We reveal the expert’s top tips for a New Year detox and cleanse.

“If you’re feeling a little sluggish, suffering with headaches or have noticed dark circles under the eyes, it may be time to give your liver a well earnt rest after the festive period,” says Claire Barnes, nutritional therapist for Bio-Kult. “I would recommend starting slowly with a detox after a period of indulgence as the release of toxins stored in the body may worsen symptoms in the beginning.”

Caroline Harmer, education director of Renew Life says there are a number of indications when your body needs help with the detoxification process: “These include low energy, headaches, joint pain, acne or skin issues, constipation and digestive issues, inflammatory disorders, gas and bloating, PMS and hormone issues, allergies, difficulty losing weight, bad breath and autoimmune disorders.

“If you have any of these symptoms, or are just concerned about the toxins you may have been exposed to over the years, it’s time to start cleansing.”

Detox Tips
“Start by reducing the toxins in your diet, beauty products and your environment,” says Barnes. “Increase fibre and antioxidants in your diet by eating at least nine portions of fruit and vegetables from a rainbow of different colours. Reduce or eliminate meat, dairy, fish and gluten for this period and increase your organic vegetable protein intake such as lentils, chickpeas and quinoa.

“Aim to eat your last meal a few hours before going to bed to reduce the strain on the liver. Drink plenty of filtered water and herbal teas such as dandelion, nettle and fennel, whilst avoiding alcohol and caffeine.

“Include some gentle exercises, such as walking, pilates and yoga. Allow your body to rest and relax in this period helping to reduce stress both physically and mentally, try some breathing exercises, meditation and mindfulness.”

Harmer recommends increasing your intake of water too: “Drinking plenty of purified water is essential while cleansing, as it helps to flush unwanted toxins and wastes from the body. If you struggle to drink plain water, add fresh lime or lemon juice or even unsweetened pomegranate juice – these will add vital nutrients too.”

To enable the body to process toxins and take them out of the body, we need a healthy gut flora, liver supporting nutrients and we also need to be able to excrete these toxins from the body.

“A healthy gut flora helps to maintain the gut barrier, vital for reducing toxins crossing into the bloodstream. Having a balanced gut flora is important to ensure healthy regular bowel movements and the removal of toxins as well as improve overall digestion and immunity,” comments Barnes.

Liver supporting nutrients include green tea, milk thistle and B vitamins. A high fibre supplement such as psyllium husk mixed with water can form a soft gel in the body helping to absorb toxins from the gut, as well as improve stool consistency and increase bowel movements, all helping towards getting the toxins out of the body quickly before they have the chance to be reabsorbed.

Benefits of Cleansing
So what exactly are the benefits of detoxing? Barnes says “The liver is generally overworked in most people, meaning that toxins start to get stored in tissues around the body. When your liver is given a rest, it has the ability to detox these stored toxins. The health benefits of detoxing are not usually immediate, often as these toxins are released, many will experience more headaches and tiredness. As the liver is given the chance to catch up, the body will start to rebalance.

“Often individuals will feel more energised and cleansed after they work their way through the initial symptoms. Many will experience improved sleep, more balanced hormones and increased metabolism by the end of their detox.”

Harmer says there are countless benefits to total body cleansing, these include “decreased risk of chronic health conditions, increased energy levels, improved digestion, better weight management, improved overall health and wellbeing, and improved elimination.”

Try these:

Bio-Kult Advanced – to support your gut flora. It contains 14 different strains of live bacteria. Research suggests that different species of bacteria are believed to colonise in different areas of the digestive tract, therefore a multi strain taken daily may be able to maintain the integrity along more areas of the intestines.

Qi Detox Green Tea – an ideal choice of drink following the indulgences of the festive season is Qi’s Organic Fairtrade Green Detox Tea. A light and refreshing green tea with a unique blend of natural, medicinal grade ingredients including dandelion root, milk thistle, liquorice & fennel renowned for purifying the body and regulating the digestion.

Renew Life’s First Cleanse – a fourteen day two-part herbal cleansing program formulated to help you get rid of digestive toxins and support regularity. It’s easy to use and ideal for those who are new to cleansing or just want a more gentle cleansing experience.

Renew Life’s Cleanse Smart – an advanced 30 day two-part herbal cleansing system that promotes digestive regularity and helps elimatate waste and toxins. This works to deeply stimulate the body’s seven elimination channels with a specific emphasis on the liver and colon.