Detoxifying is the process of removing harmful toxins from your body that gets accumulated by eating the wrong types of food.

It is just as difficult as starting a strict diet regimen because your body would crave for the lost food. But if done gradually, nasty and insatiable cravings brought by withdrawal symptoms can be managed, leaving your body toxin-free.

Here are 8 tips to jumpstart your detox programme:

1. Drink more water. Drink six to 8 glasses of water a day to flush out toxins and keep the body hydrated.

2. Cut down on dehydrating drinks. Slowly cut down on your intake of alcoholic beverages and caffeinated drinks like cola, tea and coffee. Do this gradually by reducing your intake within 1 to 2 weeks to avoid withdrawal symptoms like headaches and irritability.

3. Eat more vegetables and whole fruit. Avoid fruit juices as these are packed with unnecessary sugars and are deprived of important fibres and nutrients.

4. Eat nuts. Raw nuts and seeds are good sources of protein, can slow down digestion and give more energy per serving. Salted nuts are not recommended.

5. Less processed food, more beans and whole grains. For a protein boost, eat soy beans, chickpeas and lentils. Skinned chicken and fish are also preferable to processed meat. For healthy carbs and fibre, eat more brown rice and oatmeal.

6. Say yes to friendly-bacteria. Probiotic yoghurt and drinks help keep digestive health in good shape.

7. Go organic. Homemade food like cottage cheese and organic products are closer to nature and are healthier choices.

8. Walk every day. Make simple exercise such as walking a daily routine. Slower workouts like yoga and pilates also have a restorative effect on the body.