If your New Year’s resolutions had been firmly set aside before the last remnants of December 31st were properly cleaned up, now might be a good time to come back to the idea of detoxing.

Think about it: January is not the best time to start a new diet or commit to pouring the Pinot Grigio down the sink anyway. We still feel full of pastry and cake from Christmas and the dark evenings and overcast days just scream out for comfort food and booze.

So now that spring is starting to appear, try overhauling your diet so you can feel fresh and ready to enjoy the sunshine when it finally comes out.

According to herbalist and nutritional therapist Andrew Johnson, certain herbal teas have a detoxifying effect to cleanse the body and rid it of toxins.

Some have a diuretic effect to clean the kidneys, some are laxatives and can help the bowel, liver and digestive system, while others will produce a diaphoretic effect to cause sweating and aid the detox, he explained.

"But detox should really be considered on a cellular level, ultimately. When people think of detox they often think of what are called channels of elimination - the bowel, the kidneys, skin, lungs," the nutritional expert noted. "That’s true - they are important channels for detox."

If you feel sluggish and lethargic, it may be that your food consumption needs to be reviewed. Many people have an undiagnosed food intolerance or sensitivity that causes bloating and other side effects, so jot down what you eat for a few days and see if there is anything on your list that could be triggering a reaction.

"Sometimes wheat sensitivity, intolerance or allergy can be a problem for the bowel," added Mr Johnson.

Posted by Matilda Jones