Here’s what to do for a healthy liver…
Your liver is one of the “filters” for your body, meaning it’s the organ that takes the most damage every day. Every time you put drugs, alcohol, fatty foods, sugary foods, and toxins into your body, they go straight to the liver. It takes a while for your body to eliminate the harmful substances collected by your liver, so during all that time they are sitting there, causing damage to your vital organ.
To keep your body healthy, you need to flush the toxins and chemicals from your liver on a regular basis (once every month or so). Here’s how to cleanse your liver the right way:
- Detox Fast — For 24 hours, make it a point to drink only water and natural juice made from fresh fruits and veggies. The fiber and antioxidants in the juice will help to flush toxins from your body, and the liquid diet will make it easier for your liver to expel the toxins from your body via your urine.
- Eat leafy greens –-Dark greens like kale, spinach, broccoli, and chard are all amazing for your liver health, as they contain both detoxifying agents and plenty of fiber. Cabbage, sprouts, and mustard greens will also help to improve your liver health.
- Cut alcohol –– Give your liver a break for a week or two by eliminating all alcohol from your diet. Alcohol damages your liver, so you need to stop drinking for a while in order to let your body heal.
- Flush with citrus water –– You need to add more water to your diet, but you should make it a point to add lemon or orange juice into the water. These citrus fruits will help to cleanse your liver! (Note: Grapefruit juice is NOT a good choice, as it contains compounds that prevent liver flushing.)
- Eat more sulfur –– Foods that contain sulfur include eggs, garlic, onions, and radishes. The sulfur in these foods will bond with the toxins in your liver, neutralizing them and making it easier for your body to eliminate them.
READ MORE: 20 Detox Foods to Eat Now
- Stock up on fiber –– Carrots, psyllium husk, flax seeds, apples, and berries are just a few of the high-fiber foods you should add to your liver detox diet! The more fiber you get, the easier it is for your body to flush the harmful substances from your liver.
- Reduce fats — Or, more specifically, trans fats. Saturated fats (the stuff found in animal products) is fine when consumed in moderation, but the trans fats from processed and fried foods will be SERIOUSLY bad for your liver. Cut them from your diet while trying to flush your liver.
- Limit gluten and soy — Gluten may not bother you (most people are unaffected by gluten), but most of the gluten-rich foods you eat are also the foods that will affect your liver. Cut gluten for a week, along with any soy products.
- Eat friendly bacteria — This means that you need to eat foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and kimchi–all foods that contain live probiotics. These bacteria will improve your digestive health, aiding in the flushing of your liver.
- Exercise –– Exercise will help to flush toxins from your liver, and will aid in the elimination of waste. Do exercise like Yoga (which helps to squeeze the toxins from your organs), as well as weight training, cardiovascular exercise, and HIIT training.
Follow these tips, and you’ll give your liver the chance to recover and return to proper, healthy function!
