Detoxifying in the autumn!

Not only does the autumn amaze you with its array of colours, but also yields a rich bounty of fruits and herbs before the long, cold winter which are perfect for a home detoxifying cure.

But how do you know you really need one?

If you frequently experience an unpleasant sense of fullness, while you feel exhausted an irritable, it's time for a cleansing cure. All you need is to devote a few days to a plan for you to start the next week with renewed strength and feel charged with energy.

The essence of the diet consists of avoiding heavy, burdening dishes and strong spices. Consuming plenty of liquids is a basic factor for detoxes. Fortunately, liquids include soups, herbal tea, freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juice as well as water. However, don't use caffeine, sugar and carbonated drinks. Avoid various sauces, gravies and condiments. You should even forget about tinned vegetables.

This is especially true since there's always a wide range of fresh vegetables and fruits in the autumn, which are cheap to buy or grow in vegetable gardens.

These are my favourites:

Vegetables: mainly cabbages, beets and squash. Other autumn vegetables suitable for detoxes include chicory, potatoes, carrots, fennel, mushrooms, leeks, horseradish, root vegetables (turnips, parsnips, Swedish turnips, rutabaga, celery) and dried legumes (beans, chickpeas, dry peas, split peas).

Fruits: red and blue grapes, blueberries, blackberries, apples. And don't forget about figs, quinces, plums and pears.

Walnuts, hazelnuts, seeds: make sure you eat a handful of nuts or seeds every day. Walnuts are cheap and super healthy, yet Brazil nuts and almonds are also ideal choices for a detox. Flax, pumpkin, sunflower seeds and pistachios are the best choices for seeds.

Don't limit yourself to raw foods when doing a detox. You can also use autumn fruits and vegetables to prepare amazing drinks, soups and vegetable stews.