New Year is a time for clearing out and beginning a new. We still have a long stretch of shorter days ahead; it is a time to look after yourself and be kind to your body and soul.
It is a good time to do a health reset: dedicating a couple of weeks to clean eating to reset one’s palate, (sugar and alcohol are both super addictive, but it doesn’t take long to break the worst of the cravings). Clean eating also improves digestive health, and reduces gut symptoms like bloating, wind and acid indigestion. It improves the health and diversity of the gut microbiome. A healthier gut microbiome improves the functioning of your immune system and reduces inflammation throughout the body. In as little as two weeks cleaner eating you can reduce aches and pains in the body and see a significant uptick in energy levels.
Here is an example of a clean eating detox diet that would make a great two week January reset, helping to kick start healthier eating habits.
What to cut out….
Cut out sugar and sugary food, white flour, alcohol, and processed foods. Under the category of processed foods comes all food with ingredients you wouldn’t find in your kitchen cupboard, and all foods with more than five ingredients on the label.
Cutting out white flour means avoiding all shop bought bakery products which include white flour, pasta, pastry, and foods coated in breadcrumbs.
Limit dairy products (if eaten) to one portion per day, ideally kefir or live yogurt. Or a small portion (20g) of cheese. These dairy products contain friendly gut bacteria and promote gut diversity; they are a good source of calcium. A modest intake is generally beneficial for most women. (Interestingly men who consume even small amounts of dairy products are thought to be at greater risk of cancer than men who completely abstain.)
Cut out meat and poultry to reduce your intake of saturated fat and omega 6 fatty acids, both of which are pro inflammatory when consumed in excess.
Cut out caffeine (or at least limit yourself to one caffeinated drink per day, ideally a green tea or organic coffee.) If you are a regular caffeine drinker, you might want to cut down slowly over a few days to avoid withdrawal headaches.
What to eat….
Base every meal around a selection of vegetables which can be fresh or frozen. (Frozen vegetables often have more nutrients than fresh this time of year and have often travelled less air miles.)
Add to this some protein in the form of beans, pulses, tofu, eggs, or fish. It is important to continue to include protein in your diet so that you don’t lose any lean muscle mass, and so you still have enough protein coming in to do all the daily repair work needed to maintain good health.
Add in some extra virgin cold pressed olive oil or coconut oil. Include oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, or salmon in your diet. Include some seeds or nuts, and maybe avocados to ensure a good supply of healthy anti-inflammatory fats.
For sweetness make fruit salads with your favourite fruits, snack on satsumas, or have a one or two prunes or dates.
Remember to drink plenty of filtered water and herbal teas – why not experiment with new ones?
Complement your January reset diet with some movement…..
Moving your body will improve blood flow and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. It will speed up the removal of waste products and promote healing. It will also have a positive impact on your cognitive function and mood. How much movement you do is a completely personal decision, a brisk daily walk or ten minute stretch will do wonders for your wellbeing. If you can manage more, then try to incorporate something that gets your heart rate up, and makes you feel really warm. Don’t like exercise? Perhaps your focus should be on sociable movement? Meeting a friend for a walk or committing to going to an exercise class together once a week.
Herbal Detox Formula
I couldn’t really write about a health reset without including something on the wonderful herbs which can improve liver function. You can complement your diet with my herbal detox formula. This is a combination of herbal tinctures which improve liver function, promote liver cell regeneration, support the circulation and lymphatic drainage, and support kidney function. All of these bodies systems need to be working really well to keep your health on track.
The herbal tinctures in the formula are: Milk thistle, Dandelion root, Burdock root, Nettle leaf, Fennel, Cleavers and Ginger. The dose is 5ml three times daily, diluted in a little water.
Milk thistle seeds are a very well researched herbal medicine with a superb ability to improve liver function, prevent liver cell death, and promote liver cell regeneration. The effects of milk thistle are so potent that it evens helps to prevent and repair liver damage in hepatitis patients. Milk thistle fluid extract is part of my detox formula, but you can also buy the fluid extract on it’s own. (Fluid extracts are stronger than standard tinctures, they are one part liquid to one part herb, tinctures are generally three parts liquid to one part herb. I only ever use Milk Thistle in the fluid extract form, I don’t think a tincture of milk thistle is strong enough to be really effective.)
You can use the code DETOX20 to get 20% of my detox formula or off Milk thistle fluid extract (valid on sizes 200ml or 300ml until 31.01.2025)
