A Simple Detox Will Leave You Renewed And Full Of Energy

Although we can't turn back the clock and change the decisions we made over the holiday season, it is never too late to adjust the clock on our liver and give our body a fresh start, says world renowned psychologist and nutrition expert, Patrick Holford.

"The liver is the chemical brain of the body, constantly recycling, regenerating and detoxifying in order to maintain your health. Sometimes, because of an overload in toxins, it simply cannot process fast enough and consequently toxins are stored in the body to be dealt with later, which is why you feel especially 'under par' after a period of excess," explains Holford.

Starting with the difficult part - to give your liver a good break you need to avoid:

• Wheat - our deadly bread. All wheat contains a protein called gluten which is exceedingly unfriendly to your digestive tract.
  
• Avoid milk. It's the most common food allergen and most people produce antibodies to it.
  
• Caffeine - kick the habit. If the thought of giving up coffee causes a burst of hostility, then the chances are you are addicted to caffeine.
  
• Alcohol - give it a break. Putting aside any benefits that a glass of red wine may have for heart health, there is no denying that alcohol taxes both your liver and gut.
  
• Stay away from bad fats. These are damaged fats called trans-fats, which these days are much in the news, for good reason.
  

The five habits to make in 2016 are:

1. Drink 8 glasses of water a day. After all, your body is 66% water and this alone will help you detoxify.
   
2. Eat superfoods to spring-clean your system.
   
3. Load up on anti-aging antioxidants. They are the key players in detoxifying your body.
   
4. Take liver-detoxifying supplements. From MSM to milk thistle, there's a combination of seven top detoxifiers to give your liver's detox capacity an upgrade.
   
5. Do detoxifying exercises every day. Exercise has a vital role to play in helping the body to get rid of toxins - especially at times of excess.
   

He also advises a good massage to detoxify at every level by stimulating the circulation and lymphatic systems as the body stores chemical toxins, physical tension and negative emotions - all by-products of a busy festive season. So book yourself a massage in the name of health, drink your water, eat your superfoods, get a bit of exercise in and be sure of an energised and healthy start to 2016.