We all get that same feeling. The food, alcohol and other unhealthy habits we take up and indulge in over the festive season is taking its toll. Everyone needs a good old detox to remove toxins and flush out our systems to re-fresh and re-charge. There is no better month to do so than January!  Blood tests taken before and after a detox have shown to accelerate the movement of white blood cells (Eosinophils) helping to eliminate harmful toxicity in the blood. Incorporate some of these detoxifying foods into your diet and let’s start 2017 on the right foot.

1.Ginger:

Ginger is one of the healthiest spices on this planet and definitely one my favourites! Packed full of bio-active compounds and nutrients, this golden root has amazing health benefits and detoxifying effects. Gingerol, the main bioactive compound in ginger possesses powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, reducing disease causing free radicals in the body. Ginger is also well known for its ability to reduce nausea and morning sickness.

2.Beetroot:

If you have been on the booze slightly too much this Christmas then this superfood is for you! Beetroot is the mother of all liver cleansers! Beets contain betaine, a very beneficial phytochemical which has powerful antioxidant properties, but also increases the acidity of urine. This can help reduce the calcium phosphate build up from the kidneys. Packed with iron, calcium, and B vitamins, this heart health root vegetable will restore and replenish your body.

3.Lemons:

Lemons, possibly the most heard of detox food… lemons are loaded with the powerful antioxidant vitamin C, which is great for the skin and for cleansing away free-radicals. Lemons also are a “anionic food”, which means they contain a higher number of negative ions than positive ions. Anionic foods join forces with other anionic fluids such as your stomach acid, saliva, and bile. In other words, lemons enhance the work of digestive fluids, while also aiding in the removal of toxins and gas from the bowels.

4.Green Tea:

The tea of green, loaded with polyphenols like flavonoids and catechins, which function as powerful antioxidants, helping our bodies to get rid of the nasty ageing free radicals! Green tea directly supports the liver by increasing enzyme activity that drives and aids detoxification.

5.Water:

Now I know you are thinking… Well that’s obvious! But water is the most important substance for our body not only to detoxify and to flush out toxins but is essential for the human body to function normally. The body only recognises it is thirsty when it has lost 1% of its total water amount. In 2010, a report from The European Food Safety Authority suggested that the minimum levels of water consumption should be 2 litres for men and 1.6 litres for women. But if you are exercising (we hope you are!), then your consumption should be much higher. Stay hydrated!