It’s that time of year when we feel sluggish, bloated, tired and run down after indulging ourselves over the festive season. This can cause our liver to become overburdened as it has to work hard to break down and get rid of toxins as well as performing many of its other tasks.
The liver is a very important organ in the body and multi-tasks, performing over 500 metabolic functions. As a result its function has an incredibly important impact on our health. The following are the liver’s main functions:
- Breaking down and eliminating toxins (e.g. caffeine, alcohol, high meat diets, saturated and damaged fats, processed foods, recreational and medicinal drugs, cigarette smoke, pesticides and fertilisers found on non-organic foods etc.).
- Breaking down and eliminating excess hormones
- Balancing blood sugar – if the liver is overworked and then fails to balance blood sugar levels, it can lead to chronic fatigue, sugar cravings, weight gain and ultimately diabetes.
- Producing bile – helps digestion by breaking down fat and removing excess cholesterol.
- Storing nutrients – such as iron, copper, vitamins A, B12, D, E and K.
To help rejuvenate your liver, feed it with what it loves!
- Rehydrate and drink fluids regularly such as water, raw juices and teas (green tea, herbal tea is fine). Aim for 1 litre of fluid daily to help avoid constipation problems and help your kidneys to eliminate the toxins that the liver has broken down. Filtered water is preferable. Be careful not to over-hydrate.
- Have a tablespoon of ground seeds (e.g. flaxseeds, sunflower seeds) every day.
- Have a serving of cruciferous vegetables every day: broccoli, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts or cauliflower.
- Sulphur up your diet with garlic, onions, shallots or spring onions every day to help supply nutrients to the sulphation chemical pathway in your liver allowing your body to process toxins through this pathway better.
- Eat artichokes – they have compounds that increase bile flow
- Juicing
- Exercise; alternating your choice and keep stretched
- Steam fry or steam your vegetables
Top detox tips
- Eat nothing unless it will spoil or rot and eat it before it does!
- SWEAT- with exercise, steam rooms and sauna.
- Use organic cosmetics and household cleaning products where possible.
- Increase amount of fibre in your diet to speed up the passage of toxins out of the bowels and reduce the ability of these toxins to re-circulate back to the liver.
- Use the 80/20 rule – eat healthy 80% of the time.
- Let go and deal with past regrets, upsets and disappointments. Don’t hold onto stuff that doesn’t serve you in the right direction.
- Mind Body check everyday using breathing methods.
- Make skin brushing part of your daily habit
- Eat organic where possible
- Avoid stimulants past 12pm
- Watch the sweet tooth and avoid refined white sugar, fizzy drinks, cakes and biscuits made with refined sugars.
- Make your own food and keep organised
- Reduce alcohol and if drinking drink water too…. Best choices clean spirits, sulphite free red wine or champagne.
- Avoid refined sugar and watch the so called ‘healthy choices’. If you do have a treat have an extra glass of water with lemon.
Build in some relaxation to your life and help detoxify your mind.
Relaxation tips
- Morning stretches or meditation
- Focusing your mind on your breathing
- Rationalize your thought process on a situation that maybe irritating you
- Walk in the fresh air
- Try Yoga or Tai Chi
- Lavender oil on a piece of tissue paper or use in Epsom salt baths
- Time for yourself
- Massage
- Avoiding anxious situations
- Writing your thoughts or to do lists
- Go to bed by 10pm
- Steam rooms & saunas
- Spend time with friends
- Plan breaks from your routine/holiday
If you would like a full nutrition and health consultation, book an appointment with me today. Just call 0871266525 or email caroline@discovernutrition.ie