Your liver has a big job: within the three pints of blood that flow through it every minute, you’ll find dead cells, micro-organisms, chemicals, and fat globules – all of which have to be processed and filtered.
And while the liver is fantastic at its job, sometimes it’s worth giving it a helping hand to remove toxins.
It’s not just what we eat that can affect our liver, the body naturally produces toxins (like acetaldehyde and oxalic acid) as part of normal cell function.
Your liver’s role is to eliminate excess ones that may do harm. The problems come when you put in more than you can eliminate.
Our hunter gatherer ancestors’ livers weren’t exposed to the many environmental and food toxins we are today, and our livers have to work harder because we overload them, so it’s important to give them a regular clean up.
So nutritionist and life coach Janet Thomson shows us how to give our livers a well-needed holiday…
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How a detox can help
Your liver will do its best to carry out its workload even if it’s given too much to do.
It’s only when it gets overloaded that it will produce symptoms (see below).
A detox will stop preventable toxins going in, clear out toxins that are already present and put nutrients in to boost the process.
Aim to follow the plan for seven days, but you can carry on for up to a month. Afterwards, you’re likely to have more energy and more focus.
Signs your liver is unhappy
If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms, it may be your liver crying out for a day off:
Unexplained headaches
Skin rashes
Sensitivity to caffeine
Excess body odour
Food allergies or sensitivities
Bloating
Difficulty losing weight
The main offenders
When it comes to detoxifying there are important things to cut out:
● Caffeine
● Alcohol
● Unnecessary medication
● Processed foods
● High sugar intake
It’s a good idea to reduce your intake of these over a few days.
If you go from drinking 5-6 coffees per day to none, you are likely to get a withdrawal headache. You may find that after the detox you naturally want fewer caffeinated drinks.
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Your liver loves…
Detoxing doesn’t have to be an expensive process, there are many cheap ways to give your liver a boost.
Drinking plenty of water is top of the list.
If you wait until you are thirsty to have a drink then you may already be 30% dehydrated.
Drinking more water costs next to nothing and yet it’s probably the single most beneficial thing you can do for your body.
Aim for 10-12 glasses of water or herbal tea a day.
(Image: Getty Images)
Catch up on your ZZZZZZs
Your body does most of its cleansing at night when you sleep.
Take a look at your normal sleeping routine and see if there are ways you can improve it.
Try having a bath in Epsom Salts, which is a great boost to the detox process and relaxes your muscles.
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Ditch the booze
The biggest thing you can do for your liver is to cut back on alcohol so that you are drinking fewer than 14 units a week. Here are some reasons why:
• Drinking too much causes your liver to produce a toxin that can cause permanent scarring, as well as damage to the brain and stomach lining.
• Alcohol acts as a diuretic, meaning the liver has less water to do its job. Thicker blood means your liver has to work doubly hard to filter toxins, which can build up and hinder organ function.
• Long-term boozing can cause nasty problems like cirrhosis (caused by scarring on the liver), fatty liver disease and even liver cancer. Binge drinking is categorised as having more than four drinks in one go, so make sure you spread your units out over the course of the week.
What to eat
Vegetables
● Green leafy veg
● Beets
● Crunchy green fruit like pears and apples
● Berries
● Fermented veg such as sauerkraut
Protein
● Lean red meat
● Poultry
● Eggs
● Legumes
● Nuts & seeds
● Soy products
● Shellfish
● Nuts, especially Brazil and walnuts
What else?
Try adding these to your meals or drinks to boost the process:
● Garlic
● Apple cider vinegar
● Local raw honey
● Turmeric
When sweet foods aren’t so sweet
The liver plays a key role in balancing our glucose (blood sugar) levels.
If you have a diet too high in foods that contain fructose (the sugar found in fruits), then the excess is converted into fat which stays within the liver, resulting in a fatty liver.
Rather than cutting out fruit, which contains essential nutrients, avoid foods that use fructose as a sugar substitute, like processed foods and fizzy drinks.
Snack attack
When you snack, your liver never really gets the chance to balance blood sugar. So try to eat enough foods at each meal to keep you satisfied until your next.
FACT: The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself. You could lose up to 75% of your liver and it could be fully restored within two months.
Janet Thomson is the creator of the Colour Fast Re-Set Program, which is available to download as an E-book at Theplacebodiet.co.uk .
