So you vowed to live healthily in 2002 - or at least for the first few weeks of the New Year - and never to overeat again.

Juicing devotees say the freshly squeezed drinks don't just taste good - they are also laden with nutrients which can boost our jaded, post-festive bodies.

Michael Van Straten, a well-known British practitioner of complimentary medicine and author of Super Juice, says juicing is a the fool-proof way of adding wonderful, life-giving, life enhancing and life-protecting vitamins, minerals and natural food chemicals to your diet.

Fruits like oranges, apples, berries and pineapple are the most obvious ingredients to juice and these will produce delicious drinks, rich in vitamin C.

But it also pays to be more adventurous and try vegetable juices. Spinach leaves, for instance, can be successfully juiced and added to blends and they are a great source of body-boosting iron.

Carrot juice tastes surprisingly sweet (it is particularly good if some apple juice is added to the mix) and it is rich in beta-carotene, which is a powerful, immune-boosting antioxidant.

Many people believe that specific fruit and vegetable juices, chosen for their therapeutic properties, can be used to treat minor health disorders like winter colds and flu.

Dr Wendy Doyle, of the British Dietetic Association, says many fruits and vegetables, especially the vividly-coloured ones, may well have specific health-boosting qualities beyond the vitamins and minerals they contain.

But this aside, juicing certainly makes you feel better about yourself, if only because the drinks are unexpectedly filling and stop you snacking on resolution-breaking crisps and chocolate.

Those who want to try making their own recipes will need to invest in a juicing machine. Although the most expensive versions can cost hundreds of pounds, some relatively cheap models can be purchased

You can experiment by juicing all sorts of fruits and vegetables and creating your own favourite blends. Just make sure the ingredients you use are fresh and you drink the juice as soon as possible after it is made, to derive the maximum nutrients from it.

Here are some juicing recipes to inspire you. They should help to boost your body and soul, without any pain or sacrifice at all, in 2002.

l Beet Borscht Cocktail (makes one serving)

This is a flu-busting recipe from Healing Drinks by Anne McIntyre.

125ml (4floz) beetroot juice

125ml (4floz) carrot juice

90ml (3floz) cucumber juice

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp natural live yogurt

Blend all the juices together and serve topped with a dollop of yogurt. Drink a glassful twice daily while acute symptoms last.

l Blue Passion (makes one serving)

Michael Von Straten gives this juice recipe in his book Super Juice.

He says it is guaranteed to chase away the blues, put a glow on the skin and keep you super-active.

3 passion fruits, flesh scooped out into juicer

1 medium cantaloupe melon, peeled

1 mango, peeled and de-stoned

4oz blueberries

Put all the ingredients through your juicing machine and mix them together. This is a great juice to start the day.