After all the indulgence of the Silly Season does your liver need some love? Our body is in a constant state of detoxification and is pretty good at it but often it needs a little bit of a break to just do its thing, without the overload of the extra processed sugars, alcohol and other toxins.
The liver is the second largest organ in the body and is involved in over 400 functions. It cleansers the blood, helps regulate body temperature, and creates bile to aid in digestion. It also is responsible for detoxification, facilitates the removal of environmental toxins, drugs, alcohol as well as excess hormones.
Some questions to ask yourself, if you feel your liver needs some support;
Do you experience mood swings or anxiety?
Do you eat red meat, refined sugar or processed foods regularly?
Do you legs or ankles swell up?
Do you suffer from skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis or acne?
Do you drink alcohol?
Do you feel fatigued or run down?
Do you have digestive issues such as diarrhea or constipation?
Do you get bloating or stomach cramps?
Do your eyes have a yellow tinge to them?
Do you get sick all of the time?
These are some symptoms that you may suffer when the liver is burdened, so what to do now?
Drinks heaps of filtered water - keeping properly hydrated is a way to flush toxins from the body. This does not include caffeine, sugary drinks or alcohol but at least 2L of filtered water daily. Start the day with a big glass of water to help hydrate from sleep.
Balance your Diet - Make sure you are eating whole foods (as close to nature as possible) and lots of colour in the diet. Onions, garlic, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and brussel sprouts all help liver function. Avoid processed foods, deep fried foods and those high in sugar and white carbohydrates such as pasta and bread.
Prevent constipation - if your not pooping you are not eliminating, and if you are not eliminating your are reabsorbing toxins. So increase fibre in the form of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains or add fibre in the form of flaxseeds, chia or psyllium husks.
Get moving - exercise and physical activity support detoxification. A minimum of 30 mins per day to help with general wellness and maintain circulation.
Nourish your Gut - the god bacteria in the gut can affect your detoxification pathways. Eating fermented foods, and increasing probiotics can encourage a healthy balanced microbiome. Eating inflammatory foods such as sugar, alcohol and processed foods can affect detoxification.
Mind the medications - most drugs are broken down by the liver after they are taken so taking the minimal number of medications possible will help to decrease the pressure on the liver. Even things such as the OCP can affect the liver.
Avoid breathing in toxins - this can be cleaning products, cigarette smoke and environmental toxins.
So even though the liver can regenerate once damaged it is important to love your liver and give it the support it needs in this toxic world.
In health & happiness,
Kirsty