It’s the Burton Health Christmas party this Saturday (yippee) and as you may have already gathered, I’m rather fond of the occasional glass of wine or 2 (+). So what am I going to do to protect my newly detoxified liver?
I’m quite prone to sluggish liver function so I do a few things every day to help it out such as drinking dandelion tea and doing warm water and lemon or ACV in the morning. But over the Christmas and New Year period I’ll be giving my liver extra love, in the form of herbal medicines, to ensure it can keep up. Read on to find out a bit more about your liver and how you can help it function at its peak.
Did you know that your liver cleans your blood, processes nutrients, makes hormones, regulates blood sugar and stores many vitamins and minerals? Busy little organ!
Here are some symptoms that may indicate that your liver function is not up to scratch:
- Indigestion, reflux, bad breath
- Bloating, constipation or feeling sick after a fatty meal
- Slow metabolism or weight gain
- Feeling angry, irritable and unable to concentrate
- Headaches, tiredness, waking between 3am-4am
- Acne, rosacea and dry skin
- PMS, period pain, tender breasts
Did you find yourself nodding your head as your read that list?
Thankfully there are a few daily practices we can start up to help to cleanse our liver so that it can perform at its peak:
- Start the day with a glass of warm water and ½ a fresh squeezed lemon or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Eat bitter foods such as rocket, endive, kale and spinach
- Drink dandelion root tea
- Eat broccoli sprouts, garlic, turmeric and grapefruit*
*If you are taking medications, please read the label or consult your health care provider before including grapefruit as it is contraindicated with some medications.
And of course, give your liver a rest every now and then by having alcohol free days, cutting down on coffee, using chemical free skin products, and eating organic, unprocessed food where possible.
There are herbs and nutrients that you can use to specifically protect and improve the function of your liver. Dandelion, St Marys Thistle (milk thistle), Turmeric, Schizandra, vitamins A, C and E, selenium, zinc and glutamine are just a few of the key liver helpers.
Your Naturopath will be able to advise you on the best herbs and supplements to take during the silly season.
And remember, while you’re at your Christmas and New Year functions, moderation is the best way to avoid a hangover ,as well as alternating your alcoholic beverages with water.
Sneaky tip: soda water in ashort glass with a piece of lemon/lime looks just like vodka and soda – drink these to avoid attention from your colleagues (you’re welcome).
