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We love a carefree lifestyle. But not all of us can afford it. Some of us cannot enjoy alcohol just because we need to be fragile with our liver.
However, Alcohol is not the only food to look out for while cleansing your liver. There are other foods that might pose a threat to your overall liver health.
Some of these can even be lethal if you’re suffering from fatty liver disease.
Let’s talk about such foods and in the process, we’ll also recommend some food options if you’re trying to eat liver-friendly.
1. A Little About Liver Detox/Liver cleanse
Liver cleanseis a process of removing harmful toxins from your bloodstream by way of external means such as cleansing teas, supplements, essential oils, and many more.
The liver is our body’s natural cleansing system. It produces bile juice which breaks down fatty juices in our body and eases digestion.
Improving liver health, checking the signs of liver detox working and keeping a constant check of what goes into your body will help you with that.
What foods are good for liver repair? What foods to avoid during liver detox? Let’s try and answer these questions as we go.
2. How Does Liver Detox Work?
The liver works round the clock to perform over 500 functions within our body which keep us healthy and running. (1)
It acts as our body’s natural cleansing mechanism.
In fact, what many people do not know is that our liver is completely capable of cleansing itself. It does not require an external cleaning mechanism.
Liver detox or Liver cleansing which we do is more about maintaining and improving our liver health.
Image source: Philadelphia Integrative Medicine
How do we do this? We follow 3 day liver cleanse diet plan in the right quantities and at the right time.
There are other plans and ways to perform a liver cleanse. Some of the common ones are:
1. 24-hour liver cleanse plan
2. Castor oil liver detox
3. Tamarind fruit liver detox
Besides consuming the right diet, it is also important to avoid the harmful diet. These are the foods to avoid during a liver detox.
Maintaining healthy liver function requires caution and precision while selecting your diet. We’ll help you with that in a bit.
3. Ways to Detox your liver
Here are some popular ways to carry out a liver detox: (2)
Dietary Supplements
Taking dietary supplements to flush out toxins from your body, eventually cleansing your bloodstream and liver.
Such supplements act as radicals that eliminate harmful toxins which remain in your blood.
Image Credits: Unsplash
Liver-friendly Diet
We’re lucky because mother nature has provided us with a load of diet options that help in liver detoxification. A few of them are turmeric, lukewarm lemon water, Leafy greens, Green tea, Garlic, Amla, Liver cleanse tea, Coffee, and many more.
Avoiding Harmful Foods
This is pretty much what this read is about - ‘Foods to avoid during liver detox’. Certain foods such as added sugars, processed foods, and alcohol are harmful for your overall liver health and should be avoided.
A Juice-based Diet
Following a juice-based diet can be excellent for your liver. There are multiple sources that confirm the benefits of juice diets for your liver.
Many people take up a 10 day green smoothie liver cleanse challenge.
Juices such as orange juice and beetroot juice are rich in Potassium and Vitamin C. The perfect choice for ridding your body of toxins.
Read our articles on liver cleanse drink & liver cleanse juice for an in-depth information on juice-based diet for carrying out a liver detox.
Image Credits: Unsplash
Staying Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water is the most popular and effective way to detox your body of toxins.
The liver faces many complications when the body is dehydrated. Hence it is important to drink a load of water throughout your day.
Pro tip: Add a pinch of lemon to your water to boost hydration and detoxification.
Image Credits: Unsplash
4. Is Food Important for Detox?
Eating a highly nourishing diet is necessary for Liver and gallbladder cleanse. Our liver is welcoming to a healthy diet especially when it contains vitamins and minerals in the right proportion.
Vitamin B, C, and foods rich in Glutathione work like magic for your liver.
In cases of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) one of the first ways to treat and medicate is to reduce weight.
A crucial part of weight loss is to control your diet.
A healthcare professional would recommend a diet comprising of the following:
- Fresh Fruits and Nutritious Vegetables
- Whole grains and fiber-rich foods
- Restricting added sugar, salt, carbs, saturated fat, and processed foods
- Avoiding alcohol
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is one of the most common diseases in the United States. (3)
It is a common case where fat is accumulated in the liver. Food is important for detox because in most cases consistently eating a high carbohydrate diet might be the root cause of NAFLD. Our best solution - A balanced diet and hydration.
5. Foods To Avoid During Liver Detox
Adding more foods to your diet is somehow easier than cutting out foods. Often these are the foods that you might enjoy consuming. However - ‘Nothing worth having comes easily.
When you consult a healthcare professional they might recommend avoiding these foods or at least consuming them in moderation.
Alcohol
We’ve started with alcohol because 15-30% of people who consume alcohol heavily are diagnosed with cirrhosis. (4)
The liver as we know helps in processing food and eliminating harmful toxins from our blood.
Image Credits: Unsplash
What you didn’t know is that It takes more than an hour for the liver to process 1 round of alcohol. Those who consume more than 2 drinks a day are at a very high risk of contracting lethal liver diseases.
RECOMMENDED READING: How To Detox Your Liver After Heavy Drinking
Added Sugar
We all knew that alcohol was harmful to our liver. But sugar?
Yes, you’ve read it right. Sugar is harmful not just to your teeth but also to your liver.
Refined sugar and High-fructose corn syrup are stimulants that increase the fat levels in your liver. (5)
Image Credits: Unsplash
Some studies even prove that sugar is next in line after alcohol for damaging your liver. Even if you’re not overweight, the fat accumulated in your liver might poison your health from the inside by impairing the detoxing capabilities of your liver.
If you’re looking for any sign to cut down on your daily sugar intake, this is it!
Herbal and Dietary Supplements
Herbal and Dietary supplements (HDS) are widely used across the United States. Surprisingly, they contribute to almost 20% of the cases of Hepatotoxicity. (6)
Some herbs are even harmful to your liver. Few of the herbal supplements contain Kava,
Ephedra, Black Cohosh, Aloe Vera, Cascara, Chaparral, and Comfrey which are harmful to your liver. Watch out for these before purchasing any of your herbal supplements.
The nutritional supplements that many consume lately for bodybuilding can be harmful to your liver.
These supplements besides enhancing caliber, increasing energy, and promoting weight loss, also cause lethal damage to your liver. Watch out for Green tea extracts and Anabolic steroids while shopping for your gym list. (7)
Fatty Foods
You’re going to hate the next 2 minutes of your reading. Fatty foods such as french fries, burgers, and pizzas are a nightmare for your liver health.
Even processed foods pose a grave threat to your liver.
Why? Processed foods contain synthetic chemicals and preservatives which burden your liver making it exceedingly strenuous.
Image Credits: Unsplash
Start by cutting down on frozen foods, breakfast cereals, and even fatty bacon strips from your everyday diet. (8)
Speaking of bacon, hang tight and we’ll talk more about how red meat is harmful to your liver.
Red Meat
If you’re actively conscious about your diet, you must’ve already known about the fact that red and processed meats are linked to liver damage. Meats such as bacon, salami, and sausage might not be a great option if you’re considering liver health and liver cleansing. (9)
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As an alternative, many healthcare specialists recommend - fish, chicken and turkey as better sources of meat than going for the other processed meats.
If you want to go a step further, you can consider boiling and steaming the meat you eat on a daily basis instead of other ways such as grilling and frying.
Why? To reduce the content of saturated fats in your meat.
6. Foods To Add: What you can eat instead
But before you continue, you may also try natural liver cleanse tea.
It is packed with
- antioxidants which help in removing toxins from the blood
- anti-inflammatory properties which help in reducing bloating
Worried that you’re losing out on yummy food and beverages? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered (almost).
You can try these options instead. You can always make the best out of what you’ve got. There is also a pro-tip for you in the end.
Fruits and Vegetables
Not to be boring, but we genuinely believe that picking the right fresh fruits and veggies can be magical for your taste buds.
Apples, Citrus Fruits, and avocados are nourishing options for your gut. They even enhance your liver health.
You can use various healthy vegetables to prepare tasty liver cleanse soup.
Plus you can always make refreshing Liver cleanse juices within 15 minutes.
Image Credits: Unsplash
Fatty Fish
One less option for you if you’re a vegetarian. Fatty fish is amazing for your liver detox if you love seafood.
Fatty fish are rich in Omega-3 (Yes! The stuff you find in health supplements) and fatty acid which help battle inflammation.
Good options for you are Sardines, Fresh Tuna, Anchovies, and Mackerel.
Image Credits: Unsplash
Staple Beverages
Coffee and detox tea for liver health are great for your liver. If you’re habituated to either of these, you’re lucky you don’t need to quit drinking them.
Tea (green tea in particular) is rich in antioxidants and is highly beneficial for your liver health. Coffee on the other hand reduces the chances of liver cancer.
You can experiment with tea by drinking rosemary or chamomile tea at the start of the day.
Nuts
Crunchy and Yum!
Nuts are great snacks for you during your work hours and even when you’re relaxing on a weekend. They are great stimulants for liver enzymes and help you in improving overall liver health.
Image Credits: Unsplash
Walnuts, for example, are great sources of glutathione and omega 3. Almonds, on the other hand, are great sources of vitamins and minerals necessary for your liver.
Spices
Spices such as cloves, turmeric, and oregano are excellent sources of antioxidants and pro-liver vitamins and minerals. Turmeric contains Curcumin- a radical that flushes out harmful toxins.
Image Credits: Unsplash
Leafy Greens
We’re going to talk about something very controversial. Few say that leafy greens are the opposite of great taste.
We disagree! Leafy greens when used in the right manner can add great taste to your food.
Image Credits: Unsplash
Leafy greens are green, meaning they are rich in chlorophyll. And Chlorophyll is known to absorb the toxins from your bloodstream.
They are also rich in fiber which aids the liver to function better.
Grains
Not all grains are great for your liver. However, few options are available for you. Brown Rice, Millets, Barley, and oatmeal are nourishing food grains with pro-liver capabilities.
Image Credits: Unsplash
These grains are rich in fiber and they also reduce the sugar content accumulated in your liver.
Garlic
We love garlic in our food. When you’re in the mood for something spicy, do remember to add in a pinch of garlic for taste.
It not only is a tasteful ingredient, but it is also rich in antibacterial compounds and selenium which are great for your liver.
Image Credits: Unsplash
PRO TIP:
If you’re looking for reduced fat content in your daily diet, Olive Oil is a great medium for cooking food. It is fat-free and also delicious for your meals.
7. Precautions: Things you need to keep in mind
Choosing the correct diet can be challenging.
A lot of research to do and a lot of sacrifices to make. To stop consuming all these foods might not be practical. It might cause irregularities in your body. Here are some tips to do this the right way!
- Diet is not everything. You need to quit the sedentary lifestyle and focus on keeping your body active throughout the day.
- Gradually reduce the intake of saturated fats in your diet. It is important to be in constant check of your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Alternatively, you can follow 3 6 9 Liver cleanse diet plan or a 7 day liver cleanse diet plan according to your convenience. - Diabetes often goes hand in hand with Fatty Liver Disease.
Most of the causes also merge paths. Hence it is necessary to be mindful if you’re at risk of diabetes (even hereditarily) - If diet and exercise are not working for you, a healthcare specialist is a right person to talk to. The prescribed medication works efficiently for any liver-related disease.
Have more queries about Liver detox? Use our guides to the following topics for support:
1. Apple Cider Vinegar Liver Cleanse
6. Essential Oils For Liver Detox
8. Ending Note
If you’re looking for information on a liver cleanse, you’re already a step above everyone else.
Liver health is often overlooked over the aspect of skin, hair, and body care.
So pick your pen, list down the foods to avoid, and get working on your diet plan. If you’re looking for easy ways to cleanse your liver, start with your diet and you’re all set.
Natural liver cleanse tea is also used by many people who want to cleanse their liver without wasting much of their time.
You can give it a try too!
