In our modern world of sometimes excessive eating and drinking, our livers are put under severe pressure to help keep our bodies healthy. Environmental pollutants, stress, overeating and the consumption of fried and processed foods are enormously taxing on this vital organ.
The liver, the only part of your body that is both an organ and a gland, is responsible for storing nutrients. It also plays an important role in functions related to metabolism, digestion and immunity. Surely it deserves a regular detox to keep it functioning at its peak!
Liver detoxifying foods
Facilitating a natural liver detox is as simple as incorporating these liver-cleansing ingredients into your diet:
Garlic
Add raw, unprocessed garlic to the meals you prepare. This marvelous bulb helps to activate enzymes that clear out toxins in your body, and they also contain selenium and allicin which aid in cleansing and protecting the liver from damage.
Avocados
Delicious avocados are high in monounsaturated fats, meaning they help reduce “bad” cholesterol and increase “good” cholesterol which the liver can easily process. They also contain glutathione which aids liver function.
Turmeric
A wonderful spice to add to your vegetable dishes or stews, turmeric helps to regenerate damaged liver cells. In addition, it increases your body’s ability to digest fats.
Apples
An apple a day… is a real helper to your liver! Apples contain pectin, which aids in removing cholesterol from the blood. It also helps remove toxins from the digestive tract, reducing the amount of work your liver has to do.
Lemons
Drinking a glass of warm lemon water in the morning is a great way to cleanse your liver daily. Lemons (and even limes) are high in vitamin C, known to help your liver produce enzymes that aid digestion. Can’t face the sour taste first thing in the morning? Add a little honey to sweeten the deal!
Beetroot
Natural blood purifiers, beetroots are also high in plant flavonoids and beta-carotene which improves overall liver function. Easy to add to a salad and a wonderful, colorful addition to freshly pressed juices.
Liver detoxifying remedies
You can always boost your liver detox process with the following remedies:
Ditch the drink
Alcohol places a huge amount of pressure on your liver. Your liver expends a lot of energy to cleanse your bloodstream and get rid of the toxins contained in alcohol.
Say no to unhealthy food
Wherever possible buy organic meats and produce – this will ensure that your exposure to harmful pesticides, hormones and antibiotics is minimized. Forgo the easy option of fast food and instead cook a healthy meal at home using the best ingredients you can find.
Drink raw vegetable juices
Juicing is a great way to get four to five servings of vegetables – and that all-important fiber – into your daily diet. If you can’t face certain veggies on your plate, why not blend them into a juice to disguise the taste?
Supplements
A really easy way to enhance your liver detox is with natural supplements. Consider adding a supplementary capsule to your daily intake to assist your liver in performing all its important functions optimally.
For all the hard work that the liver puts in, this all-important organ in our bodies can only benefit from a periodic cleansing detox to renew, refresh and replenish its amazing capabilities in keeping us toxin free.
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