New Year’s Liver Detox
ost everyone can benefit from a gentle liver cleanse, and after all of those rich holiday gatherings with potential overload on our liver, what better way to start off the new year?
Signs that your liver might be asking for a detox:
Lack of energy
Poor digestion
Migraines
• Muscle/Joint pain
Foggy thinking Frequent congestion
The liver needs our attention because it’s the body’s processing plant - it is responsible for many important functions!
It filters our bloodstream, neutralizes and removes toxins, plays a huge role in digestion, balances energy levels by storing metabolized sugars, and regulates our hormones. What a huge feat! Thank you, liver.
I know you might be thinking about how daunting the realm of detoxification might seem, but I assure you: it is actually quite simple and can be done in a manageable way.
If you feel like going all out and want to jump right in:
Cut out all alcohol, refined sugar and fried foods. Try this for one week, two weeks or more!
This will be a huge relief and refresh for your liver. When giving it a break from alcohol, sugars and fried foods, it has more energy to do its job without being overburdened.
Supportive Botanicals to help with this detox: Milk Thistle, Dandelion, Burdock, Reishi, Turmeric. These help to keep toxins away from the liver cells and keep the free radicals in order. They come in many forms and can be taken as teas, tinctures or capsules.
If you feel like making a smaller change to support your liver in a big way:
Try adding more liver supporting foods to your diet while cutting down on foods that make your liver work hard. Less additives and less processed food is the way to go.
Give the liver a break from processing harmful inorganic materials - source organic, local & whole, nutrient dense foods and watch out for the dirty dozen: strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery & potatoes. These are more prone to being sprayed with chemicals and pesticides.
Try eating more: Avocados, dark leafy greens, berries, apples, ginger, turmeric, rosemary, lean grass fed and pasture raised meats, eggs, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beets, and wild and cold water fish like salmon.
Whether you are going all out with restrictions or just want to incorporate some liver-supporting aids, here are some other favorite supports to help cleanse and tone the liver, no matter your lifestyle:
Liver loving lemon - Not only does lemon help detox but it aids in alkalizing the body. Drinking a warm glass of lemon water first thing in the morning will help initiate digestion. If you want to boost the liver detoxing potency, add a bit of turmeric as it helps to boost enzymes that help flush toxins from the body.
Beet juice - If you have access to a juicer, beet juice is a phenomenal friend to the liver. Not only is it jam-packed with antioxidants but it also improves blood flow to the liver, reducing inflammation.
Beetroot powder - An excellent alternative to beet juice with a great source of nutrients, potassium, magnesium and of course, antioxidants. This could be added to smoothies, elixirs and anything your heart desires!
Green tea - A quick and easy favorite. Green tea is packed with antioxidants and helps support healthy detoxification.
Healing and detoxing your liver doesn’t need to be rocket science - it’s part of the healthy maintenance of your overall wellbeing, and I assure you, simple steps with the intention to love your liver will do wonders.
Here’s to a new year of more energy, vitality, better digestion and clear thinking!
DR. MARITA SCHAUCH, BSC. ND, IS A NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN WITH A PRACTICE AT TALL TREE INTEGRATED HEALTH CENTRE, 5325 CORDOVA BAY RD., MATTICK’S FARM PH: 250-658-9222
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