A natural liver detox diet is pretty much the same thing as a “normal” detox – it’s all about eating liver “friendly” foods and drinking plenty of water. Here’s why you need to detox your liver on a regular basis.

The job of the liver’s filtration system is to keep the blood as pure as possible. To do this, it has to sort out the good stuff from the bad and filter off the toxins. You can detox your liver by nourishing yourself with nutritious, freshly prepared foods, and avoid fizzy drinks, alcohol and processed foods, then you will give your liver the best chance of eliminating any poisonous chemicals that it does encounter. You’ll also be giving it the time to deal with the backlog of toxins it has had to store in its own liver cells.

Another of the liver’s problems is that many of the toxic chemicals that enter the body will not dissolve in water. They are fat soluble. The liver, therefore, having difficulty breaking them down, sends them to the fat stores. But until the body needs these fat cells (for conversion into energy), they will just sit there filling up with more toxins that can cause problems later. This is one of the main reasons why people find it difficult to lose weight. It is also why, during a natural liver detox diet, I recommend exercise – and also massage and manual lymphatic drainage – to break down the fat stores so that they are released along with the toxins.

One of the reasons I suggest avoiding fruit during a natural liver detox diet is to encourage the body to convert those stored up, fatty, toxic cells into energy, rather than draw that energy from the sugar in fruit. Because it is easier to derive energy directly from sugar, the liver will always opt for that route rather than the more laborious process of converting energy from fat. This is also why many people report a reduction in cellulite when following a natural liver detox diet, as these subcutaneous fat cells gradually get broken down.

Why You Must Detox Your Liver Regularly

Every drug, virus, bacterium, artificial chemical, pesticide, hormone (both taken in or self made) has to be broken down (metabolized) by the enzyme pathways inside the liver cells. This is a massive job for any organ to have to do. If your beleaguered liver becomes completely overworked and congested, it will itself eventually break down and could lead to liver disease. You must, therefore, respect this vital organ and look after it. After all, you only have the one.

Cleansing the liver is fundamental to a body detox, so help this process by eating plenty of raw vegetables (40 per cent of your diet should consist of raw vegetables). Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, greens and broccoli are especially good to detox your liver as they are an excellent source of the B vitamins and minerals that the liver needs to cleanse its detoxification pathways.

Symptoms You May Encounter During A Liver Cleanse

Once you start a detox diet and your re-energized liver begins to release the toxins in your body into your blood stream, during the first 48 hours you may experience such symptoms as headaches, stomach pain, nausea, fatigue and even mild palpitations. If this happens, drink herbal teas with honey to maintain your blood sugar levels – and drink lots of water.

Remember too that when you have learnt how to take care of your body, your mind will also become clearer and more focused and you will feel less anxious, more relaxed and will sleep better each night.

You will be ready for some wonderful ways of promoting physical and mental wellbeing – such as yoga, meditation exercises and massage.

If you decide to chart or monitor your progress through a natural liver detox diet this will help you to monitor your detox symptoms and maintain your new-found vitality. As well as being fun to use, they also offer practical information about your health, personality and behavior, give you an idea of your metabolic profile and indicate areas which may not be working as well as they should.

Your goal is a healthy balance in all things, and these charts are excellent tools for learning about your own particular balance – and for keeping track of your natural liver detox diet progress.

A liver detox diet is one of the best ways to detox your body as it helps empower your liver for dealing with all the toxins that your body will be releasing during your body detox. I’ve put together a list of some of the best foods to have on your liver detox diet to help get you started.

Liver Detox Diet Foods

Artichokes, especially the hearts, are perfect liver detox foods as they contain powerful antioxidants known as flavonoids that protect the liver’s cells and tissues. Artichokes are also good for the secretion of bile, which helps the body better digest and assimilate fats. The artichoke is a close relative of milk thistle, queen of the liver protectors and known as the milk thistle liver detox, which offers major defense against free radicals and is especially good for people with compromised immunity or alcohol-related liver problems.

Asparagus contains high amounts of vitamin A and potassium, another mineral on which the liver depends during detox.

Beetroot is full of betaine, which helps protect the liver against the damaging effects of alcohol. Betaine also thins the bile and helps it move freely within the bile ducts.

Dandelion root is another of the powerful liver detox foods as it stimulates liver function. It also contains inulin, a fiber-like substance that functions as a probiotic – an element that helps nourish the friendly bacteria in the gut. As if that weren’t enough, the humble dandelion root is also good for lowering blood sugar.

Whey is a rich source of the amino acid L-cysteine, which, like vitamin C, is a precursor to glutathione. Remember, the liver’s own two-phase detox process uses up huge amounts of glutathione, so it’s up to us to replenish it daily. Whey also contains methionine, glycine, glutamine and taurine – amino acids that are crucial to phase 2 of the liver detox process. Personally, I recommend Fat Flush Whey, made from milk that is hormone free.

Nutritional yeast is a complete protein that contains eighteen amino acids and fifteen minerals and is a stellar source of the B vitamins that are so necessary in both phases of liver detox. Vitamin B1 helps decrease the effects of alcohol, smoking and heavy metal toxicity. Vitamin B2 is used in the production of glutathione. Vitamin B3 is used in phase 1 detoxification. Vitamin B5 also known as pantothenic acid, helps detoxify acetaldehyde produced from alcohol and by Candida overgrowrh. This wonder yeast also includes vitamin B12. Because vegetarians aren’t getting this crucial element in meat, they need to make sure they get it another way – and yeast is a terrific alternative.

Nutritional yeast is not to be confused with the old-time brewer’s yeast, a by-product of the process of making beer. Brewers yeast is very bitter and contains wild yeast strains from the brewing process. It also tends to encourage Candida and yeast overgrowth.

Nutritional yeast, by contrast, is a primary product grown on strains of mineral-rich molasses or cereal by-products. The best kind is grown on molasses or maple syrup, because the yeast absorbs the minerals from its host, making it perhaps the best natural food form of minerals available for humans. It’s pasteurized to avoid the use of living yeast, so, unlike brewer’s yeast, it won’t give you gas or lead to bloating. It also won’t encourage Candida or other yeast-related problems, which would counteract the benefit of following a liver detox diet in the first place.

Tips: Liver detox drinks – you can use a tablespoon or two of the nutritional yeast flakes in tomato sauces and soups, dust it on popcorn, or stir a spoonful into sauces or gravies. When I’m feeling depleted, I like to take some nutritional yeast between meals for a quick get-up-and-go – a pick-me-up that’s especially useful for people trying to stop drinking coffee or to avoid a sugar crash. The nutty flavor of the yeast flakes actually tastes pretty good when you mix a tablespoon or two into a glass of water. It’s very good on a liver detox diet and I guarantee you’ll get a boost of energy within 10 minutes. Or take some nutritional yeast right before a meal to take the edge off your appetite.