Spring Clean Your Liver!
It has been a few weeks since we last sent out some health tips. Why not start back up with some tips to keep your liver performing optimally?
The liver is one of the critical organs of detoxification, whether that be normal cellular waste, excess alcohol, medication, hormones, etc. The function of the liver can reflect, to a large degree, how we feel, our energy levels, our cognition, and our more vanity-driven interests like how we look. Here are some EASY tips to support your liver health:
Consume PLENTY of green vegetables. Cooked and raw. Particularly the cruciferous family of vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, kale, etc. These foods can help boost your body’s glutathione levels. Glutathione is essentially your body’s master antioxidant and detox agent. You want plenty of this guy floating around. If you DON’T consume the above, it would be wise to support your body with methylation-supporting nutrients. Ask Dr. Brad which supplement would be best for you.
Consume microgreens like sprouts and shoots. Broccoli sprouts are a personal favorite, as they are high in a compound sulfuraphane. This compound has been shown to scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress on the liver. In other words, REDUCE inflammation. Some of these microgreens can boost diamine oxidase (DAO) levels, which can help your body remove excess histamine as well.
Consume milk thistle and turmeric. Milk thistle contains silymarin, and turmeric contains curcumin. These active ingredients have both been shown to protect and, in some cases, REGENERATE hepatocytes (liver cells). Be sure to consume these, especially turmeric, with a fatty meal as the active compounds are fat soluble. Meaning, they need fat to be absorbed.
Avoid processed foods and refined sugars. Eat REAL food. We call processed food and refined sugars “carbage.” High in crappy sugars that create dirty garbage in the body, rather than clean and vibrant energy.
Consume high quality green tea or coffee. Both have been shown to reduce oxidative stress in the liver. This is good news for our household, particularly because we love our coffee.
As always, we are here to be your guide to living as healthy and pain free as possible. Whether that means meeting your functional medicine needs or your chiropractic and movement needs, we will do our best to serve you.
