Dear savvy friend,

Bananas are a good source of energy and vitamins, right?

The answer is a resounding YES, but you really can have too much of a good thing.

You see, if you eat a banana a day or more, you could be stopping your body from cleansing its system properly.

So try limiting bananas to one every other day, and eat the following foods to give your body a good clean out:

* Take a half-litre cup filled with 2/3 fresh apple juice and 1/3 water, then pour it into a bigger glass containing some watermelon juice. Make sure you pop the seeds in as well – they’re packed with vitamin E, zinc and selenium (which are powerful antioxidants).

* Try and include beetroot, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, kale, spinach or watercress with each meal – all of these vegetables help mop up toxins.

* Have a handful of seeds and nuts a day (not the pub variety – try raw, unsalted nuts like almonds or hazelnuts).

* Drink at least two litres of water every day, and get out for a brisk stroll for 15 minutes a day.

You might actually feel worse for a couple of days while the toxins start packing up and clearing out, but once they’ve gone, you’ll feel full of vitality and energy.

Two herbs that could help you lose weight...

    * Mother Nature may have the best and most simple remedy to obesity in the form of three South American herbs:
      
      * Yerbe Mate has been used traditionally as a lypolytic (it breaks up fat in the blood) and appetite suppressant. Also known as an energiser and rejuvenator, it contains 15 essential amino acids which are necessary for healthy muscle tissue.

      Muscle tissue is the most active tissue in your body and the more you have, the faster your metabolic rate and the faster you burn up calories.

      * Guarana is the ground seed kernel of the tropical plant, Paullinia Cupana, which grows wild in Brazil and Uruguay. It has practically the same chemical composition as coffee and is also an effective appetite suppressant.

      Taken individually, these herbs are unlikely to help you shift weight. But together they are very effective.
      
      They work by keeping food in your stomach which makes you feel fuller for longer - thereby suppressing your urge to overeat. Eventually your stomach is 're-educated' to expect less food.

In the name of wealth, happiness and success!

Pascale Barrow
Managing Editor of Personal & Finance Confidential