If you were like everyone else, the Christmas holidays meant family, fun, excessive food and drinking. While it was great to be merry, our poor digestive system must have been overworked.

The digestive system plays an important role in the natural elimination of toxins so any kind of abuse can lead to accumulation of toxins in the body and that can't be good for our health and well being. We need to make sure our digestive system is back in shape for optimum performance.

To start with, there’s no need to pop a pill or buy a detox brew from the chemists. Home remedies are very effective for any detoxification program. These remedies include water, herbs, a healthy diet and exercise.

We advise to begin the detox process with the most basic remedy and that is water; one of nature’s most effective and natural resource and should be a part of a natural detox program. Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning to rehydrate. If desired add a slice of lemon. Intake of a certain amount of water in the morning is necessary to pep up a sluggish digestive system as it flushes out a large amount of toxins. A body that is dehydrated tends to draw water from the blood which puts pressure on the heart and reduces the purifying capacity of our kidneys.

In addition to boosting your water intake to at least 2 litres a day, a herbal detox diet can be incorporated with and in your meals.  Some of the herbs that can be added to your food or to be used otherwise as supplements are:

1. Dandelion – one of nature’s oldest detox remedy is known for its properties of effectively removing toxins from every cell in the body.

2. Liquorice root - is an antioxidant that stimulates kidney and liver functions.

3. Cascara Sagrada and Psyllium seeds - are very effective laxatives.

4. Milk Thistle – is helpful in repairing any liver damage caused by excessive alcohol intake.

Try to do without processed food during the detox process and pack your diet with lots of fruit and vegetables Basic diet modifications that include certain fruits and vegetables are essential to the detox program. Fruit and vegetable juices are natural cleansers and supply vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fats in a form that is easy to absorb. If you’re really desperate, an only juice-diet for a week can allow the body to clean itself in a natural way. Some of the fruits and vegetables listed below provide sufficient nutrition and have detoxification effects:

Asparagus, parsley, spinach and sweet potatoes have excellent diuretic and laxative properties that help in eliminating toxins from the body. Sweet potato contains substances that assist in binding the food together and later pass out harmful metals that enter the body. The chlorophyll rich parsley aids in muscle contractions of the alimentary canal.

A natural detox program is not complete without exercise and lifestyle modifications. Exercise is essential for your body to do all of its vital work well. Simple breathing exercises and regular workouts remove stress and our favourite yoga exercise can do wonders for you. Here’s a link to a yoga detox guide which you may find useful.

http://learnhowtodetoxyourbody.com/yoga-poses-for-body-detoxification/

And finally, we know it’s not going to be easy, but cut down on your caffeine and alcohol intake until you think your body is ready and back in shape.

Good Luck and get your body, mind and emotions back in shape for 2011.