Food to cleanse your liver
The importance of detoxifying the liver
The liver is the organ responsible for the metabolism of food, medicines and debugging toxins from the body.
Given the enormous task performed by this organ, it is possible that, when affected or congested, liver can have some impact on some of its functions causing minor damages such as indigestion, headaches, migraines, fatigue, etc.
In women, menstrual pain and bloating or exaggerated breasts may be symptoms of liver congestion.
The most common for the liver to lose good health in healthy people is inadequate food, poor quality food, overeating, alcohol, tobacco or other liver toxins
* Before starting a a liver cleansing diet, one should read the contraindications
The liver in TCM
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the liver is the organ that distributes energy, causing it to flow properly throughout the body. It is considered that the blocked emotions can be a symptom of liver congestion, for example after heavy emotional changes.
If people get angry very easily, naturopathic doctors believe it could be a liver involvement.
What is the decongestion of the liver?
The goal is to help restore the health of the liver, knowing what foods are good, and eliminate bad habits that have led to this situation, as the consumption of toxic or inadequate food.
The natural treatment for cleansing the liver consists of the following four pillars:
1- Proper diet to cleanse the liver
2- Hepato-biliary plants extract
3- Exercise to mobilize energy
4- Avoid alcohol and refined, processed or chemical synthesis products (avoid sugar, sweeteners, syrups, soft drinks, flour, additives, or products containing them).
The duration of the diet is at least 1 month, preferably 3.
LIVER CLEANSING DIET
Food for liver congestion
In general, you should eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. They can be eaten raw or cooked, in gentle cooking, to better retain their nutrients: vegetable cream, vegetable broth, steamed, boiled, purees, jams, etc. Fried or sautéed are not suitable. Vegetables and fruits should always be the major food meals.
It is important to have a diet rich in antioxidants because the liver needs them during the detoxification process. Foods rich in antioxidants are:
- Vegetables in bright colors (green, orange, red,…)
- Fresh fruits (preferably seasonal)
These foods are to be more abundant in the diet to cleanse the liver.
At least for 3 days, a vegetarian diet with natural foods is recommended. Without animal meat at least for a few days, we will prevent the ingestion of hormones, antibiotics and additives.
It is essential to chew food very much. Chewing makes digestion easier for the digestive organs and shortens this process. Chewing disintegrates food for digestive enzymes best acting and, in addition, it predigests carbohydrates and prepare the body for digestion (increased secretions, etc.).
Take daily at least 2 cups vegetable broth, prepared with onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, cabbage and seaweeds. In summer, you can replace or combine with lemon water (water with squeezed lemon, sugar or other sweeteners).
What to eat during the liver cleansing?
On an empty stomach, half an hour before breakfast, we recommend taking warm chamomile tea with half a squeezed lemon (without sugar or sweeteners)..
The main component of all meals should be vegetables, enhancing artichokes, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions and garlic.
If possible, it is desirable for the salads to contain turnips or radishes. Also you can add a few leaves of radicchio, arugula, sorrel and dandelion, which will bring bitter tonic components.
Carrots are also excellent, both raw and cooked, in salads, in soups, boiled, etc.
This is not a no-carb diet because you can eat potatoes, sweet potatoes or whole grains combined with legumes (ideal proportion 3 parts cereal 1 legume).
Fruits are also suitable, in moderation. Acidic apples acidic are recommended because they contain malic acid. Other suitable fruits (according to season and region): Granada, figs, apricots, peaches, persimmons, pineapple, peaches, tamarind, guava.
Vegetables and whole grains are generally recommended to prevail over fruit.
Can you drink coffee? It is recommended not to use stimulants or caffeine plants at least for the duration of this diet. The best stimulating herb would be green tea, that can be added to chamomile tea.
Natural treatment to purify the liver with medicinal plants
Treatment with medicinal plants is an adjunct to diet. They improve the effectiveness in cleaning the liver. It involves taking a preparation of Hepato-biliary plants plants half an hour before meals.
Hepatobiliary plants tone the liver because its cleansing and detoxifying functions.
Optionally, after the preparation of hepatobiliary plants, a remedy for bladder with olive oil and lemon can be taken (1 time a day, in the morning, before breakfast, after hepatobiliary plants).
* More information: Plants for detoxifying the liver
Some spices may also contribute to the improvement of digestive health. At meals, turmeric powder has digestive and liver protective properties. Sprinkle in vegetable dishes, or add in creams and purees 1 minute before turning off the heat (heat destroys its active ingredients). Add a pinch of pepper to increase the absorption of curcuminoids. See: Recipes with turmeric
In case of difficult digestion or malodorous gases, it is recommended to add a little ginger root to meals (in the vegetable market or the dishes), or a cup of ginger tea after meals.
Summary sheet with the guidelines of the diet to detoxify, purify and cleanse the liver. Chewing is essential. It is recommended for 1 month. Produced by © Botanical-online
Avoid toxic to the liver
- Do not take multivitamins or drugs not prescribed by your doctor. It is advisable to consult your doctor to avoid taking unnecessary drugs.
- Avoid alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and to much spicy and fried food.
- Avoid processed foods: Precooked, flour (bread, pasta, sugary cereals, cakes, biscuits, béchamel, cakes,…), snacks, pastries, chocolate, packaged goods, sugar (sweets, jams, yogurt flavor, glues, industrial natural juices or fruit,…), sweeteners (sugar free gum, agave syrup, sodas, colas, diet products…), canned foods, etc.
Go on reading: Menu for a congested liver
More information on liver diseases.
