Here to help

Independent health store advice on post-Christmas cleansing and detoxing

Looking for advice on natural wellbeing? Your local independent health stores can offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise. This issue we speak to Helena O’Loughlin at The Healthy Way in Leixlip, Co Kildare

Not surprisingly, January is the most popular month for people going on diets and joining the gym. We get lots of customers asking for advice on diet and supplements following the gorgefest that is the festive season. The body can become sluggish after so much overindulging in rich and heavy foods. Also we don’t tend to move around much at this time of year, which doesn’t help.

The first thing we do is advise people to clean up their diet. Try to eat normally after Christmas, avoid rich foods and alcohol and focus on smaller portions. Soups are fantastic at this time of year and really easy on the digestive system. A clear turkey soup is a great post-Christmas idea. Add celery – it is a great cleanser and good for immunity. If you are making a juice in your liquidiser I would advise focusing on vegetables first and adding a bit of ginger to warm up the body as the body isn’t too keen on really cold liquids at this time of year.

Detoxing is not a bad idea after Christmas, but it can upset your metabolism so I would advise not doing anything too radical. Start with some herbal teas as these tend to be packed with phyto chemicals that speed up your metabolism and have other health benefits too.

Your local store will be able to give you specific advice depending on how you feel, but in general these natural remedies can really help you to feel better after a period of inaction and indulgence:

Apple cider vinegar – alkalising and good for the liver. Add a drop of hot water, drink before you go to bed and it will work on your liver while you sleep.

Digestive enzyme – helps your body to digest food.

Fermented foods – these can be good, but only if your gut can tolerate them.

Garlic and hawthorne tincture – can really help high blood pressure, and magnesium is good too.

Ginger tea – can help protect your liver from the effects of too much alcohol and other toxins.

Liposomal vitamin C – good for the immune system, energy and improving your skin.

Milk thistle – helps the liver to rid itself of toxins.

Probiotics (natural live bacteria) – help to balance bacteria in the gut, take in the morning.

Red yeast rice – a natural remedy that mimic statins and can help control cholesterol.

Whole fruit – eat in the morning as it ferments in the body.

The therapeutic qualities of herbal teas

Chamomile tea – a calming tea often taken after a meal to help with digestion.

Peppermint tea – good for nausea and relieving the symptoms of bloating.

Milk thistle and dandelion tea – help the liver to cleanse itself.

Rosehip tea – packed with vitamin C, this tea is good for the immune system.

Rooibos tea – known for antioxidant content, this tea is high in vitamin C.

Reishi tea made from medicinal mushrooms – has a number of associated health benefits including reduced stress leading to better quality sleep.

Matcha tea – very good for helping to focus the mind and keep calm under stress. Packed with antioxidants.

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