Have you been neglecting your liver? There are plenty of signs you made need a liver detox, so maybe it’s time we talked about how to cleanse your liver.
There are so many ways and reasons to do a liver detox, and there’s plenty of confusion regarding this subject, so I thought it would be best to take a look at exactly what benefits cleansing and detoxing your liver will have on your overall health.
Your Liver’s Role In Overall Health
Your liver is a complex and hardworking organ, and executes hundreds of functions every day.
Everything you eat and drink basically goes through your liver, and will be processed accordingly; either it will be made available for your body to use, or it will be eliminated as waste.
It’s really classified as a gland, but it’s the largest organ in the body, and is part of your complex digestive system.
Here are some facts about your liver you may not know.
Liver Facts
It can weight over 3 pounds
It plays a huge role in removing toxins from the body
It is the only organ that is capable of regeneration
Over 1 liter of blood is pumped through your liver every minute
It’s the most complex organ in the human body
A healthy liver contains about 10 percent fat
As you can see by the many complex roles your liver has, taking it for granted can have serious consequences.
Source: PositiveMed
Important Liver Functions
Your liver is under a constant work load. As mentioned before, everything you eat or drink is pretty much passed through your liver, and it has a major influence on your overall wellness.
As an example, let’s take a look at what goes on when you take in an excessive amount of sugar.
Let’s say you have a sweet tooth, and don’t like coffee, so you reach for a can of soda first thing in the morning.
To me it sounds a bit disgusting, but I see people do it all the time.
You may not give it a second thought, but your liver is genuinely insulted by this assault of sweetness.
Remember there are ten teaspoons of sugar in a can of regular soda. That’s just a bit over your daily recommended amount!
It doesn’t take long, about twenty minutes in fact, for your liver to spring into action.
You’ll experience a sugar rush, causing a spike in your insulin level as your pancreas responds to the signals it’s getting.
Next, your liver begins gathering up any glucose it can, and turning it into fat, if the glucose is not put to immediate use by your muscles or other cells.
This fat can be accumulated throughout the body, but oftentimes settles in the abdomen area or even the liver itself, and can lead to what’s known as fatty liver disease.
Glucose is so important for a healthy life that if you don’t ingest enough of it, your liver can actually manufacture it.
So sugar, or glucose, it good, right?
Right, with a qualification.
The right amount of glucose is absolutely essential, but too much of a good thing can be disastrous.
About an hour after you ingest a can of soda, you may experience a sugar crash. You’ll feel sluggish and maybe even a bit irritable, and you’ll be looking for your next sugar fix.
Reasons For An Unhealthy Liver
There are many reasons your liver can begin to deteriorate and show signs of unhealthiness. Below are just a few of the things for which you need to be on the lookout.
These Things Can Adversely Affect Your Liver
Drinking Alcohol to Excess
I think we all know that too much alcohol will eventually harm your liver. When we’re younger and perhaps a bit foolish we tend to ignore warnings from others and even from our own bodies, but one day all the excess living may catch up with us.
Certain prescription drugs are also very hard for the liver to process and can contribute to inflammation, fatty liver disease or cirrhosis.
A High Carbohydrate Diet
Remember we said that pretty much everything we eat and drink gets filtered in some way by the liver. A diet that’s too high in PROCESSED carbohydrates can be harmful to your liver because it puts an extra strain on an already taxed organ. Improper nutrition will eventually lead to a breakdown of many of your body’s systems, but especially the hardworking liver.
Too Much Saturated Fats
Eating a diet that’s high in saturated fat can really put a strain on your liver. Things like fried foods, canola oil, animal meats and butter and cheese cause your liver to work overtime, and plenty of toxic byproducts are generated when these types of foods are digested.
Not Getting Enough Rest
Your liver does most of its work the same way Congress does: In the “dark of night”. Your liver is most busy at around 1:00 in the morning, and if you’re not hitting the hay in plenty of time to fall into a deep sleep, you may not be allowing your liver to operate at peak efficiency. Getting plenty of quality rest is absolutely essential to proper liver function.
Signs Of An Unhealthy Liver
As much as we take our liver for granted, it is still kind enough to give us some warning signals when things are beginning to annoy it.
Below is a list of signs that it may be time for a liver detox
Do You Have An UnHealthy Liver?
Chronic Fatigue
Abdominal Pain
Abdominal Swelling
Stiff, Achy Muscles
Mood Swings
Nausea
Skin Is Easily Bruised
Bloating
Gas
Jaundice – Yellow Skin And Eyes
This is just a partial list, and I know all these symptoms sound scary.
Remember that they could also be associated with many other health issues, and it’s best to consult your doctor if you have concerns about any aspect of your health.
Maintaining A Healthy Liver
Fortunately, unless you’ve already done some serious damage to your liver, it’s fairly easy to keep it healthy.
Below are a few ways to ensure that your liver stays in tip top shape.
Try A Detox Drink
Juicing is a great way to work more vegetables into your diet, and if you choose the right ingredients you can come up with something that’s tasty as well as good for your liver.
Check this out!
Get Your Greens Detox Drink
1 cup of Swiss Chard
1 ½ cups of Kale
1 small cucumber
1 small lemon, peel removed
1 small lime, peel removed
The order is not important here, just run all these through your juicer and enjoy!
No juicer? If you have a decent blender you can still treat your liver right. Check out this green smoothie recipe that’s loaded with liver-loving goodness!
Detox Liver Green Smoothie
1 celery stalk
1 large orange, peel removed
1 small lemon, peel moved
1 handful of fresh parsley
1 handful of kale or spinach
If you like things colder, toss in a few ice cubes
That’s it! Load everything into a blender and spin it around until it’s smooth, and enjoy the goodness!
Liver Detox Foods
Some foods naturally aid in liver function and as a bonus they are absolutely delicious. Many of these are probably already in your daily routine, but if not, it’s easy to work these healthy items in.
Liver Boosting Foods
Beets
Any type of dark, leafy greens, such as Swiss Chard, Spinach, Kale, Dandelion Greens, Mustard Greens, and Collard Greens
Carrots
Green Tea
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Lemons
Limes
Cabbage
Turmeric
As you can see, plenty of your favorites may already be listed here.
In Conclusion
Loving your liver is not that hard to do. Working a few extra herbs, fruits, and vegetables into your day will not only improve your overall health, but will also assist your hardworking liver.
Show your liver some respect and it will reward you will great health!
To your ever increasing health!
Ted
