Detoxing after the holidays

“Oh go on, it’s Christmas.” Yes, this is the time of year for really indulging yourself, but when the holidays are over you might feel ready to undo all those excesses with a personal detox programme.  Detoxing is the body’s way of neutralizing or eliminating toxins from the body.  Sweating is one way to detox naturally, and there are a number of foods that can help too. Here are 6 detox ‘super foods’ that you might fancy adding to your diet in January:

Goji Berries: These contain lots of vitamin C and beta-carotene – nutrients which are great for detoxing from the inside-out. Add a handful to your salad or simply eat as a tasty snack.

• Onions: Rich in amino acids, onions are thought to help detox the liver. They’re best for you raw so, again, try using them in salads.

• Beetroot: This brightly coloured root vegetable is filled with lots of good stuff including betacyanin (thought to have cancer fighting properities), magnesium, iron, zinc, and calcium. Grate raw beetroot into your salad, or grill and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

• Ginger: Experts say ginger spikes your metabolism – and that helps to flush out waste. Eating more ginger is also thought to keep your appetite in check. Ginger tea is delicious, or try experimenting by adding grated ginger to stir-fried vegetables.

• Avocados: Tasty avocados contain insoluble and soluble fibre, which help keep your insides clean. Guacamole is a real crowd pleaser or you could try dicing avocado and adding it to your salad.

• Apples: An apple a day keeps the toxins away! This particular fruit is nutrient-rich and contains pectin, which is a soluble fibre that helps remove toxins from your system.