Clean up Your Diet and Give Your Liver Some Love!

Mums Tips

Fitness & Health

Published on Saturday, 02 January 2016 11:00

Last Updated on 10 December 2015

Fiona Kirk

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Firstly, let’s be clear on a couple of things! Your liver is perfectly capable of doing its own detoxification on a daily basis if your health and your diet are reasonably good. It doesn’t need all manner of weird concoctions or foods that are expensive and almost impossible to find off the shelf to give it a boost. In fact, adopting some kind of detox programme that promises to seriously boost the detoxification process can not only make you feel worse than dreadful but can also be damaging to your health so should not be embarked upon unless you have been diagnosed with a health condition that compromises detoxification and only then with the aid of a professional.

 

That said, your fabulously-hard-working liver does respond rather well to a bit of tender loving care! Focusing on a diet that offers the nutrients that improve both its health and your health and body swerving those that demand a bit of overtime and leave both you and it feeling a bit sluggish is a splendid route to take, particularly after a spell of overindulgence such as Christmas and New Year.

Giving your liver a little respect is also likely to see you shedding around 7 pounds of festive flab, upping your energy levels, relieving digestive discomfort, improving your sleep and clearing up frustrating skin complaints.

 

What keeps the liver happy and efficient?

water

vegetables

fruits

naturally-occurring fats

protein

whole grains

teas and broths

regular meals

What makes the liver unhappy and sluggish?

sugar

artificial sweeteners

starch

processed vegetable oils and margarines

alcohol

large meals

 

Which nutrients are particularly beneficial to the health of your liver?

• Vitamin K – kale, spinach, greens, parsley, broccoli, Brussels sprouts
• Arginine – turkey, chicken, legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils), quinoa, oats, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, natural yoghurt, spirulina, tuna, salmon, trout, anchovies
• Flavonoids – fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, beans, almonds, quinoa
• Selenium – tuna, shrimps, sardines, salmon, cod, mushrooms, asparagus, barley, beef, tofu, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts
• Methionine – nuts, beef, lamb, cheese, turkey, pork, fish, shellfish, soy, eggs, dairy, beans
• Essential fatty acids – Fish (particularly oily fish) and shellfish, fish oils, nuts and seeds and their oils and butters, avocado, beans, poultry.
• Natural sulphur compounds – eggs, garlic, onions, leeks, shallots and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts

Give Your Liver Some Love for 10 Days!

A list of foods that your liver either loves or struggles with is all very well but putting it all into practice and getting the balance right for 10 days or more can be tricky unless you are the type who enjoys (or has the time) to cobble the liver-loving foods together into some semblance of a daily eating plan… SO… I have done it for you! All you have to do is click on the image below to see, save, download and print off the Clean Up Diet which I have devised exclusively for London Mums – complete with recipes!

IMPORTANT: If your diet has been overly-rich in fatty, sugary and salty foods (and  alcohol), you may experience a nagging headache and/or fatigue during the first 24-48 hours as toxins are released into your blood stream before being effectively processed by the liver. To counteract this, drink plenty of water and go to bed early. Resist the temptation to take any medication (other than those which may have  been already prescribed if you have an ongoing health condition).

For more advice on how to keep your diet clean and delicious, head to nutritionist, author and fat loss mentor, Fiona Kirk’s website: www.fionakirk.com