Make a fresh start

Feeling sluggish after the festivities? Here’s how to revive and revitalise

Whether you’re looking for an inner cleanse or simply want to lose a few pounds after too much rich food at Christmas, going on a detox has become something of a ritual for the New Year.

The idea is to encourage your body to rid itself of chemicals and toxic by-products that accumulate in the tissues as a consequence of 21st century living. An excessively rich diet, too much alcohol not to mention all those late nights and lack of exercise over the festive period can also contribute to toxin overload.

Following a healthy balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and veg, making sure you get enough sleep, exercising regularly and looking after your mind are all good starting points. There are also several herbs that can help to kick-start the process.

To detox your digestive tract, try artichoke, a herb that cleanses and can even regenerate liver tissue, as well as stimulating the gall bladder to encourage it to produce more fat-busting bile.

Milk thistle protects the liver too, by shielding it from excessive amounts of toxins so that it can continue its vitally important job of processing nutrients from the food you eat.  This herb is also a powerful antioxidant.  You should aim for a daily dose of up to 200mg of an extract standardised containing at least 70 per cent of the plant’s active ingredient, silymarin.

Refreshing fennel relieves tension in the digestive tract to release trapped wind, and ease symptoms of indigestion, while burdock and wild pansy gently purify and revive sluggish channels of elimination.  Dandelion is a cooling natural diuretic that can help your body flush out water-soluble toxins.

Goldenseal can help to strengthen the immune system while you are detoxing but should only be taken for a short period if are feeling especially run down, or are about to start on a detox.

Milk Thistle can be found in Thisilyn Milk Thistle and Thisilyn Maximum Strength Milk Thistle - Traditional herbal medicinal products used to relieve the symptoms associated with occasional over indulgence of drink and food such as indigestion and upset stomach, exclusively based upon long-standing use as a traditional remedy.