7 Ways I Cleanse My Liver

How do you know that cleansing has gone mainstream?

When your Uber driver, your nail tech, and even your gardener perk up when you tell them you’re a cleanse expert. I literally can’t go anywhere these days without someone wanting to pick my brain on cleansing and most want to know, “How do I cleanse my liver?”.

That’s probably because most people generally understand that the function of the liver is to process toxins, therefore making it a focus point of many cleanse programs. It could also be because liver cleansing is tied to recovering from a few too many nights out, but liver cleansing can change your life in many other ways.

Of course, too much alcohol or diets heavy in processed foods cause issue, but we are exposed to toxins everywhere we turn. The air we breath, electromagnetic radiation surrounding us, drinking water, skincare products, chemicals and pesticides in our food…the list goes on.

If your liver is overburdened by toxins, and even running at 70% efficiency, that still leaves 30% of toxins floating around in your body and that adds up to the following signs of liver toxicity:

• Chronic fatigue or loss of energy
• Bloating
• Excessive abdominal fat
• Acid reflux/heartburn
• Acne/rosacea/skin issues
• Difficulty losing weight
• High blood pressure
• Vitamin deficiency
• Snoring & sleep apnea
• Depression

The regimen I’m outlining already takes in consideration that you are cutting out processed foods and refined sugars. Before you attempt any of my seven liver cleanse tips, know that nothing will benefit you unless you’ve cleaned up your diet. Next, keep a close eye on your fats. I promote healthy fats and I’m all for avocado, olive oil, coconut, wild salmon, seeds, and nuts – but a sluggish liver requires that you keep your fats at 25% of your daily nutrient intake and those need to primarily be plant based fats.

After you’ve adjusted to these dietary changes, bring out the superfoods and supplements:

1. Burdock & Dandelion – I use burdock and dandelion interchangeably. Some days, I grab a “Liver Aid” juice from my local juice shop, made with juiced burdock root, other days I brew a cup on EveryDay Detox Dandelion Tea or juice fresh dandelion greens. The same chemicals that give these two their bitter taste stimulate digestive juices in the gut and bile production – both which help the liver rapidly process toxins and purge the liver. Dandelion’s diuretic properties also help to further cleanse toxins.
2. Gaia Milk Thistle – Numerous studies demonstrate the power of milk thistle on liver function, It removes toxins from the body that are processed through the liver and rebuild liver cells. Milk thistle has been shown to decrease and even reverse liver damage caused by alcohol, pollution, prescription medications, pollution, heavy metals, and antibiotics.
3. Nutrex Hawaiian Spirulina – Spirulina serves as a protector of the liver, especially beneficial for people with liver disease. This blue-green algae is a superfood, extremely high in antioxidants that protect against liver damage, liver failure, and cirrhosis. Spirulina should only be purchased from a trusted, reputable company that partakes in product testing and I recommend Nutrex Hawaiian Spirulina Tablets.
4. Lemon Water – It can sound almost too good to be true, but as little as one half a lemon squeezed into a cup of water daily can make a difference. Lemon water will help your liver product more enzymes and aid in releasing toxins. By boosting digestion, lemon water also reduced the load of the liver.
5. Celery Juice – Celery is rich in vitamins and iron, making is a great tonic for the liver. The nutrients protect the liver and researchers have found that when treated with celery extract, liver cells produced liver enzymes that flush toxins. In addition, celery is highly alkalizing and hydrating. A protocol of 8oz of fresh juiced celery for two weeks can help rehabilitate the liver.
6. Take an ALA (alpha-lipoic acid) Supplement – A great supplement for the liver, this antioxidant can pentrate the liver cell for therapeutic benefit, and can effecively chelate heavy metals, while enhancing benefit of other antioxidants to bring the liver back to good working order and restore it. You only need 50 – 100 mg./day for a healthy adult.
7. Incorporate these Foods Daily – These foods are are liver healers and supporter’s, for different reasons from cleansing benefits, to prevention of scar tissue build up, and providing energy.  Add as many of these into your daily diet as possible:
   1. Apples
   2. Citrus
   3. Broccoli
   4. Grapes
   5. Artichokes
   6. Asparagus
   7. Berries
   8. Spinach
   9. Butternut Squash
   10. Sweet Potatoes
   11. Berries (any kind)
   12. Kale

I’ve written and posted a lot on the power of B12 recently, and need to emphasize that in the case of liver cleansing, B12 supplementation is highly beneficial and something I recommend that you do regardless of liver health.  For more on my recommended brand and benefits (including supporting your liver), check out my blog on “Life’s Most Important Nutrient” here.