Christmas is coming and we know this time of year it is easy to overindulge in food and drink, which at the time is great, but what can you do to feel better after and help your body reset?

A post-Christmas detox is a great circuit breaker for bad habits developed over the Christmas period! Here is how to do it and why it is important.

So what is a gut detox and do we need to detox?

The answer is yes! Our bodies naturally detoxify, it is part of our biology. Our bodies detoxify continuously to keep us safe from toxins in the environment, ones we eat, ones we inhale, ones we put on our skin. The body has a number of complex detoxification systems or enzymes controlled by genes. Therefore, everyone has unique detoxification genes and each body detoxes differently.

The good news is your body is detoxifying as we go (or we wouldn’t live very long) but it is a matter of HOW WELL you are detoxifying and this is whether specific cleanses come into play to boost your health, vitally and wellbeing.

A gut detox is another way of removing waste and toxins from your colon. It is very important to cleanse the gut as it plays a pivotal role in the digestive system to breakdown foods, house our gut microbes, absorb water, minerals and vitamins from food.

What does a good cleanse look like?

A good detox will not deprive the system of nutrients but provide an abundance of nutrients that enhances your bodies detoxification process. You also want to speed the process up giving your body a break and therefore can cleanse deeper levels of toxin build up more than everyday cleansing.

Your Commandments to post-Christmas Cleanse 

1. Upon waking drink 2 large glasses of lemon water
2. Remove processed foods
3. Switch to Wholegrain
4. Add in Lentils, Pulses and Beans
5. Increase vegetable intake, in particular cabbage, kale, broccoli and other brassica vegetables (these enhance detoxification and are a good source of fibre) and sprouts which flood the body with nutrients
6. Add in probiotic foods including a probiotics rich lunch
7. Nutrient rich smoothie for breakfast
8. Add pre-biotics to dinner, include bananas, fennel, asparagus, cold potatoes, onions, garlic, leeks, artichokes and bok choy
9. Add in turmeric and ginger for anti-inflammatory properties
10. Manage stress. Stress has a negative impact on the gut. When you feel stressed, you release peptides that lead to increased inflammation, gut permeability and gut motility
11. Get adequate sleep. Yes this is important in a detox because it helps overall physical and neurological health and can decrease stress levels. 8 hours is ideal.
12. Add gut friendly supplements such as Aloe vera leaf, Glutamine, digestive enzyme, probiotics / daily digestive support

Generally, between three days and two weeks is the best amount of time for a cleanse. Hope this way you can enjoy Christmas and then work on cleansing afterwards. Happy holidays