We live in a world where the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe – all they have become potentially hazardous to our health. Equally worrying are the chemicals we use every day. One great example is bleach; it’s one the most commonly used and relied upon cleaners in the world, but it can be very damaging to the respiratory tract just by inhalation of the gases it emits when used.
Another example is pesticides, used en mass on our food, which have been linked to a number of health ailments. Scientists have been concerned about our toxic environment for a long time. Here is research showing how toxins commonly found in the environment can lead to a number of disorders, including autism.
One could spend all day listing the toxins in our everyday lives, but the point remains, you do have a choice. Instead of surrounding yourself in a toxic environment, unthinking, you can work towards consciously surrounding yourself in as natural, clean, and chemically free an environment as possible.
The importance of detoxification is huge today, and there are a number of ways to cleanse your body and its organs of the drastic amount of chemicals they accumulate and retain over the years.
This is about detoxing the body’s largest gland, the liver. Without a liver, a person cannot survive. It has a number of functions including, but not limited to:
- Detoxifying the blood to rid it of harmful substances (like toxins, drugs, alcohol, and more)
- Stores vitamins and iron
- Converts stored sugar to usable sugar when the body’s sugar levels fall below normal
- Produces bile, a substance needed to digest fats
- Breaks down hemoglobin as well as insulin and other hormones
- Destroys old red blood cells
- The liver performs so many vital functions, and as a result it is very prone to disease
Here’s how to cleanse your liver naturally with super foods:
Beets and Carrots
Carrots are rich in Glutathione, a protein that helps detoxify the liver. Both are extremely high in plant-flavonoids and beta-carotene. Eating beets and carrots can help stimulate and improve overall liver function.
They have abundant amounts of Glutathione which are a great detoxifier for the liver. As a side effect, Lycopene in tomatoes will protect against breast, skin, and lung cancer.
Another source of the liver cleansing glutathione. It’s also high in vitamin C and antioxidants, which boost the production of liver detoxification enzymes and increase the natural cleansing process of the liver.
Raw spinach is also a major source of glutathione, triggering the toxin cleansing enzymes of the liver.
Lemons and limes contain very high amounts of vitamin C, which helps stimulate the liver and aids the synthesizing of toxic materials into substances that can be absorbed by water.
The isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from cabbage’s glucosinolates provides liver detoxifying enzymes that help flush out toxins.
Turmeric is the liver’s favorite spice and helps boost liver detox. It does this by assisting enzymes that actively flush out dietary carcinogens.
Walnuts are a good source of glutathione, omega-3 fatty acids, and the amino acid arginine, which supports normal liver cleansing actions, especially when detoxifying ammonia.
A nutrient-dense super food, avocado helps the body produce glutathione.
They are high in pectin and other chemicals essential to cleansing and releasing toxins from the digestive tract. Apples make it easier for the liver to handle the toxic load during the cleansing process.
Brussels sprouts are high in sulfur and glucosinolate, which forces the liver to release enzymes that block damage from environmental or dietary toxins.
Garlic is loaded with sulphur, which activates liver enzymes that help your body flush out toxins. Garlic also holds high amounts of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that also aid in liver cleansing.
Dandelion root tea assists the liver in breaking down fats, producing amino acids, and generally ridding it of toxins.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Green veggies are extremely high in plant chlorophylls that absorb environmental toxins, increase bile production, and neutralize heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides, which lowers the burden on the liver.
Broccoli and cauliflower
Eating broccoli and cauliflower will increase production of glucosinolate in your system, which helps flush out carcinogens and other toxins.
Asparagus is a great diuretic, helping in the cleansing process and sharing the detox load of the liver and kidneys.
Green tea is full of plant antioxidants known as catechins, a compound known to assist liver function.
Cold-pressed organic oils such as olive, hemp, and flaxseed offer great support for the liver, providing the body with a liquid base that can suck up harmful toxins in the body.
Gluten rich grains such as wheat and rye increase the load on the liver’s detox function and enzyme production. Switch to alternative grains like quinoa, millet, and buckwheat.