Embarking on the obligatory New Year detox after a boozy festive season? Don't bother - the January detox hype will make no difference to your health, warn experts.
The British Liver Trust advises those planning to go cold turkey, to have a longer-term attitude and abstain from alcohol a few days every week throughout the year, rather than just one month, if they want to see real health benefits.
"People think they're virtuous with their health by embarking on a liver detox each January with the belief that they are cleansing their liver of excess following the festive break," says chief executive of the BLT, Andrew Langford.
"A one-hit, one-month attempt to achieve long-term liver health is not the way to approach it. You're better off making a resolution to take a few days off alcohol a week throughout the entire year than remaining abstinent for January only."
The British Liver Trust advice follows their Love Your Liver campaign, which encourages people to keep their liver healthy - all year round.
If you're feeling sluggish after the excesses of Christmas and New Year, give yourself a natural energy boost by increasing your water intake. If the thought of necking two litres of bottled water each day doesn't appeal find out how to incorporate more water into your daily diet.
Clever Ways To Incorporate Water Into Your Diet
Clever Ways To Incorporate Water Into Your Diet(01 of06)
Open Image Modal (credit:Alamy)
Have A Cup Of (Herbal) Tea(02 of06)
Open Image ModalSteer clear of caffeinated drinks when possible, as the caffeine tends to counteract the water benefits as it dries out moisture. If you need to get your hot drink fix, opt for herbal teas instead. Green tea is great for its antioxidants and cleansing, and chamomile tea is a lovely calming drink. If you don't fancy them hot, chill them in the fridge and enjoy them cold. (credit:Flickr:Charkrem)
Tomato Juice(03 of06)
Open Image ModalGet your vegetable intake as well as water with a glass of tangy tomato juice. Tomatoes contain a high level of water, so making these into a juice is an ideal way to get some water into your everyday diet, as well as one of your five-a-day. (credit:Flickr:needoptic)
Stock Up On Soup(04 of06)
Open Image ModalSoups are predominately water-based, so in the winter months, use this as an excuse to eat lots of hearty soups and stews. (credit:Flickr:wEnDaLicious)
Add A Slice Of Lemon (05 of06)
Open Image ModalIf you find plain water boring to drink, spruce it up with a slice of lemon or lime (or both). This will add subtle citrus flavour to your drink without involving any added sugar or nasties.
Eat Water-Rich Foods(06 of06)
Open Image ModalInstead of drinking water, you can eat it instead. Opt for water-based fruits, such as watermelon and cranberries. Watermelon is 90% water and is also packed with other essential nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin A. (credit:Flickr:lisaclarke)