The importance of the liver in a human body cannot be measured. However, this is the organ that often suffers most because of our lifestyle. It acts as a natural filter, so all the most poisonous and toxic elements go through it and eventually accumulate within it. Therefore, having a healthy liver detox a few times a year is a must for maintaining your wellbeing.
Due to the way this organ (and the human body as a whole) works, it’s impossible to cleanse it fast, like you would a sponge. An effective liver detox is a complicated and gradual process that requires proper diet, exercises, and even a bit of extra supplementation to speed up the natural cleansing rate.
Healthy Liver Detox Diet: Dos and Don’ts
The trickiness of a liver cleansing diet is caused by the fact that it’s about what not to eat as it is about the foods that you should consume. Without removing toxic products from your meal plan (at least for the duration of detox), you won’t be able to achieve the desired results.
The products that you should exclude from your diet are:
- Refined sugar
- Lunch meats
- Fast food
- Processed foods
- Hydrogenated oils
Foods that you should eat for healthy liver detox include:
- Garlic.
This food has a special effect on the liver in particular as it stimulates the production of enzymes that are responsible for toxin removal. - Beets.
This is one of the best liver-friendly foods as well as a must have ingredient of every detox diet due to their effect on digestion. - Grapefruits.
They are rich in antioxidants that are good for cleansing and protecting the body from toxins. - Leafy greens.
These are the healthiest foods you can find and starting every day of your detox program with a green smoothie will boost its efficiency. - Avocados.
These fruits contain elements that stimulate the synthesis of glutathione. This chemical produced by your body helps the liver flush toxins naturally. - Apples.
An apple a day truly helps you reduce the risk of visiting a doctor. In terms of liver health, apples are beneficial due to pectin, a compound that takes part in the chemical reaction, which unbinds and removes toxic contaminants from your digestive system. - Olive oil.
You should be careful about the kind of oils you consume while on a healthy liver detox diet. Cold pressed olive oil is the best choice because it’s the healthiest option that can effectively help the body flush out various contaminants.
Physical Exercises for a Healthy Liver Detox
It might seem strange, but there are special types of exercises that help stimulate liver function in particular. Performing them regularly should improve your general wellbeing. People suffering from liver disease would benefit from them most as they require some careful extra stimulation to reduce the negative symptoms of the condition.
The exercises are very simple and not really ‘physical’ in the way that sit-ups or push-ups are.
- Lie on your back and press your liver gently with your fingers. Repeat 20 times increasing the number gradually.
- Lie on your left side and gently strike the area where your liver is located with your right fist. Your movements should be fast and sharp, but not hurtful. Start with 20 strikes and increase as you see fit.
- Lie on your right side with knees bent and massage your liver with the fingers of your left hand.
- Sit with your legs crossed and back straight. Cross your palms on your belly and carefully turn your body to the left, then right. Repeat at least 8 times and don’t rush the movements.
Healthy Liver Detox Supplements
The final stage of your detox program is to help the body remove toxins faster in a natural manner. Milk thistle is a herb that facilitates this process for liver in particular, so consider augmenting your cleansing efforts with Milk Thistle 45mg Complex.
