Liver Loving Tips For The Holiday Season

Many of us enjoy a glass or two of wine and some treats over the holiday break. But it’s important to give your liver some love if it’s going to be under some extra pressure.

It’s true that your body detoxifies itself, using the liver and other supporting organs. But if we overload the liver, it can slow down the process and cause issues. Indigestion, nausea and burping, bloating and flatulence, headaches, low energy, weight problems, hormonal imbalances, skin problems, difficulty maintaining normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels are to name but a few symptoms of a poor functioning liver.

Some simple suggestions to support your natural detoxification pathways using food are as follows

1. Go for high fibre options

One of the ways that the liver eliminates waste is through the bile. Bile is excreted into the digestive tract, where it binds to fibre and is transported out of the body. But if there isn’t enough fibre to bind with the bile, toxic substances could be reabsorbed into the system and back to the liver again.

Make sure you’re choosing a high-fibre food at each meal. Some good options include:

• Fruits such as apples, pears (including peel of both), bananas, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, avocados
• Vegetables such as carrots, beets, broccoli, swiss chard, artichokes, brussels sprouts
• Nuts and seeds such as almonds, quinoa, chia seeds, amaranth, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, coconuts
• Legumes such as lentils, kidney beans, split peas, chickpeas,
• Wholegrains such as oats, wheat berry, freekeh, bulgur, barley, brown rice, sorghum, millet, buckwheat

Many of these high-fibre foods also contain antioxidants, which play a protective role throughout the detoxification process. What a bonus – a two-for-one deal!

2. Add bitter foods

Another way to maximise waste excretion through bile is to include bitter foods. Bitter foods can stimulate the flow of bile. Combined with high fibre foods, improving bile flow can remove waste, as well as supporting the digestive process.

Some bitter options include:

• Lemon juice
• Apple cider vinegar
• Green tea
• Leafy greens such as rocket, radicchio and endive
• Citrus fruits
• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower
• Bitter herbs and spices such as peppermint, dandelion, parsley, basil, cinnamon

Each of these may be included in a salad and tossed with some extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

3. Up your cruciferous veggies

One of the best things you can do for your liver health is to include a serve of cruciferous veggies each day. Early research suggests that cruciferous vegetables like Brussel sprouts and broccoli can support liver enzymes and protect the liver from damage.

Cruciferous vegetables include:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage

For those with thyroid problems cruciferous vegetables are best consumed cooked to reduce goitrogens and not in excess.

4. Stay hydrated

Without water, none of our organs can function. The liver is no exception to this rule. Being hydrated supports the elimination of waste products out of the body. But water is also needed for many chemical reactions in the body, including digestion and hydrolysis (important process in the conversion of sucrose to fructose and glucose), and is required for electrical signals to travel through body and brain, as well as the elimination of waste to name a few.

So, if you want to show your liver some love, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water over the holidays. You can also choose to eat hydrating foods like fruits and vegetables to boost your water intake. See previous article on the health benefits of water. https://www.lapachamamanaturalhealth.com.au/health-benenfits-of-water/

If you are thinking about getting back on track for the New Year? Give me a call on 0416016388 or book online at https://www.lapachamamanaturalhealth.com.au/contact/

For more tips about staying healthy and still enjoying life? https://www.lapachamamanaturalhealth.com.au/blog/

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26401074

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21535814