Are you normally asleep by 10pm? The two hours prior to midnight are the most important for sleep and are worth two of any hours after midnight. When you’re busy, it can by tempting to stay up late but your body doesn’t usually appreciate the change.

See if you can be in bed asleep by 10pm and be up by 7pm at the very latest. In Ayervedic medicine, it’s believed that if we wake too late we leave the energetic Vata phase and enter the sluggish Kapha phase, leaving us feeling tired and lethargic. Have you ever noticed this happening to you? I have definitely noticed that if I sleep late in the weekends, I never feel more energetic: just tired and groggy. There is no better feeling than being awake early and getting a head start on the day. Give it a try!

Try meditation or Pranayama
Meditation is a wonderful thing to do but can be difficult for our Western minds to master. I once had some good advice from an Indian yoga master I’d like to share. He said that we must first learn to control the breath before we can learn to control the mind. He recommended that I do Pranayama when I wake up in the mornings. Pranayama is a series of yoga exercises that involve the breath. They are very simple and give you a wonderful feeling of calmness. They are very useful for anyone with lung problems, although you must be careful and listen to your body if this is the case. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, stop and with time you will be able to do more.

You can check out YouTube for some lessons on Pranayama.

Try to eat a range of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables such as capsicum, carrots, tomatoes, beetroot, watercress, berries, papaya and melon. These contain high quantities of beneficial anti-oxidants such as vitamin c, e, beta- carotene and phytonutrients to protect and support your liver.

Your liver needs adequate levels of b vitamins, selenium, zinc and glutathione (a very important anti-oxidant). Brown rice is a good source of b vitamins and zinc, while garlic, watermelon, papaya, avocado and mushrooms all increase levels of glutathione.

Garlic, onions, eggs and watercress all contain sulphur, which assists liver function. And members of the brassica family, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale, are also very helpful for cleansing.

Snack lightly and often
It is vitally important when you do the Vital Cleanse that you make time to have fresh fruit for morning and afternoon tea This will help keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day and help you avoid any cravings. Sometimes it can be tempting to skip these snacks when you aren’t hungry but the benefit of eating them comes later in the day. So don’t forget to have some delicious, fresh fruit handy!