10 detox shopping list essentials for January

The festive season is officially over and our guilty minds automatically jump to January detox. Here are 10 simple ingredients to add to your New Year shopping list. Ensuring you give your body a much needed detox and the very best start to 2016;

Bottled or filtered water

Drinking water is not only essential for correctly hydrating the body enabling our major organs to function properly, it’s also the single best thing you can do for your hair, nails and skin. Bottled or filtered water minimises the chemicals compared to ordinary tap water. Try to aim for around two litres a day.

Ginger

A freshly-pressed daily shot of pear, ginger and lemon juice is my favourite winter flu prevention. Ginger has been used medicinally for thousands of years, so it’s no surprise it offers many incredible health benefits. It’s anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory and very definitely worth adding to soups, juices and stir fries in the winter.

Garlic

Garlic contains high levels of vitamin C, which supports the immune system and liver. Using crushed, fresh garlic in cooking helps keep the heat from weakening the healthy effects of the allicin. I prefer to add it near to the end of my cooking for the same reason. Alternatively, raw cloves can be juiced with pear, ginger, and lemon, then warmed with cayenne pepper to help prevent nasty winter flu bugs.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon improves insulin secretion, stabilises blood sugar levels and can increase the glucose metabolism – all these things are key when it comes to losing weight. Cinnamon also helps us feel full, and this sensation will stop the temptation to overindulge into the new year.

Lemon

Whether squeezing it into a cup of hot water, or adding a chunk to your favourite freshly-pressed juice, this high-alkaline fruit will work wonders to neutralise the acidic foods we often overindulge in at Christmas. Lemons are known to aid digestion and cleanse the body of toxins. Plus, they make water taste so much better!

Avocado

Avocados contain monounsaturated fatty acids, which are a good type of fat that can help you achieve greater detox results by ridding your body of unhealthy cholesterol. Whether blitzed into guacamole, whipped with raw cacao powder into a creamy chocolate mousse or sliced into salads, avocado is certainly one to add to the new year shopping list.

Brazil Nuts

Revive tired, dehydrated, post-party-season skin by adding a few Brazil nuts to your daily diet. Full of selenium, these beauties can help to revive a grey complexion, improve mobility and athletic ability. Selenium also acts like a mop in neutralising damaging particles such as mercury in the body. When mercury binds to selenium, it’s no longer free to bind to anything else, such as brain tissue.

Artichoke

If you’ve overindulged on alcohol over Christmas, it’s worth adding winter artichokes to your January shopping list. Studies have shown that artichokes promote healthy liver and gallbladder function. They’re loaded with cynarin, which helps increase bile production, prevents indigestion, and stimulates healthy digestion. If you’re looking for a natural detox food, artichokes are one of the best.

Almonds

If Christmas cocktails have left you feeling sluggish and hungover, there’s a possible reason. Fatty deposits build up around your liver after weeks of overeating and drinking and can put you at increased risk of liver cancer. According to a recent study from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, just a few vitamin-packed almonds eaten each day could help cleanse those deposits out. Researchers found a clear correlation between vitamin E intake and liver cancer risk. Those consuming around 15 almonds a day showed a 40 percent lower risk of liver cancer than those who consumed less.

Cranberries

Part of the problem with overdoing the acidic foods over Christmas is the resulting internal inflammation. Experiencing stress, a weakened immune system and eating a poor diet can up our chances of developing urine infections. Cranberries, however, contain powerful antibiotic and antiviral substances to help the body cleanse harmful bacteria and viruses from the urinary tract. Although cranberry juice is frequently cited as a natural remedy for UTIs, it can often have the reverse effect. Processed juices contain lots of added sugar which simply feeds the infection. Fresh cranberries are always best. Juicing them yourself with a little pear or apple to sweeten them makes a much healthier alternative to shop bought, carton juices.