There’s an alternative to Dry January to recover from festive-season excesses – Hayley Matthews

January for most means no alcohol, no sugar, no caffeine (you must be full on self-punishment mode to do that one to yourself), no meat and many more.

It’s all I’ve heard – people cutting out the “bad” stuff in search of a better, cleaner way of living. Frankly I’ve cut enough out this year so therefore I’m looking to add in some goodness instead.

Actually, I tell a lie, there is one thing I’m cutting out and that is toxic relationships. You know the ones – the people who smile at you, listen to your dramas then secretly bitch about it, and all to make themselves feel better. Well that’s all I’m cutting out. Instead I’m all about the good.

I feel I need probiotics in the tons to sort out the damage the winter stomach flu has done to us all and have been on a mission for the highest strength good bacteria I could get my hands on and a huge jar of manuka honey.

I go through phases of taking probiotics after being advised to do so following a colonic a few years ago. I never knew until recently, though, how important the balance of good bacteria in our bodies is for a well-balanced gut and, trust me, on a Scottish diet there are a few out there who could do with some good bacteria. I used to work with a guy who would eat pizza and super noodles and think he was being healthy. Nobody ever wanted to use the loo after him and I could well imagine his guts were in more of a tangle than Donald Trump’s hair.

Antibiotics, steroids, medicines and illness all apparently wreak havoc with the old tummy tubes and after the month we’ve all had with a stomach flu, I’ve been keen to get back on the good bacteria. They can be expensive but I think even one month can sort you out. After explaining to the shop assistant in Holland & Barrett why I was after such strong probiotics, he advised me to eat as much fermented vegetables and kimchi as I could. “Eat it until its coming out your ears,” he exclaimed.

I do love kimchi but had never realised how good it was for you. On doing my research on the fermented vegetable craze, I discovered the creation of Glyn Gordon, a food science fanatic with a special passion for fermentation, and Pat Bingley, a culinary expert who’s trained with the likes of Rick Stein, and their fermented products. They run Eaten Alive where they lacto-ferment hot sauces, vegetables and kimchi for up to six months. It’s all thought to benefit the immune system and gut health and to be honest, anything that helps soothe the tunmmies after all that pounding over the festivities is very welcome.

I have to admit that I did try to ferment my own veg a while back but I think I missed something out because it didn’t taste how it did when chef Paul Wedgewood showed me how on The Fountainbridge Show back in my STV days. I think I added sugar or something that wasn’t supposed to be there so think I’ll stick to the shop bought and the experts recepies for now. I have to admit the Eaten Alive sauerkraut has become a staple to add to dinners and salads. It’s a lot tastier than dropping in a teaspoon of powdered probiotic into your tea.

There is huge research to suggest that a healty gut and good mental health are linked as well as a healthy gut and strong immune system so I’ve been doing my best to sneak it in for everyone in the family. I just need to find a way of stirring the fermented veg into a bowl of beans for the kids because their poos smell like old man’s breath!