Health – Love your liver

Spring is in the air and in the same way it brings the desire to spring clean our surroundings, it’s a great time to turn attention inwards, on our ever-hardworking liver. 

The liver is our internal filtration system, converting toxins into waste, processing medications and metabolising nutrients from the food we eat. As well as being the main organ involved in detoxing, it also plays a huge role in hormone balancing and fat burning.

In short, it is critically important to our overall health and energy, so taking the time to support your liver in its job of detoxing is a worthy investment. 

The concept of detoxing may bring up thoughts about extreme measures and protocols – anybody remember the awful cleanse a few years ago with lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup? But there are far more gentle ways you can support your liver daily. 

Below are some effective and simple ways that you can nourish your liver before the festive season is upon us. They will help to gently enhance detoxification, without increasing stress in the process. When you give your liver the love it deserves, you will enjoy better health and wellbeing year-round, radiating from the inside out.

A revitalizing start

Kickstart your mornings with a new ritual: A large glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon. This wakes up the digestive system and encourages the movement of toxins out of the body. If teeth sensitivity is a concern, sip this drink through a straw and rinse your mouth with fresh water afterwards, to remove any remaining lemon juice from your teeth. 

Nourishing nutrition

Your liver loves the following foods, so add them into your meals regularly: beetroot, berries, almonds, citrus fruits, leafy greens and green tea. 

Antioxidant support

Glutathione is an antioxidant within your liver that helps bind toxins and escort them out of the body. Foods that will help boost your glutathione levels include avocado, raw spinach, asparagus, whey protein and bone broth. 

Lighten the load

Two of the biggest liver loaders are alcohol and caffeine. When you reduce your intake of these, your liver will have more energy to carry out its many functions. 

Embrace the sweat

Sweating helps remove toxins from the body, so engaging in regular activity that induces a healthy sweat will reduce the detoxification load from your liver.