Flush out those festive toxins

Two major detoxification processes work within the body, one being on a cellular level and the other being of the liver. Both work alongside your circulatory and elimination systems and require vital nutrients in order to prevent damage from free radicals and toxins being stored in the body.

The idea behind detox is to give your body a break and chance to recuperate – it is a sort of holiday for the digestive system and the liver. January is the perfect time to start detoxing with the over indulgence of alcohol and rich food through the Christmas and New Year period. New Year is the time to start thinking about the health of your body.

Holland & Barrett suggest a few important ways to encourage your body to cleanse itself.

Antioxidants
Antioxidant nutrients are believed to help fight against damage to the body by free radicals, this also includes the acceleration of the ageing process.

Antioxidant nutrients are important during a period of detoxification to support the immune system. As the body detoxifies it can sometimes give rise to symptoms such as headaches, spots, or you may be more susceptible to circulating infections and viruses. Antioxidants help protect against these and reduce the detoxification symptoms. These include Vitamins A, C and E, Selenium and Zinc or extracts such as Pycnogenol, Grapeseed or Bilberry.

Colon Cleansing
Toxins can build up in the colon and be reabsorbed back into your system if the digestive tract isn’t functioning properly. Clean the digestive tract with fibre to promote regular bowel movements or friendly bacteria to support digestive health. Products to try include Acidophilus, Aloe Vera juice, Colon Cleanse capsules or Regucol powder which provide friendly Acidophilus bacteria and fibre from Psyllium husks.

Liver detox
By giving your liver a break from having too much alcohol and substances to process – the body can concentrate on regenerating itself. There are several supplement cleansers that you can take as part of you diet. The following natural remedies may help to aid detox and cleanse the liver.

Artichoke may aid the metabolism of fats and alcohol by providing an excellent support to liver repair damage caused by over-indulgences in alcohol and rich foods. It is also believed to have potent antioxidant activity, which may help the body to protect against free radicals.

Historically, the herb Milk Thistle has long been associated with supporting the liver, spleen and kidneys.
Milk Thistle also has a reputation for enhancing the functioning of the liver, this is due to the way it inhibits factors responsible for liver damage such as blocking the entrance of harmful toxins and by helping to remove them from the liver cells. This activity is coupled with an ability to stimulate the growth of new liver cells.

Other Liver helpers include – the amino acid N-acetyl Cysteine and the herbs Dandelion, Burdock root and Liquorice. Kelp and Spirulina Powder are also suggested as part of a detox programme to help shift a build up of toxins in the body, these can be added to vegetable juices to make a delicious and nutritious drink.

For more information, visit Hollandandbarrett.com.