If you’ve gained a few extra pounds after the holidays or feel extra bloated and a little tired, you might need to detox. Our liver can get fatigued by overeating, under sleeping, and alcohol consumption. With a new year, comes new goals. So if one of your goals is to shed unwanted weight, boost your energy or get fit, you’ll be on a fast track to success with the list below.
1. Get to sleep before midnight. The liver does the bulk of its job to detox between 11pm and 1 a.m. Tuck yourself in early and detox while you sleep. This can be especially helpful if you’re experiencing a hormonal imbalance or skin problems. Sleep is a magical healer.
2. Drink 2 cups of water upon rising, room temp and add a slice of lemon or cucumber. You’re already dehydrated when you wake up, so instead of rushing around first thing, take time to enjoy some water. You’ll find you’re more alert and have more energy simply by drinking water in the morning, and this will also kickstart your bowels if you’re occasionally constipated.
3. Swap your coffee for Dandyblend which is a dandelion based blend that looks and tastes oddly similar to coffee, yet instead of having an acidic drink first thing in the morning, you’ve got liver supportive blend rich in over 50 trace minerals.
4. Take a yoga class or practice at home on YouTube. Many yoga poses are designed to target specific organs and promote detoxification and blood flow. Even a 15 minute routine every morning is a great way to build the habit and feel some of the benefits yoga brings.
5. Try skin brushing to stimulate the lymphatic system and support detoxification. Your skin is your largest organ, so taking care of it is very important. Learn how to skin brush here.
6. Drink a green juice or have a green smoothie instead of drinking store-bought juice or milk that’s full of added sugar, and often harmful preservatives.
7. Add a liver support herbal supplement or tincture to your regimen. I really love HealthForce Nutritionals Liver Rescue, and the HarmonicArts Liver Elixir.
8. Try a colonic or do an at home enema and help your colon release the toxins it may be building up. These practices can also trigger the small intestine and liver to release toxins which then move out through the colon. You’d be surprised at home much we can store in these organs, so at least a few times per year doing a colonic or home enema is something to consider. You can learn more about colon hydrotherapy from my friends over at Refresh Natural Health by clicking here.
9. Use coconut oil, grass-fed butter or ghee as your source of fat and remove vegetable oils from your diet completely. Omega 3 fatty acids are nourishing, building and healing, whereas an excessive intake of Omega 6’s, most commonly found in processed foods and vegetable oils contribute to inflammation and have damaging effects on the body.
10. Eat more cruciferous veggies like broccoli, brussels sprouts and broccoli sprouts. Cruciferous vegetables contain antioxidants and other compounds being studied for their ability to fight cancer, support detoxification and even balance the endocrine system. I’ll admit, I even eat steamed brussels sprouts for breakfast a few times per week with a drizzle of coconut oil and a pinch of Himalayan salt.
11. Add more dark leafy greens to your diet like dandelion greens which are superfoods for your liver. Bitter foods are great for your liver. Dandelion greens are one of the most admired foods for liver detox and surprise, they’re super bitter! You’ll find dandelion greens in your organic produce section and they mix well with miso and lemon juice which helps to counteract the bitter taste after you steam them. You can also juice or blend them, though you may want to add a lemon/lime or a sweet fruit to help reduce the bitter taste. Most liver supplements also contain dandelion if you’re not ready to eat them on their own.
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