We tend to think of liver problems
being only something for an alcoholic to worry about.
Yet your liver is one of your most
important detox organs.
It takes on the brunt of neutralizing
and detoxifying the various chemical that enter your body through
ingesting them, skin contact with them and inhalation of them.
It is important to continuously support
and cleanse the liver to enable it to do its important work of
digesting our foods, recycling hormones and detoxifying the normal
waste products of human life.
Repeating this process of daily liver
cleansing, you are gently cleansing your Liver of Toxins. This is the
first step in allowing your body to heal itself, by providing the
needed tools; whether you desire weight loss, increased energy,
ridding your body of allergies, headaches, hormonal issues, etc.
The liver has over 500 functions;
- processing digested food from the intestine
- controlling levels of fats, amino acids and glucose in the blood
- combating infections in the body
- clearing the blood of particles and infections including bacteria
- neutralizing and destroying drugs and toxins
- manufacturing bile
- storing iron, vitamins and other essential chemicals
- breaking down food and turning it into energy
- manufacturing, breaking down and regulating numerous hormones including sex hormones
- making enzymes and proteins which are responsible for most chemical reactions in the body, for example those involved in blood clotting and repair of damaged tissues.
Symptoms of an unhealthy liver include:
- Running out of energy in the afternoon
- Inability to lose weight
- Mood swings
- Bursts of anger, mood disorders, or anxiety
- Bloating and gas
- Occasional headaches
- Brain Fog and lack of mental clarity
- Muscle aches and stiffness
- Bad breath or body odor
- Brown spots on your skin or age spots
- Bruising easily
- Jaundice, or skin and eyes that take on a yellow color
- Dark urine
- Pale-colored stool or bloody/tar-colored stool
- Constantly itchy skin
- Abdominal pain and swelling
- Poor digestion
- Nausea
- Chronic fatigue
Another common problem is fatty liver
disease, which often develops from the overindulgence or long-term
use of alcohol. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease also exists, and can
be brought on by certain medications, malnutrition, or other causes.
One concern with fatty liver disease is that vague symptoms
(generalized fatigue, weakness, nausea, confusion, impaired judgment,
and loss of appetite) can build up for years before liver damage is
implicated as the cause.
14 foods that help clean your liver-
1. Garlic
Just a small amount has the ability to activate liver enzymes that help your
body flush out toxins.
2. Grapefruit
A small glass of freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice will
help boost production of the liver detoxification enzymes that help
flush out carcinogens and other toxins.
3. Beets and Carrots
Both are extremely high in
plant-flavonoids and beta-carotene; eating beets and carrots can help
stimulate and improve overall liver function.
4. Green Tea
This liver-loving beverage is full of
plant antioxidants known as catechins, a compound known to assist
liver function.
5. Leafy Green Vegetables
High in plant chlorophylls, greens suck up
environmental toxins from the blood stream. With their distinct
ability to neutralize heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides, these
cleansing foods offer a powerful protective mechanism for the liver.
Try incorporating leafy greens such as
dandelion greens, spinach, mustard greens, and
chicory into your diet. This will help increase the creation and flow
of bile, the substance that removes waste from the organs and blood.
6. Avocados
This nutrient-dense super-food helps
the body produce glutathione, a compound that is necessary for the
liver to cleanse harmful toxins.
7. Apples
High in pectin, apples hold the
chemical constituents necessary for the body to cleanse and release
toxins from the digestive tract. This, in turn, makes it easier for
the liver to handle the toxic load during the cleansing process.
8. Olive Oil
Cold-pressed organic oils such as
olive, hemp and flax-seed are great for the liver, when used in
moderation. They help the body by providing a lipid base that can
suck up harmful toxins in the body. In this way, it takes some of the
burden off the liver in terms of the toxic overload many of us suffer
from.
9. Alternative Grains
It's not only that you need
alternative grains like quinoa, millet, and buckwheat in your diet,
it’s that if you've got wheat flour, it's time to make changes. The body does not have the enzymes to completely break down gluten and this can often set up for inflammatory changes.
10. Cruciferous Vegetables
Eating broccoli and cauliflower will
increase the amount of glucosinolate in your system, adding to enzyme
production in the liver. These natural enzymes help flush out
carcinogens, and other toxins, out of our body which studies have shown can significantly lower risks associated with cancer.
11. Lemons & Limes
These citrus fruits contain very high
amounts of vitamin C, which aids the body in synthesizing toxic
materials into substances that can be absorbed by water. Drinking
freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice in the morning helps stimulate
the liver.
12. Walnuts
Holding high amounts of the amino acid
arginine, walnuts aid the liver in detoxifying ammonia. Walnuts are
also high in glutathione and omega-3 fatty acids, which support
normal liver cleansing actions.
13. Cabbage
Much like broccoli and cauliflower,
eating cabbage helps stimulate the activation of two crucial liver
detoxifying enzymes that help flush out toxins. Try eating more
kimchi, coleslaw, cabbage soup and sauerkraut.
14. Turmeric
The liver’s favorite spice. Try
adding some of this detoxifying goodness into your next lentil stew
or veggie dish for an instant liver pick-me-up.
Just to recap; Health Benefits of Doing a Liver
Cleanse
- Improved digestion and elimination of toxins
- Helps the liver can break down fats more efficiently
- Balanced lipid profiles
- Increase in energy and vitality
- Feeling lighter and healthier
- Mood support
- Decreased bloating and gas
- Improved memory and cognition
- Reduced cravings for sugar and fatty foods
- May help remove liver and gallbladder stones which clog the liver
- Removal of toxic fatty deposits and smaller particles of buildup
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