How can I detox without a cleanse?

Q:

I’m feeling sluggish and fat from the winter and feel like I need to detox, but my schedule is so packed that I can’t risk being tired and cranky for a few days. Is there an easier way?

A:

Yes! There is an easy way to detox the liver, and you’re smart to want to do it now. Increased exposure to environmental toxins, comfort carbs and sugar during the winter months can cause damage to the organ that impedes its ability to burn fat efficiently, stalling weight-loss efforts. But you can undo this damage by sipping 3 cups of holy basil tea (like Alvita

Holy Basil Tea, $6 for 24 tea bags, SwansonVitamins.com) daily for at least seven days. Plant compounds in this Indian herb work to replenish levels of a liver antioxidant (glutathione) that repairs damaged liver cells and stimulates the organ’s detox processes. This speeds the elimination of built-up toxins and restores fat burning.

Another boon: Holy basil boosts levels of an enzyme (catalase) that breaks down and eliminates undigested food molecules in the GI tract—an effect that can optimize digestion and flush stubborn belly bloat in three days.