Last time I was in Paris, my friend Maguy was doing her grapes detox, which reminded me of my college years when my cousin and I used to do the same before going back to University.

For those who have not yet embraced leeks or my magical leek soup weekend, a couple of days of the grapes detoxification will clean and revitalize your body by getting rid of toxins and parasites.

A good way to prepare for the cure is to spend a day or two following this eating plan:

Breakfast: one plain yogurt with a fruit
Lunch: fish or meat with two veggies
Dinner: crudités, soup, and ½ cup of brown rice or quinoa

On days 3 and 4: Eat a mixture of white and red grapes—1 ½ pounds per day, organic if possible—split into your three meals or divided into six smaller portions. In between, drink plenty of water and lots of herb teas or green teas.

Grapes, like leeks, are mildly diuretic. By eating the prescribed amount of grapes per day, your body will need to draw from its reserves—thus you will benefit both from detoxification and weight loss.

Maguy is someone who believes in doing detox four times a year with the change of each season, and I tend to agree with her. It’s the least we can do to keep being “bien dans sa peau.”

Try to plan your grape detox over a weekend, and don’t overextend yourself. A short walk is fine, but use your time to rest and read.