Clean the liver: cleansing diet and downloadable weekly menu

We live in toxic environments – city streets, for example – and there is an excess of toxins entering the body on a daily basis. For this reason it is necessary to follow a diet to cleanse the liver and assist in its detoxification and elimination functions of compounds potentially harmful to health.

The first to be at risk is, of course, the liver itself. If we do not regularly detoxify the liver, it can suffer the consequences of an inadequate diet and excess of foreign substances.

Why clean the liver?

The liver can weigh between 1,100 and 2,500 grams. It is one of the largest and most important organs in the body because it performs up to 500 functions. The cleaning and detoxification function is perhaps the best known but it has many others and our health clearly depends on its proper functioning.

Helping the liver to prevent it from being overloaded, we will help you with functions such as:

Synthesize essential substances for the functioning of the organism, such as digestive enzymes, cholesterol, hormones, fatty acids and proteins. If the liver cannot, for example, produce enough bile to digest fats, this can lead to malabsorption of fat soluble vitamins and omega 3.Destroy or deactivate toxins They reach the liver with the blood. It can be both digestion products and additives, drugs or environmental contaminants, which after being transformed or decomposed into harmless parts are eliminated through feces or urine. The cleansing function of the liver prevents the immune system from having to fight all the foreign elements that enter the body.Eliminate excess estrogen It is another of the functions of the liver. If you are overloaded you will not be able to do it well and as a consequence a hormonal imbalance can develop that favors the tendency to breast cancer and other problems.Store fat-soluble vitamins (they are A, D, E and K) and glycogen, an energy reserve that can be used when necessary.

Symptoms of overloaded liver

Between the symptoms that we have overloaded liver There are migraines and headaches, a feeling of heavy and slow digestion, gas and flatulence, bad breath, a tendency to constipation, pasty feces with a very bad smell and poor muscle recovery after physical exertion.

They are also sign that we need a liver cleanse menstrual cramps, breast pain, mood swings before menstruation, or clots.

The listlessness and lack of energy are other typical symptoms of liver disorders. So are the ease of getting angry and the difficulty in making decisions, according to traditional Chinese medicine. All of these problems can be treated through dietary changes.

What to eat to cleanse the liver?

Given its importance, evolution has given the liver a special gift: it is the only organ capable of regenerating itself Almost completely. But it is not convenient to abuse his resistance.

Natural medicine recommends performing periodic or seasonal cleansing cures, which can come in handy if done correctly. However, cleansing diets are not the only solution. It is even more beneficial always keep in mind, every day of the year, the care of the liver through diet and lifestyle. The following measures are recommended:

Increase the consumption of vegetables, especially cruciferous, which help to eliminate toxins through liver purification.Avoid exposure to toxins and try to make simple culinary preparations, without burning food and using non-toxic utensils. Alcohol is one of the toxic agents that must be rejected for the good of the liver.Reduce the consumption of sugars, sweets and pastries of any kind, products made with refined flour, etc. You should also avoid all fructose-rich productslike agave syrup. As a rule, the consumption of carbohydrates should be moderate.Consume foods rich in glutathione, Essential antioxidant in purifying processes that take place in the liver. Some foods that are abundant in glutathione are cabbages, onions, garlic, leeks, spinach, asparagus, and avocados. If a glutathione supplement is taken, it is essential that it be in liposomal form.Fasting for more than 12 hours (between dinner and breakfast) encourages the liver to use the fat it has accumulated.Ensure a sufficient supply of water and staying physically and mentally active completes comprehensive liver care.

diet for fatty liver

In addition to taking into account the above advice, it must be borne in mind that a bad nutrition It can favor the development of fatty liver.

Fatty liver is a problem that can be treated through diet. It is important to do it, because if it is not done, it can lead to nonalcoholic cirrhosisa much more serious disease.

25% of cases of non-alcoholic cirrhosis are due to excess fructose in the diet. The problem may be the consumption of products such as corn syrup, which is used to sweeten many ultra-processed foods and that favor the accumulation of fat in the liver.

The risk of developing these liver problems increases if you also have essential nutrient deficiencies such as choline or methionine.

Hill: It is an essential nutrient (usually classified among the B vitamins) that helps remove fat from the liver, among other important functions in the body. Foods especially rich in choline include organic eggs, shiitake mushrooms, tofu and other soy derivatives, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, broccoli, and quinoa.Methionine: It’s an amino acid needed to form glutathione, one of the most potent endogenous antioxidants. It is found in sunflower seeds, oats and other whole grains, Brazil nuts and hemp seeds.

4 natural remedies for the liver

In addition to regularly doing a cleansing diet and taking care of the diet throughout the year, we can enhance liver cleansing with medicinal plants and supplements detoxifying and hepatoprotective properties. Here are some examples of the most effective:

milk thistle: Taking it as an infusion helps to regenerate hepatocytes (liver cells). You can also take its main active ingredient, silymarin, in supplementation.Schisandra: Schisandra chinensis berries improve liver function. In fact, there is a protocol in combination with milk thistle to treat hepatitis C, under medical supervision. It can be taken in powder, extract or tincture.Alpha lipoic acid: Although it can be produced by the body itself, it is found in cabbages and other green vegetables, and in tomatoes. Protects liver cells against heavy metals and other toxins. It can be taken as a supplement.Digestive herbal tea: Some plants favor the metabolism of fats. You can mix in equal parts boldo, mugwort, mint, licorice and rosemary and prepare an infusion with a teaspoon. It is taken after lunch or dinner.

Download the weekly menu to detoxify the liver

The liver wants us to take care of it on a daily basis, something simple if we introduce more good foods for the liver that favor its functioning on the menus.

This is what we propose in this downloadable weekly menu for liver care, a menu specially designed to purify yourself every day and, above all, prevent liver overload.