There are times of year when you just feel overstuffed. I start eating like tomorrow will never come from the beginning of December and end after February 18th, with my birthday marking the last big splurge of the year.

I do feel guilty, don't get me wrong, but having two months out of 12 to eat whatever the hell I like is a way of letting go - too much control makes everyone crazy. So, with February getting to it's end I start thinking about all that red meat still brewing somewhere in my bowls, with cupcakes, chocolate and wine in my cells, and do myself (and my conscious) a favor and go on a detox diet for a couple of days.

My detox diet is quite simple and sane: I just eat a lot of vegetables, drink water and tea and go for a walk. I also have two to three tablespoons of flax seed a day to 'get rid of' any food that might be stuck somewhere inside me. I don't starve myself, but I try to eat raw or just cooked veg, and stay away from meat, bread and sugar. After two to three days I'm as good as new, my stomach is less bloated and I feel nice.

But, I recently read that detox, or at least severe detox, like the one Beyonce does, is really bad for you - because you starve your body, possibly damaging your organs in the process. MSNBC writes:

"But experts say there's little evidence that extreme regimens such as the Master Cleanse or Fruit Flush do anything more than lead to unpleasant, unhealthy side effects.
"Long-term fasts lead to muscle breakdown and a shortage of many needed nutrients," says Lona Sandon, a Dallas dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Depriving the body of the vitamins and minerals we get from food can "actually weaken the body's ability to fight infections and inflammation," she says."

So, if you really want to give your tummy a rest from gorging, try my detox style, or simply have a health food weekend, where you eat season fruit and vegetables, maybe some fish and whole wheat bread.