make the most of what the season has to offer: kiwis, clementines, oranges, pumpkin, broccoli, beetroot, etc. Whether steamed or raw, these foods are known for protecting our cells against oxidation.

- Ban on certain foods: refined sugars, ready-made salad dressings, fats, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, ready meals… Also out are butter, light cheeses and processed loaves of bread. Opt for wholemeal bread (rye, multigrain) and replace sugar with honey.

- Get active: but there's no need to start running 4 times a week! Just get moving a bit: dance lessons, a walk in the forest, yoga… For the more sport-shy, simply try to walk more (you could get off the metro a stop earlier, for example)

- Beauty sleep: by eating a lighter meal in the evening, it will be easier for you to get to sleep, your sleep will be of a higher quality and your body will have some time to relax, recuperate and purify itself. The ideal meal? A soup, a salad (which contains juices that encourage sleep) and a dairy product. Merry Christmas detox!