Tom Doorleyon the foods, drinks and supplements to help you through a disciplined January
BE KIND TO YOUR LIVERWe like to think that we can "detox" at will. Actually, our liver does this for us all the time. But it makes sense to give it a helping hand now and again. Consider giving this vital organ a rest from the things that put it under stress. Avoid alcohol, caffeine (not just coffee, but regular tea, too), fatty foods and exposure to household cleaners and synthetic scents. Take a supplement based on milk thistle, a herb that offers the liver a significant degree of protection against toxins, and helps it to regenerate.
CONSIDER YOUR GUTWe have many micro-organisms in our digestive tract. Some of these bugs are good, some are bad. It's a question of balance. When they put a patient on a course of antibiotics, doctors in some countries also prescribe a course of probiotics to replace the beneficial bacteria which the antibiotics indiscriminately wipe out. Don't eat foods which are laden with refined sugars, and take lots of natural, live yoghurt every day. And maybe supplement this with capsules of live bacteria. Detractors say that this is pointless because the high acidity level of the stomach will kill off bacteria on the way down. Anyone who has taken high doses of probiotics will know that this is bunkum. What else causes that flatulence?
FEED YOUR BENEFICIAL BACTERIASpeaking of flatulence, pulses and Jerusalem artichokes contain an indigestible carbohydrate called inulin which can cause wind. But it also feeds your probiotics. Other "prebiotics", as they are called, include the allium plant family: onions, garlic and leeks. Eat lots of these and your gut flora will blossom.
EAT UP YOUR GREENSAnti-oxidant foods such as fresh fruit juice are said to protect against cancer, but few of us realise that one of the most potent agents in this group are the plants of the cabbage family. Eat lots of spring cabbage, savoys, broccoli, turnip tops and rocket. And don't forget the Chinese brassicas such as pak choi and mitsuna greens.
TEA FOR YOUAll teas are anti-oxidant, but green tea is the one that many of us think works best because it's not fully fermented. It's good, but it's not actually the best. Completely unfermented white tea contains virtually no caffeine and brews to a deep yellow, light red shade. And, unlike green tea, it has the advantage of not tasting like grass clippings. It tops the league table of anti-oxidant teas.
HI HYDRATIONWe need to drink two litres of water a day in order to fully hydrate ourselves. Tap water is a chemical cocktail containing various forms of chlorine and, increasingly, trichloroanisole (TCA), the substance that makes wine taste "corked" or musty. Over-priced as it is, bottled water is the safest to drink. Get fully hydrated and rediscover your full energy levels.