If you don't already know, your liver is essential in detoxing your body from any toxins and chemicals it comes in contact with. However, it does not store these toxins like many people believe. Toxins are stored in fat cells and eliminated through your poop and urine.
Signs of poor liver detoxification are vast and vague. They can be as simple as chronic fatigue, difficulty sleeping, IBS/IBD, depression, muscle and joint pain, decreased immune function, asthma and allergies, dry, itchy skin, PMS or sugar cravings.
Everyone's ability to detoxify is different and can be influenced by environment, lifestyle, history, diet and genetics. The liver detoxes through two phases known as Phase I and Phase II. Regardless of your current health status, improving your liver detoxification abilities is always a good idea. Although we can control many lifestyle and environmental factors, we cannot control them all so there is always some level of toxins coursing through our bodies. The better our liver is functioning, the healthier we are. Here are 5 easy ways to enhance your liver detoxification.
1. Warm lemon ginger water in the morning. Starting your day with warm water and adding lemon juice and ginger helps stimulate activity in the liver. For many people, it seems to wake them up (and their digestive tracts) as well as coffee. Give it a try before you drink your coffee in the morning!
2. Dandelion root tea. I was originally told that dandelion root tea was a good alternative to coffee. It's not even close, but I continue to drink it because it is great for enhancing the liver's detoxification pathways. Lately I've simply been adding a scoop with my regular coffee
as it brews in my French press. But, it can actually be tasty in a dairy free mocha!
3. Eat liver. Who likes liver and onions?! I don't, but I do make a point of hiding the stuff in my meatloaf or liver pate. If we take a traditional foods approach, eating a specific organ of another animal will enhance that organ in you. I have even chopped it into tiny pieces and kept them frozen then swallowed them like a multi-vitamin. Liver is actually one of the most nutritious foods you will ever have the privilege of eating. I order mine through Harvest Moon.
4. Take a quality multi-vitamin. In addition to eating lots of fruits and vegetables that will provide you with all of the nutrients your liver needs to sufficiently make it through Phase I detoxification pathways, a high quality multi vitamin will help fill in the holes. I use (and sell) Ultra Preventative X from Douglas Labs. Here's my disclaimer on vitamins if you haven't already read it.
5. Limit caffeine and alcohol. This is pretty common knowledge, but the more toxins you consume (alcohol, duh) the harder your liver has to work. And if you are going to drink caffeine or alcohol, take it easy. It can do a much better job of detoxing from 1 or 2 glasses of wine, rather than the whole bottle. And if you are going to indulge, engage in steps 1-4 before and after to help your poor liver get through the process.