Liver Love!
(no, not eating liver…)
Although it has some benefits if that is your jam, I’m talking about loving the liver you have. You hear about fad detoxes everywhere. Drink nothing but lemon water for a day! Take these supplements and these shakes and lose 30 pounds! The liver detox promises are many. But what is going on? Do you really need to detox your liver? Most of these plans do nothing but reduce your calorie intake (calorie deficit) or carb intake, causing you to hold less water. You may not lose any weight at all. If you have ever tried one of these extremes and gained it all back, you know. Think about a fighter, lifter, or anyone needing to cut weight. They balance their carbs, water, and sodium to get where they need to be. It isn’t about health at all. Just dropping those lbs. There was no liver reboot or love at all.
So why love your liver?
You have all that you need within you to detox – your liver, kidneys, digestive system, skin, etc. They need some love and support from you to do the heavy lifting – especially when your hormones start to get wonky as you age. Your body’s detoxification pathways, specifically in the liver, help moderate those hormonal swings giving you an easier ride. Have your triglycerides and cholesterol levels started to creep up? Supporting your liver can help with that too! Has your weight loss stalled? Supporting your liver might get you moving again.
So, how do you support your liver?
How do you improve liver function without liver detox?
There are numerous ways to improve your liver function. The most basic is nutrition. If you are only eating one veggie a day, start there. Increase your intake of leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, and rainbow-colored veggies. However, if those foods fight back, try something else or support your digestion. Not everyone can eat massive amounts of plants and feel good. Some cannot eat many plants at all. Take it slow an add things in if this is the case. Do not eat the same thing every week, either. Rotate them out to get the best variety of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Mix up the method as well – sauté, salad, juicing, smoothies, steam, etc. Secondly, increase your intake of soluble and insoluble fiber and resistant starches. Start low and slow. They help stick, sweep, and transport out waste products from your digestive tract. And yes, drink your water!
Can you do more? You sure can. How about a Liver Reboot program? Not a diet – you actually eat more to begin with – nor is it a liver detox. Just a little booster. 28 days to a fabulously functioning liver! Jump on my mailing list if you want to learn more.
