2020-04-28
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Toxins are being generated in our body on a daily basis as the output of various activities happening inside and outside the body. Environmental toxins, internal toxins as a side product of body functioning and toxins created from the consumption or application of chemicals are some of them. It is very important that these toxins get flushed out consistently. One of the effective ways to do this is through detox!

Liver cleansing is an effective way to do this as the toxins that get accumulated in the body are being flushed out through liver. The liver works constantly to cleanse our blood without flushing out the vitamins, minerals, and iron. It also breaks down hormones and produces fat digesting bile. People who have digestive issues, vitamin and mineral deficiency and obesity will likely to have improper liver functioning. Having a detox diet plan can help to cleanse the liver and improve its functioning.

Causes of Liver Impairment

If you want the liver to take care of your body, you must learn to nourish it and not abuse it. Below are some of the ways in which you are impairing your liver functioning.

  • Excessive alcohol, smoking, and drug abuse
  • Industrial chemicals and environmental toxins such as polluted air, water, and other chemicals
  • Obesity due to excessive consumption of processed foods and high saturated fats
  • Unprotected sex
  • Low potassium level due to improper diet
  • Certain viral infections
  • Autoimmune diseases

One or a combination of the above factors can cause serious damage to your liver, sometimes irreversibly. In many cases, it might lead to a need for the liver transplant which is both expensive and challenging. So it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Symptoms of Liver Impairment

The first step is to identify if you have a malfunctioning liver. Identifying these symptoms earlier will help to reduce the work needed to reverse the effect. A good detox diet plan would be enough if you act early. Below are few signs that might indicate the same.

  • Bloating, acid reflux, heartburn or any prolonged digestive issues
  • Constipation or irritable bowel syndrome
  • Unexpected mood swings, anxiety or depression
  • Chronic fatigue
  • High blood pressure
  • Difficulty to reduce weight
  • Loss of appetite
  • Profuse sweating
  • Dark colored urine

Fortunately, there are many ways to detox your liver and reverse the effects of damage incurred. Through a thorough cleansing process one can expect to see the difference within a couple of weeks. Below are some of the effective ways to detox the liver.

Detox Your Diet

One of the most effective ways to detox your liver is to detox your diet itself. Prevention is always better than cure. You build toxins in the body only when you consume foods that generate toxins such as processed foods, foods with high amount of carbohydrates and fat, processed sugar and hydrogenated oils. These foods can cause serious health issues and not just liver problems. It is best to avoid or minimize these foods to maintain a healthy liver throughout your lifetime. By keeping your diet healthy and nutritious, you are eliminating the chance of liver damage to a great extent.

Employ Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a way of keeping your food intake in a zero-calorie state for a specific period of time. The most common ratio is 16:8, means you have to fast or consume zero calorie foods such as tea, black coffee or water for 16 hours and eat normal food within the remaining 8 hours. This type of fasting is still under study but so far has managed to find good reputation among researchers, unlike many fad diets. This allows a breathing time to the liver and all the organs to rest and regenerate.

Consume Potassium-Rich Foods

The recommended potassium per day for human beings is 4700 milligrams. Potassium plays a key role in keeping your cardiovascular health, maintaining a healthy blood pressure and also cleanses your liver. Some of the foods that are rich in potassium include sweet potatoes, tomato sauces, spinach, any leafy vegetable, beans, molasses, and bananas. Including these foods in your daily diet will help you to receive the required amount of potassium for your liver to cleanse itself naturally and regularly. To begin with, you can create a detox diet plan including potassium-rich foods.

Raw Vegetable Juices

Vegetables are good liver cleansers. However, eating a bunch of vegetables together can be difficult especially for people who are not fans of veggies! One way to solve both the issues in one shot would be to blend 4-5 vegetables into a juice. Juicing veggies also helps in making it easier to digest for people who have an impaired liver. Some of the best vegetables for this purpose are cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and leafy vegetables. You can also add vegetables such as carrot, cucumber, beetroot etc. to make it enjoyable.

Coffee Enemas

Coffee enemas aid liver detoxification. Other than that, it also helps with chronic fatigue and digestive issues. It is a process of allowing the fluids from organic coffee to enter through your intestinal walls by keeping it in the bowel. This has been proven to cleanse and detox your liver.

Eat Beef Liver or Tablets

Liver of young, healthy and organically raised cattle, jerky, and chicken has many health benefits. It consists of vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B, iron, copper and many other essential components. You can use the best food dehydrator for jerky. However, if you are someone who can’t eat an animal in its natural form, seek supplements that are guaranteed to have been made from a healthy animal.

The liver is a tough organ and doesn’t succumb to toxins unless abused extensively. All you need to do is to consume processed foods and alcohol in moderation and follow a healthy diet. Have a regular detox routine through any of the above-mentioned ways. Also, one cannot ignore the health benefits of drinking water as it is the best natural cleanser. So, follow a healthy lifestyle and your liver will serve you well.

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