Six ways to support a liver cleanse
Why does your liver need detoxing?
Your liver is a key, frontline immune protector. One of its many roles is to detect pathogens entering the body via your gut—and then capture and clear bacteria, viruses, and toxins. It is the “CEO of detoxification”, and that’s why it needs a liver cleanse. I recommend you do this at least one a year, and here are six ways to support a liver cleanse.
Your liver is dealing with daily toxins, and they can make it sluggish. Toxins (and bacteria and viruses) will leave the cells and tissues, and most of them will make their way to the liver where they are prepared for further detox. Many of the toxins are bound up to bile because it is a fat complex that attracts toxins. Bile, of course, is used to digest fats. When the bile is bumped into the small intestines for digestion, it carries with it the multitude of toxins that are now bound with it.
It’s called “hepatic biliary sludge,” and it is the cause of many liver and gallbladder problems, but here is the bigger problem!
Bile is reabsorbed in the lower intestines and recycled back to the liver. When it makes its way back to the liver, it brings toxins with it. This is referred to as retox or autointoxication. When the toxins are reabsorbed, they get sent back into circulation where they cause more inflammation and symptoms.
They can even cross into the brain, which causes what I call, “the crazies,” and can even lead to a neurodegenerative condition.
This is why it’s so important to properly support your liver during a detox. Here are five ways to do this.
1. Poop well
While on a detox you often tend to poop more, and this is a really good thing! The extra water that you drink, and the extra fibre in your diet, creates softer and bulkier stools that are easier to pass. Ideally, you should be going at least once a day, but 2-3 times a day is stellar. Stools are how many of the yucky toxins and parasites can exit the body.
If you previously ate a diet high in animal protein, or relied on fast food or packaged foods, chances are your fibre intake was low. This may have lead to constipation. Usually the less fibre you eat, the slower it goes! Up your fibre intake, especially your greens! To aid the elimination process you can also take a magnesium supplement, or put a teaspoon of psyllium husk in filtered water. Drinking lots of water can help too. This will get you well on the way to a healthy elimination which means less toxins, less weight, and more energy. Now. Who doesn’t want that!?
2. Eat lots of healthy fibre
Not just any food, but these foods with lots of fibre, cos they are superstars at helping to mobilise and flush out toxins:
Selenium rich foods like brazil nuts, walnuts and eggs.
Cruciferous veggies like Cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts are ideal foods.
Foods like asparagus, peppers, carrots, onion, broccoli, avocados, squash, spinach, and garlic which can help boost glutathione levels. Glutathione has been called the "mother of all antioxidants" and it's a powerhouse.
Eat plenty of bitter vegetables like parsley and rocket.
3. Take support supplements
Milk thistle is considered the “king” of detoxifying herbs, making it ideal for a liver cleanse. Milk thistle helps to eliminate the buildup of heavy metals, medications, environmental pollutants, and alcohol in the liver. The active ingredient silymarin helps to strengthen the cell walls in the liver, while supporting healthy regeneration.
Taking a binder will ensure that the toxins are not reabsorbed back into the digestive system and liver. Binders are substances that ‘bind’ to toxins to help move them out of the body. They work by attracting or trapping toxins, and transports them out of the body. You can chose from activated charcoal, chlorella, clay, or silica. I personally go for a good quality chlorella or charcoal. Mix it up and ensure to take it at least 2hrs apart from food and other supplements and medications.
4. Drink herbal teas
Like dandelion or green tea which are both excellent for liver support.
Dandelion tea is one of nature’s best detox foods. It is rich in vitamin A, potassium, iron and calcium, and is a diuretic that will eliminate toxins through your liver, lymph and kidneys.
Green teas, especially matcha tea, which can help excrete fat soluble toxins, and cleanse and protect the liver.
5. Apply a castor oil pack
If you want to take your detox to the next level, castor oil packs are a fantastic supercharge detox practice to boost your gut health, enhance liver function, and gently yet effectively detox the body.
They also reduce inflammation, improve circulation and lymphatic flow, and support immune health.
Better yet the minute you place a castor oil pack on your skin, you stimulate cutaneous-visceral reflexes that put your body into a relaxed parasympathetic state. This is known as the rest and digest state; it is where we heal and where we connect to our source. Putting your body in a parasympathetic state allows it to digest better, absorb better, eliminate better, sleep better, think better and overall just be better.
They can be a bit messy, so to get started watch our 'Booster Tip' video for how to apply a castor oil pack without all the mess and fuss!
6. Sip a liver detox juice daily
Throughout the day, for a week if you can manage it, which will give your liver some extra loving.
Liver Detox Drink
Dilute cranberry juice with a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part cranberry juice.
Add 1/4 teaspoon each of nutmeg and ginger and a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon into a tea infuser and let steep in simmering water for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
Add the juice of 1 orange and 3 lemons and stir. If the mixture is too tart, sweeten with stevia or another natural sweetener.
Sip throughout the day.
When you make these foods and drinks part of your daily life, and not just part of a "detox" protocol, they can have a dramatic effect on the health of your liver, and on your overall health.