The liver is the organ most affected by the incessant holiday feasting.

According to Dr. Jimmy Galvez-Tan, the liver absorbs toxins from the air we breathe, the food we eat and drinks we take. It absorbs them even through our skin.

Galvez-Tan, a medical doctor, is an advocate of wellness and integrative medicine. He was health secretary and president of the Philippine Academy of Acupuncture.

He added that the chemicals and smoke from firecrackers are toxic to our lungs and skin.

“The liver is the strainer of all these poisons, acids and pollutants of the blood in our body.”

This is why a post-holiday cleanse seems the most logical thing to do to welcome 2017!

Galvez-Tan’s New Year prescription:

Turmeric detox cleanse

Drink turmeric three times a day.

Prepare a decoction by slow-boiling three pieces of fresh luyang dilaw (size of the middle finger), unpeeled. Turmeric peel contains many detoxifiers of the blood and the liver.

Slice luyang dilaw in the middle and put in a pot with six glasses of water.

Put this over the lowest possible heat. The turmeric tea should be ready in 30 minutes or when the liquid has reduced to half (three cups).

Divide the liquid into three and take it three times, within the day, preferably before (breakfast, lunch or dinner) or during meals.

You can also add kamote tops as additional detoxifier, mainly to remove unnecessary sugar in the blood. It also takes away excess cortisol (that raises our blood pressure).

The most ideal are the purple or red leaf varieties. However, green kamote tops will suffice.

Add seven kamote stalks to the water and cook over low heat along with the turmeric. Strain.

To make the drink more palatable, add kalamansi, dayap or dalandan and honey.

This makes the perfect antioxidant drink and a most effective detoxifier after the holidays, given the phytochemicals present in turmeric, kamote, citrus and honey.

Do this for three days or until such time that you feel you have flushed out the toxins from bingeing.

3-day fruit and vegetable cleanse

You may opt to go on a more conventional cleansing program such as the three-day fruit and vegetable cleanse.

To begin, one must psychologically prepare for it.

The fruit and vegetable cleanse is a good regimen for those who are often hungry.

On the first day, chew on fresh vegetables and fruits. This is to prepare yourself for the succeeding days of detox.

The fruits and vegetables should not undergo any heating process.

The recommended vegetables are basically those that can be had raw—carrots, celery, cucumber, turnips, tomatoes, lettuce.

Galvez-Tan recommends a plate of mixed fruits and vegetables. Get as much variety in to the mix as possible.

Eat the fruits and vegetables until you are 50-80 percent full, only to the point that you are comfortably fed.

Enjoy your vegetable and fruit plate for breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner.

For the duration of the cleanse, do not allow yourself to go hungry.

On the second day, begin juicing.

Make your juice blends by combining fruits and vegetables. It is suggested that more dark leafy vegetables like malunggay, dahon ng sili, alugbati, ampalaya leaves, arugula, romaine, kale and/or spinach are added.

One must consume 8-12 glasses of fruit and vegetable juice.

To make the drink delicious, add fresh pineapple, banana or dalandan, orange, apples or pears.

Drink one glass every hour for 12 hours, 6 a.m.-6 p.m., for the early risers.

On the third day, take fruit and vegetable juice alternately with a glass of mineral water.

To the mineral water you may add lemon, cucumber, pandan and/or lemongrass.

According to Galvez-Tan, pandan and lemongrass are kidney cleansers.

You may combine thinly sliced lemons and cucumber with a pandan leaf and 1 stalk of lemon grass (knot the lemongrass and pandan). Leave the water for at least 15 minutes before drinking.

From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., alternate a glass of juice to be followed an hour later with a glass of water.

Galvez-Tan stressed that detoxifying is not limited to the liver, kidney and the blood.

Detoxification encompasses your total well-being. It is about striking a healthy balance between the body, mind, emotions, spirit and relationships. It must be wholistic.

One way to help achieve this is to practice conscious breathing, preferably in a quiet place amid trees, flowers and plants.

While taking deep breath, say:

Inhale – I am happy!

Exhale.

Inhale – I am healthy!

Exhale.

Inhale – I am prosperous!

Exhale.

Inhale – I am blessed!

Exhale.

Inhale – I am completely healed!

Exhale.