The liver is a very important organ – it is responsible for over 400 processes and it acts as a filter for every toxic material that enters our body. It is mainly responsible for filtering toxins besides controlling numerous other functions.
Besides digesting fats and storing vitamins and minerals, the liver also processes nutrients from the food you consume, which is why we need to keep it in perfect shape at all times.
The liver has two detox pathways that you can see in the picture below:
In the first phase, the organ uses enzymes to transform the toxins to less harmful substances, while the second phase pairs these toxins to molecules that increase their water solubility so they can be safely removed.
Everyone is exposed to toxins from the environment – even people who are leading a healthy lifestyle. In order to clean your body and help your liver perform better, you need to perform a detox method at least twice a year.
Is your liver sluggish?
When the liver is overloaded with toxins, it can’t perform properly and it starts storing toxins in the fat tissues. Once inside, they will reduce the organ’s function until the condition of the organ improves and it’s able to deal with them. There are numerous symptoms that will tell you when the liver is stressed and overworked – this is when you’ll need to perform a detox method.
Fatigue, negative emotions, dull headaches, brain fog, lethargy, excessive perspiration, joint and muscle pain, allergies, anxiety and depression are some of the symptoms of a sluggish liver. In order to stay healthy, you should eat a healthy diet – eliminating processed foods and replacing them with healthy alternatives is a must. Try making your own meals instead of eating at restaurants and buying pre-packaged foods and your liver will thank you.
Eating healthy is not hard if you follow these instructions:
Drink enough water
Drink half of your own weight in oz. of water every day. For example, if you weight 150 lbs. you should drink 75 oz. of water.
Eat organic foods
Avoid eating GMO foods and always include fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet.
Eliminate inflammatory foods from your diet
Use olive or coconut oil to prepare your food instead of sunflower oil.
Add more healthy fats in your diet
In order to add healthy fats in your diet, eat more avocado, coconut, ghee and grass-fed butter.
Consume more fiber
Fiber can be found in chia seeds, artichokes, flaxseeds, avocados and broccoli.
Avoid refined sugars
Avoid consuming brown or white sugar, sugar cane, cane juice and beet sugar.
Limit your fructose intake
Restrict your fructose consumption to 20-25 gr. per day.
Eat leafy green vegetables
You should eat more leafy green vegetables due to their high potassium, vitamin C and folate content.
Focus on foods rich in sulfur
You can find plenty of sulfur in broccoli, garlic, pasture-raised eggs, asparagus and kale.
Limit your alcohol intake
Limit your alcohol intake to a glass per day or switch to grape combucha.
The best foods for your liver
Turmeric
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory spice that will stimulate liver regeneration. Pair it with a healthy fat source and try drinking golden milk to improve the condition of your liver.
Globe artichoke
This is a vegetable from the milk thistle family that can be consumed. The vegetable will support your liver and stimulate bile production, while the high fiber content will raise your LDL (good) cholesterol. Globe artichoke is rich in antioxidants that will protect your body from free radicals.
Milk thistle
Milk thistle is hands down the best food for your liver. It contains siymarin, a compound with powerful anti-fibrotic, antiviral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that will protect your liver from damage. Consume milk thistle in liquid form or find a supplement.
Source : educationofsoul.com
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