How To Detox Your Liver The Healthy Way

Start the detox today!

Have you been overindulging recently? Eating too much fatty, rich foods or excessive indulging in alcohol might be putting an undue amount of stress on your liver. Learning how to detox your liver the healthy way is quick and easy, so avoid those expensive supplements or gimmicky “magic” detox pills. They might be introducing additional toxins to your body, making your liver work overtime. There’s a completely natural way to detox your liver, and we want to teach you how.

First, we’ll talk about why your liver might need detoxing before we get into the specifics of how to detox your liver the healthy way. Understanding the importance of this life-giving organ might make a huge difference in the foods and substances you choose to put into your body! Then, we’ll talk about how to keep your liver healthy and finally get into the details for how to do a liver detox.

What Does the Liver Do?

It’s important to know what the liver does before you can learn how to detox your liver the healthy way. Your liver is your body’s primary filtration system. This organ works hard to remove toxins from your blood by filtering out and removing waste from your body. In addition to removing the bad stuff, the liver also metabolizes nutrients, converting them into proteins and other substances that our body can use.

In addition to filtration, the liver also produces bile. This substance helps your body break down fats and cholesterol. It also helps your body absorb vitamins, so even though the word bile has a negative connotation, it’s actually a really important part of healthy digestion!

Finally, the liver works as a storage vessel for certain vitamins. Vitamins like A, B12, D, E, K are stored as a “backup” for your body. They can stay there for several years before you need them!

The Liver Is The Only Organ That Can Regenerate

Did you know that the liver can regenerate? It’s so important to your body’s regular function that it’s the only organ that can heal itself. So long as it’s kept healthy, it can regrow itself at a rapid pace. The problem occurs when your liver is not healthy – then, it can’t regenerate.

That’s why it’s so important to learn how to detox your liver the healthy way. If you’re not taking good care of your liver, it can’t take care of itself. You won’t be able to digest your foods properly, especially fatty foods.

How To Keep Your Liver Healthy

Keeping your liver healthy involves making good diet choices, staying away from illicit substances, and reducing your toxin intake. Starting with your diet, try not to eat too many fatty foods. You should also limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks at a time. When your liver breaks down alcohol, it produces acetaldehyde and free radicals. Over time, this can cause cirrhosis of the liver. Studies show that men who drink a liter of wine each day (and women who drink half that) can cause permanent damage to their liver within 20 years.

Next, avoid toxins whenever you can. That means illicit substances as well as mixing medications with alcohol. Remember, your liver is filtering all of these things out of your blood, so introducing toxins into your system might be making it work too hard. You’ll also want to avoid inhaling airborne toxins, like those found in paint or strong cleaning chemicals.

Signs Your Liver Might Need a Detox

Here are some common signs that your liver is not performing at peak conditions. If you have more than one of the symptoms below, you might want to contact your doctor before moving forward with a liver detox.

  • Your skin or eyes turn yellow (a symptom of jaundice)
  • Heartburn or acid reflux
  • Sudden weight gain or inability to lose weight
  • Bloating and gas
  • Excessive sweating
  • Problems with your memory or feelings of confusion
  • High blood pressure
  • Constipation
  • Dark urine
  • Bruising easily
  • Loss of appetite
  • Problems sleeping or chronic fatigue
  • Moodiness, anxiety, or depression

How To Detox Your Liver The Healthy Way

The good news is that you can help your liver operate at peak performance by diet and lifestyle choices! Here are a few simple things you can do that will help you detox your liver the healthy way.

1. Eat More Potassium

Your liver needs potassium to function properly. You don’t need supplements to get it, either! Try incorporating more bananas, sweet potatoes, beet greens, legumes and beans, and spinach into your diet.

2. Remove Processed and Fatty Foods

Processed foods may be introducing toxins into your body without you knowing it. Anything with lots of trans-fats, partially hydrogenated oils, refined sugar, and nitrites and nitrates (commonly found in deli meats) are doing more harm than help to your system.

3. Juice Your Vegetables

We’re not suggesting that you have to go on a juice cleanse, but juicing raw vegetables makes it easier for the liver to process them. That means faster (and more efficient) conversion of your vitamins and minerals.

4. Eat Lots of Turmeric and Ginger

These powerful antioxidant-rich ingredients work detoxing magic on your body. The ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and soothe your digestive tract while the turmeric supports healthy liver metabolism and blood sugar balance.

5. Reduce Your Stress Levels

When your body experiences stress, it produces cortisol. This not only makes it harder to lose weight, but it can also have negative affects on your liver. Try practicing yoga or try out these essential oils to reduce your stress levels.

We love creating recipes, meal plans, and workouts to help you get into the best shape of your life. But, we also want to keep you educated with how your body works so you can keep it running in optimal conditions! Stay in the know by signing up for our newsletter.

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Chef Lindsay

Lindsay D. Mattison is a professional chef, recipe developer, and food writer. After graduating from Cascade Culinary School, Lindsay worked as the executive chef of a farm-to-table restaurant in Bend, Oregon. She is passionate about using local, organic ingredients and loves teaching home cooks how to incorporate seasonal food into their diet. While she spends most of her time writing these days, she still exercises her culinary muscles on the regular, taking any opportunity to create beautiful meals for her family. She lives with her husband in Colorado, where she enjoys the trials and errors of gardening.

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