Have you been drinking a bit much lately, or eating too much junk food? Or been spending a lot of time in the city, or simply feeling a bit run down and like your liver could need some support? Try these 5 easy ways to give your liver a make-over.
Our liver is one of our main detox organs in the body. It turns harmful substances, such as alcohol, pesticides on food, fumes from car exhausts or dyes, and many other environmental pollutants that we are exposed to on a daily basis into a water-soluble form that can be excreted through the stool, urine and sweat. Our livers are powerful machines, and if treated well, can perform a great job in keeping our body in check.
However, if we overload our liver, by consuming too much alcohol, junk foods and environmental toxins, or have genetic predispositions that weaken our liver’s detox capacity, these toxins can build up in the body and wreak havoc in the long run.
Avoid excessive toxins by going organic where possible – foods, cosmetics, clothes, furniture, cleaning products, etc.
Add in foods that support both phases of liver detoxification – organic greens and vegetables for phase I, which turn the fat-soluble toxins into an intermediary version which is unfortunately more damaging than the previous version and can create havoc on our DNA and cells if we don’t make sure phase II takes care of it straight away and turns it into the version that can be easily excreted by the body. Phase II mainly needs high quality protein and cruciferous vegetables.
Help the elimination via stool, urine and sweat, by making sure your bowel movement is regular (at least 1x/ day!), you are drinking enough water, and exercising.
Help the elimination via stool, urine and sweat, by making sure your bowel movement is regular (at least 1x/ day!), you are drinking enough
Add in liver supporting herbs and foods, such as
- Beetroot (no more than 3x/week)
- Bitter herbs such as dandelion, arugula, chicorée
- Supplement with Milk Thistle
- Drink a glass of warm water with half a lemon and apple cider vinegar first thing in the mornings and throughout the day
- Spirulina
Give your liver a break by incorporating intermittent fasting into your week. Going without food for at least 12 hours gives the body the chance to do its cleaning up, rather than constantly being busy with breaking down and metabolizing new food. Start with 12 hour fasts (ie 7pm at night until 7am in the morning) and work your way up to 16-18 hour periods – the longer the body has time to rest and clean up, the better for your liver health and anti-aging. My favourite way of doing my daily fasts are in a modified version- by adding in butter and coconut oil into the morning coffee or tea. High quality fats still allow your body to do its cleaning up, while giving your brain, hormones and metabolism a boost. Win win!
Most of the time, just following these simple steps already make all the difference. If you still feel sluggish, fatigued or would like to find out about your unique genetic predispositions and how to bypass possible weaknesses for health and longevity, send me a message to book an online consultation. X
