Back in the day, I have to admit that I was influenced fairly strongly by what my friends said and did. A couple of them swore by herbal supplements, particularly ‘detox’ products, and suggested I should try juice fasts, ‘detox’ capsules or ‘detox’ drinks when I was feeling a little run down.

So I tried a couple of things, and – apart from some unpleasant stomach cramps – nothing happened at all. I didn’t feel energised, cleansed or different in any way. The only real change was to my bank balance. Well, you live and learn.

Here’s why I don’t think people should be falling for the detox hype this January:

It’s not based on science

Ask a real doctor what ‘toxic’ means, and they’ll tell you it’s a shorthand term for seriously unwell: for example, blood poisoning, or vital organs such as the liver or kidneys not working properly. In other words, you’d be in dire need of medical attention.

This is clearly not what happens to the vast majority of us who’ve had a few mince pies too many, and a bit too much of the vino collapso over the festive period. Be honest, you’re probably just feeling a bit lardy, tired and maybe constipated. If you’ve had more alcohol than you could handle in the last 24 hours then you might also have a hangover, but that will soon pass, however bad it feels at the time.

Nobody’s ever been able to explain to me what the ‘toxins’ are that I’m supposed to be ‘detoxing’ from, and what I have heard is, at best, pseudoscience that’s not backed up with enough evidence. Yes, the human body does have to get rid of waste products on a daily basis, but chances are that your lungs, bowels, kidneys, liver, skin etc are doing a sterling job without needing any extra help (if you genuinely feel rotten though, your best bet is to start with a quick health check from your local GP).

Last week, Which? Magazine took a couple of companies to task over their unrealistic ‘detox’ product claims. You might like to have a quick look at that.

It’s a waste of money

If a product or regime doesn’t work, or have any noticeable effects, or makes you feel worse than when you started, it doesn’t represent good value for money. You might as well forget the magical promises and the non-existent short cuts and go for something that’s been shown to work.

Depending upon what’s really bothering you, you could try one or more of the following: going for a walk or taking some other moderate exercise; eating more fresh fruit and vegetables; giving up smoking or other less legal recreational drugs; drinking less alcohol (like Hans and Charlotte); trying a middle of the road calorie-controlled diet (like Simon); having a few early nights. These are all relatively cheap and easy, and although they don’t come in a fancy box priced £49.99 or via a guru, they’re pretty effective.

It’s often a cover for dangerous dieting

Most of the people I’ve heard talking about ‘detox’ have mentioned weight loss as one of their greatest hopes. Let’s get it out in the open here: a crash diet is a crash diet, however you try to dress it up, and that’s what some of these plans really are. Crash weight loss has been shown time and time again to be bad for you, and while the bathroom scales might temporarily display a new number, most people will end up weighing more than they originally did within a few weeks or months.

As much as some clever business people might try to sugar-coat the weird herbal capsule, there is no quick fix, there is no enchanted potion, however much we might wish that one existed. Slow, steady weight loss and a few sustainable lifestyle changes, including exercise, are your best bet if you’re overweight and want to downsize successfully, safely and for good.

I don’t feel guilty about my lifestyle

Some people are drawn to the ‘detox’ industry because they feel guilty about the food they’ve eaten and/or the alcohol they’ve consumed. It can attract certain people who feel the need to punish, deny or purify themselves for being wicked, losing control, or consuming foodstuffs they see as sinful or otherwise bad.

Food isn’t sentient, it can’t in itself be anything saintly or evil. How sad it is that a couple of slices of Christmas cake can leave so many people wracked with guilt and self-loathing. I heartily enjoyed what I ate and drank over the holiday season, and I have no regrets about it whatsoever. They were good times. Now I’ll go back to my harmless everyday lifestyle and wish you a happy, healthy 2012.

Are you saying no to detoxing this January?