Tired, stressed and feeling like your body needs a break. Cleansing your liver might be just what you need.
Many people think the only toxins that touch your liver are booze and drugs. This is not the case. Your liver is not only affected by tons of harmful toxins daily and it plays a huge role in how many important areas of your body function.
What does the liver do?
Your liver is to your body like the TSA is to an aiport. Everything you consume or absorb into your body has to go through the liver to get clearance to the rest of the body.
The liver decides how this item will be transformed to pass through the body. Will it be sent to a different area who needs that item’s nutrients? Or maybe it will be stored as fat on your stomach. But hopefully not 😉
The liver is in charge of helping digestion, making proteins and ridding your body of the junk. The better your liver is functioning, the faster the toxins get out.
Another major job of the liver is supporting your immune system and making sure no viruses sneak their way in and attack. It also helps filter your blood. When it becomes blocked it contributes to high cholesterol, lowered absorption of nutrients and blocks the formation of new cells.
So, if you’re going to cleanse anything, the liver feels like a good place to start- right?
What are the signs of a struggling liver?
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Concentration
- Mood swings
- Allergies
- Rashes
- Red, itchy eyes
- Food sensitivities
- Sore, stiff sides
- Bitter taste in the mouth
How can you cleanse the liver?
- A whole foods diet is always the place to start. Dark leafy greens, gluten-free grains, potassium-rich fruits such as apricots and bananas, raw nuts and seeds and good fats such as olive oil or avocado will support liver health.
- The following are specific foods I eat more of for liver support:
- Cruciferous veggies (cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts) contain glucosinolates which are sulphur containing compounds that protect the liver from damage and improve its ability to eliminate toxins and excess hormones.
- Beets contain a chemical called betaine that stimulates the liver cells and protects the liver and bile ducts.
- Turmeric has impressive anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body, including the liver. Excellent for a liver virus or infections.
- Dandelion greens (used in my liver cleanse juice recipe) is a blood purifier and antioxidant and is recommended for those with liver complaints.
- I love Milk Thistle for liver cleansing. My favorite is Thorne Siliphos– take one capsule 2x a day. Milk Thistle tea is great too and can be purchases at most health food stores.
- Sweat it out. As with all detoxing, the best way to enhance and boost your results is to sweat. Sweat carries the toxins out faster and pushes them past the biggest organ, the skin. Try an infrared spa like The Shape House or a hot yoga class. The more often you can do it, the better!
- Start your day with 16 ounces of warm/hot, filtered water with 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon. This awakens your liver and will get it functioning and activated at the start of your day.
A Liver Cleanse Juice Recipe for You
I created this liver cleanse juice and it’s not only totally delicious, but it’s a great support your liver and helping it function at it’s best. Plus, it’s safe for those with any thyroid problems!
Elissa’s Liver Cleanse
Ingredients:
2 stalks lemongrass
1/2 grapefruit
1 lemon
3 inch knob of ginger
1 cucumber
1/3 bunch of dandelion greens
Directions:
Buy all ingredients organic. Juice!
This season, while we work to keep our guard up against colds and flus, it’s so important to have your liver functioning optimally. This is my favorite time of year- it’s the best time to cleanse 🙂
