Herbal Hacks For New Year Detoxification
- victoria ward
- Dec 30, 2025
- 5 min read
There is an overwhelming amount of information out there about health food, supplements and herbal products that claim to support a detox programme. Let me help you understand what herbal hacks really work to support you in acheiving your New Year health goals.
What Are Your New Year Health Goals?
It is always helpful to begin with an assessment of where you are and where you want to be, I find it useful to write everything down. The common health goals I will be looking at are-
Improved gut health
Weight loss
Liver detox
Gut health is the first on my list as it really is the ultimate hack, get your gut health optimised and any of the other goals will be soon achieved with much more ease.
The Best Herbs For Gut Health
To improve your gut health you will have to look at your diet and identify any areas for improvement.
Gut Health Enemies
Processed foods, the worst being ultra-processed foods
Alcohol
Smoking
High-sugar diet
Artifical sweeteners
High-salt diet
The basic rule is to keep to a unprocessed diet as much as possible, consume food that is in a natural state, forage where you can.
Top Gut Health Foods
Fresh fruit and vegetables
Herbs and spices
Probiotic yogurts and kefir
Kimchi
Kombucha
Legumes
Whole grains
Nuts and seeds
Blue cheese
Foraging For Gut Health
The benefit of foraging food for gut health is that wild foods are high in phytochemicals that reduce inflammation and contain bitter tastes that benefit gut health by stimulating digestive processes.
You may think winter is not the ideal time for foraging, but it is a good excuse to get outside and I think you will be suprised how much can be found at this time of year
What To Forage In Winter
Dandelion roots
Burdock root
Nettles
Chickweed
Gut Health Herbs
Please visit my previous post on top gut health herbs
Top Weight Loss Herbs
All the gut health tips will greatly help with weight loss and help your digestive processes function effectively, improving assimilation of foods and avoiding the development of metabolic syndrome . Herbs that will support this further include-
Turmeric
Ginger
Oregano
Herbs For Liver Detox
Milk Thistle
Artichoke
Dandelion Root
Chicory
Daily Herbal Hacks For All Health Goals
Start the day with freshly squeezed lemon juice in warm water
Swap coffee for Dandelion and Turmeric Latte
Create alcohol-free cocktails such as Mojito
Adopt a gut-health friendly diet
Consider the principles of the Ayurvedic Cleanse
Take good supplements - see recommendations
Try my Detoxymel
Recipes For New Year Health Goals
Dandelion And Turmeric Latte
This is a lovely warming drink that is full of health benefits
One cup of milk (whichever you prefer, I like almond)
One teaspoon dry, roast dandelion root (health shop)
Half teaspoon dried Turmeric
Half teaspoon dried cinnamon
Honey to taste
Simply add ingredients to a pan heat and simmer for 5-10 mins, whisk until frothy and strain
Detoxymel
Oxymels are an ancient Greek medicinal preparation combining honey and vinegar as a base for medicinal herbs. Usually the vinegar is poured over the fresh or dried herbs and left to infuse for several weeks in a jar. The honey can be added to the liquid after the straining of the herbs. Traditionally, equal amounts of vinegar and honey were used, combining the medicinal properties of each. Infusing herbs such as thyme or sage in the vinegar, then adding honey, resulted in excellent remedies for sore throats and other respiratory ailments.
Cider vinegar has many health-giving properties and is strongly associated with detoxification and weight loss, it is a great carrier of herbs and I used some to infuse hop flowers back in the in the autumn. I strained the hop vinegar and then added various tinctures (including triphala) to create a digestive tonic.
Use cider vinegar to infuse herbs of your choice to boost your detox, either dried or freshly foraged- think nettles, cleavers and chickweed. If you want quicker results or want to include roots such as dandelion or burdock, use a double-boiler and heat for 20-30 mins.
Detoxymel Recipe
100 ml cider vinegar
200 ml honey
1 tbsp dandelion root
2 tsp chopped ginger root
2 tsp dried lemon peel
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
Heat together in a double boiler for 20 mins then strain into clean glass bottles.
Ayurvedic Approach To Detoxification
Detoxification is a important part of traditional Ayurvedic medicine, but as Ayurveda is a truly holistic system, it works most effectively when the principles of Ayurveda are fully understood and applied appropriately.
Ayurveda is about balance in all aspects of life, not just the physical systems. Any programme of ayurvedic therapy would consider the individual's innate constitution and current imbalances with an aim to restore harmony to mind, body and spirit.
Panchakarma is a very intensive detoxification practice that can only be carried out by experienced professionals, it is a 5-step program, tailored to indvidual requirements and typically is carried out over 3-4 weeks.
Ayurveda emphasises the importance of optimising digestive processes and gut health, which I mentioned earlier, is crucial to overall wellness.
Visiting a qualified ayurvedic practitioner is the best way to get the full benefits of this ancient practice, however there are some excellent ready-made formulations that can aid detoxifcstion. During my travels to India and Sri Lanka I have picked up some tips and experimented with some readily available products.
Liv 52 is another fabulous supplement developed to support the liver, used extensively by travellers on the 'Hippie Trail' in the 60s/70s to great effect.
Whilst in Sri Lanka I was introduced to fermented herbs which are very commonly used and have gut health benefits. Many Sri Lankans have a morning ritual of making 'Kola kanda' from fresh herbs usually sourced from their gardens. kola kanda is a mix of rice, coconut milk and fresh medicinal herbs combined to make a 'herbal porridge'. This is a great way of adding fresh herbs to your daily routine, for general detoxification you could blitz nettle leaves or chickweed and create a similar preparation. Here is a typical kola kanda recipe for guidance.
External Matters
Another tip to be taken from Ayurveda is the use of external therapeutic techniques to aid detoxification and bring health benefits to both body and mind using skin absorption, this makes sense as the skin is the largest organ in the body. Massage and steam therapies are a couple of ways in which herbs are used externally. For home detoxification, baths and showers are another way of using herbs to aid elimination, see post on botanical bathing.
Dry skin brushing before a bath or shower is effective for stimulating the circulation to aid in toxin removal.
Travelling For Detoxification - Healthy Holidays And Retreats
Check my Herbal Travel Directory for some information on destinations that are great for herbal medicine and health. Coming very soon is more on India and Sri Lanka, both countries offer amazing Ayurvedic Retreats which are designed for thorough, guided detoxification programmes. In the very near future, I will be publishing a recent interview with the incredible Ayurvedic Practitioner and Yoga Teacher, Virginia Compton. Virginia offers authentic retreats in India and the UK. Do check out her website for more info on Ayurveda-
Recommendations
Gut Health Book
Herbal Products For Gut Health, Liver Detox and Weight Loss
Fushi Organic Triphala Capsules
Affiliate Links
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