Posted by Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
on January 01, 2019
How are you feeling? For many people, that answer depends on the day, the season, or even the hour. After periods of extra sugar, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, stress, and fewer colorful foods, it can be helpful to return to the basics with a simple health reset.
A reset does not need to mean a restrictive cleanse or short-term diet. The goal is to support whole-body wellness by focusing on nutrient-dense foods, hydration, digestion, liver support, movement, and microbiome-friendly habits.
Choose a Lifestyle, Not a Diet
Here’s my dietitian insight: do not get caught in a gimmicky 3-day cleanse or fad diet. A simple reset can be a helpful way to refocus, but it should feel realistic enough to continue beyond one week.
Choose the habits that make sense for your routine and your body. Supporting liver health, digestion, and the microbiome is not just a once-a-year project. These systems benefit from consistent daily care.
8 Simple Ideas for Beginning Your New Year Health Reset
1. Reduce the Foods That Weigh You Down
First things first, take a look at the foods and drinks that tend to leave you feeling sluggish, heavy, or off-track. For many people, that includes added sugar, refined flour, alcohol, highly processed foods, and foods that are easy to overeat.
Try assessing your pantry and freezer before you begin. Removing foods that make it harder to stay consistent can be a simple behavior change that supports your reset.
Consider minimizing these ingredients and food categories when possible:
- Added sugar
- Refined flour and boxed snack foods
- Artificial sweeteners
- Artificial colors
- Trans fats and hydrogenated oils
- Alcohol
- Highly processed foods
When possible, choose whole or minimally processed foods. Organic foods can also be a helpful option for people who want to reduce exposure to certain pesticides or additives, but the bigger goal is to build meals around colorful plants, quality protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
2. Choose Foods That Support Digestion and Natural Detoxification
The liver plays a major role in the body’s natural detoxification processes. It works alongside the digestive system, kidneys, lymphatic system, skin, and other pathways that help the body process and eliminate what it does not need.
Nutrition can help support these normal processes. Focus on foods that provide fiber, antioxidants, sulfur-containing compounds, protein, and micronutrients.
To support healthy digestion and natural detoxification pathways, include more of these foods:
- Leafy greens, including dandelion greens when available
- Beets
- Cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage
- Broccoli sprouts
- Garlic
- Onions
- Citrus fruit
- Quality protein to support liver and immune health
- High-fiber foods to support digestive regularity
- Healthy fats, such as olive oil, to support bile flow and nutrient absorption
3. Prioritize Water
Support Hydration and Kidney Function
Your body needs water to stay hydrated and support normal kidney function, digestion, circulation, and energy. A common goal is eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, though individual needs vary based on body size, activity level, climate, and overall diet.
Filtered water in a glass or stainless steel bottle can be a simple way to make hydration easier throughout the day.
Move and Sweat
Movement supports circulation, lymphatic flow, digestion, mood, and overall wellness. Exercise, walking, stretching, rebounding, sauna use, or steam can all be part of a reset routine when used safely and appropriately.
Choose the movement that fits your body and your schedule. Consistency matters more than intensity.
4. Incorporate Green Tea
Green tea provides plant compounds called catechins, which offer antioxidant support. It can be a helpful morning or mid-day option for people who want something warm, hydrating, and lighter than coffee.
Matcha is another option because it uses finely ground green tea leaves and has a stronger flavor and nutrient profile than traditional brewed green tea.
5. Support Glutathione Pathways with Food
Glutathione is one of the body’s important antioxidant compounds. The body makes glutathione on its own, but nutrient intake, stress, sleep, and overall wellness habits can all influence antioxidant status.
To support glutathione-related pathways, focus on foods that provide sulfur compounds, selenium, riboflavin, and other supportive nutrients.
Glutathione-supportive foods include:
- Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts
- Garlic and onions
- Spinach
- Beets
- Tomatoes
- Grapefruit
- Eggs
- Wild salmon
- Mushrooms
- Brazil nuts
Glutathione and Riboflavin
Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, plays a role in normal antioxidant activity. Food sources include liver, lamb, mushrooms, spinach, almonds, wild salmon, and eggs.
Glutathione and Selenium
Selenium also supports antioxidant enzyme activity. Food sources include Brazil nuts, tuna, halibut, sardines, beef, liver, chicken, brown rice, and eggs.
6. Make a Giant Leafy Green Salad
Leafy greens are an easy way to add fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and plant compounds to your day. They also support digestion and help make meals feel more colorful and satisfying.
Here are a few reasons to include leafy greens regularly:
- They provide fiber to support digestive regularity.
- They contain chlorophyll and antioxidant compounds.
- They support bile flow and healthy digestion.
- They add volume and nutrients without making meals feel heavy.
Whether you like greens raw, cooked, blended into smoothies, or added to soups, they are a simple reset-friendly food to include every day.
7. Cook with Garlic
Garlic contains sulfur compounds and other plant nutrients that support antioxidant activity, immune health, and liver wellness. It is also an easy way to add flavor without relying on heavy sauces or added sugar.
Add garlic to soups, roasted vegetables, dressings, marinades, stir-fries, and simple weeknight meals.
8. Consider Herbal and Nutrient Support
Certain herbs and nutrients are commonly used in wellness routines that support liver health, antioxidant activity, and digestion. These may include:
- Milk thistle
- Turmeric
- Schisandra berry
- Reishi mushroom
- Moringa leaf
- Chlorella
- Spirulina
- DIM and other nutrients that support healthy hormone metabolism and liver pathways
Herbs and supplements should be chosen thoughtfully. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, managing a health condition, or unsure where to start, talk with a healthcare provider before adding new supplements.
A health reset does not have to be dramatic. Start with whole foods, more color, more water, better sleep, daily movement, and consistent digestion support. Small choices practiced daily can help you feel more grounded, energized, and ready for the year ahead.
In Health and Happiness,
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods
