Cleanse your liver with diet, not supplements

Cut the sugar

Sugar is no ones friend. Especially the refined stuff. And when I am referring to sugar it is not just cane sugar that you would pop next door to borrow a cup from the neighbour to make a cake with, it includes all types including things like maple syrup to dates.

Now I am not one for extremes, so I am not saying that you have to cut it out all together, just reduce it significantly.

Why? Because sugar, fructose in particular, is broken down and metabolised by the liver, so making sure that sugars are kept to a minimum is important for helping to

Go nude- your packaging that is

For this year this is something I am really going to focus on reducing. plastic wraps and containers etc all leach chemicals into our food. A common one is BPA, a xeno-oestrogen which mimics the action of oestrogen, thus causes many hormonal disruptions within the body.

These xeno-oestrogens are processed and broken down by the liver, just like our other hormones, so with this extra load being placed on the liver it can begin to tire after a while.

Swapping for glass containers and drink bottles, avoiding cling wraps or pre-prepared meals and avoiding single use plastic bottles will all help to reduce this burden being placed on the liver.

Include more protein.

Protein is made up of amino acids, many of which are vital for the bodies healthy detoxification processes. Without adequate protein the bodies detoxification capacity is compromised, making it harder to break down toxins and unwanted chemicals in the body, again leading to digestion issues, skin or hormonal imbalances.

Include more leafy green vegetables

Similar to the reason why we want plenty of protein in the diet, we need leafy greens for the B group vitamins that they provide. B vitamins also play an essential role in the bodies detoxification pathways, so ensuring the lots of leafy green vegetables will make sure that your body is receiving plenty of nutritional support for the liver. Increasing spinach, broccoli, kale and brussel sprouts will help to cleanse the liver gently. Broccoli in particular is high in a compound called DIM, which helps to stimulate particular detoxification pathways within the liver that is responsible for maintaining health hormone levels.