For many of you, the festive season has left you feeling sluggish and unhealthy. That’s as a result of over-indulging and under-exercising over the holidays.
“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 Patrick Holford, a psychologist and nutrition expert.
He says you don’t have to resort to an extreme detox though. Instead he suggests that you give your liver a boost each year by slightly altering your lifestyle. Such as giving up these 5 things:
1.Wheat
Our deadly bread. All wheat contains a protein called gluten which is exceedingly unfriendly to your digestive tract. So, give your gut a week’s break to allow the liver to focus on detoxifying other toxins. You can eat cereals, breads and pastas made from oats, amaranth, buckwheat, corn, grain, millet or quinoa.
2. Avoid milk
It’s the most common food allergen and most people produce antibodies to it. In other words, it causes your immune system to react. It’s also mucous-forming. Give your system a week off milk and all dairy products.
3. 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. Caffeine is a toxin that makes your liver work hard to detoxify it. If you can bear it, cut out caffeine for one week and replace it with green tea, Rooibos or Patrick Holford’s new Awake Tea with Moringa.
4. 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. The more alcohol you consume, the more antioxidants you need and the harder your liver has to work. Give it a complete break for a week or two.
5. Stay away from bad fats.
These are damaged fats called trans-fats, which these days are much in the news, for good reason. They are found in deep-fried foods and foods containing hydrogenated vegetable oils. To minimise your exposure to trans-fats, stay away from fried food and processed fat spreads and meat.
