As I board the flight back to Melbourne on New Year’s Eve 2010, I can think of one thing and one thing only. If I see or eat lamb, I am going to burst.

I love Christmas for so many reasons: happy children; seeing my family; celebrating; presents; and eating in excess.

But eating lamb for three days straight is a bit much. On the third day I said to mum, ‘mum, please, vegetables for dinner tonight’. And on the third night, we ate lamb.

Granted I am a 32-year-old who is more than capable of whipping up her own roast vegetable salad but we all turn into little dependents when mum’s around.

So here we are in 2011, still bursting at the seams from Christmas lunch, and the leftovers, and the party on New Year’s Eve, then the days off, oh bless the public holidays but what did we do?

Put a shrimp on the barbie here, a lamb on the spit there, a roast in the oven, a couple of wines later and cholesterol city here we come.

As we all start work in the New Year with our pants a little tighter, girls opting for the mumu over the tight dress, it’s little wonder that so many New Year’s resolutions consist of detox diets and getting healthy.

A detox is a great way to get healthy and although a proper one may be quite daunting, all you need to do is make some healthy lifestyle changes and you will notice the difference.

To start the detox process you need to rehydrate yourself so get ready to drink bottles and bottles of water. Steer clear of all caffeinated drinks, yes that means frappe and Coke zero, and alcohol.

Drink peppermint tea to calm the stomach and green tea as it’s full of antioxidants and can help absorb cholesterol.

Wondering what to do with all the leftover lemons from the prawn fest on New Year’s day? Squeeze half a lemon in a glass of hot water and drink every morning.

This will aid the liver in the detoxification process of all the glasses of bubbles you consumed over the festive season.

Fasoulada and fakes – legumes! Beans are great way to fill up when detoxing. So tuck into to a big bowl for dinner.

Greek salads are perfect as tomatoes are a rich antioxidant, as are capsicums and onions.

Olive oil is your saviour when detoxing as you can dress anything in it.

Bye, bye meat, hello fish. Why not start experimenting for Good Friday recipes from now by baking up some fish and trying out different recipes.

Get to know your fishmonger and if you don’t have one, find one. With so many markets in Melbourne, the world is your oyster – pun intended.

Snack on nuts and fresh fruit. They are a great way to stay healthy, full and they won’t make you feel sluggish. And remember, the more colourful the fruit, the healthier it is.

Berries are a great source of antioxidants so snack on blueberries when you want to curve the hunger pangs.

Mediterranean’s have one of the healthiest diets in the world so why not exploit our heritage and get healthy in the meantime.