So often than not we hear someone going through a major “detox”, and they are often a liquid based diet. The truth is your body is constantly and permanently in a detoxification process. If this wasn’t true, you wouldn’t  be alive today. 

Detoxification is a natural process. Although all of our cells are detoxifying themselves through their respective processes, the main organ which is in charge of this big role is the liver. The liver manages the conversion and the elimination of toxic chemicals into less harmful ones. Excessive accumulation of harmful toxins could cause serious damage and illnesses to your body. The  natural detoxification process of your body happen in two phases. In phase 1, your body needs b vitamins and antioxidants, and in phase 2, sulphur and amino acids are crucial. So if you are deficient in any of these groups of nutrients that work as catalysts for these reactions, your liver wont work as efficiently as it does when getting all of the needed nutrients. 

The so called “Detox”  really refers to the support you can offer your system. Providing support means giving your body the nutrient density necessary for an optimal detoxification process. As you just discovered your body naturally detoxifies, however, it can do this with our support. If you have been lacking the support of these nutrients your liver could be clogged and jammed up. Your body is so smart that it asks other organs to  intervene, and one of them is the skin. Your skin could be acting as a detoxification ramp due to overloads of substances the liver isn’t able to get rid of. If we have any kind of inflammation, rashes, acne, even premature aging on the skin, the first place to look at is how your detoxification process is working.

If you ever wanted to lose weight, clear skin, inflammations, irritation of skin, and have more energy, the place you really want to assist is your liver. This means removing “liver loaders” which congest it and clog it. Caffeine, processed foods, sugars, alcohol and even skin care products could be impacting your liver, thus giving you undesirable body odors, premature aging, tiredness, skin inflammation, fat storage, and  other side effects.

So here I’ve put together three categories of foods that provide key nutrients for liver support. Let’s also remember that they work together hand in hand with the reduction or complete elimination of the above mentioned “liver loaders”. 

1. Amp up your greens

Eat more brassica vegetable such as  broccoli, brusel sprouts, kale, cabbages and cauliflowers. All dark leafy greens should also be included as they not only provide essential minerals like sulphur, but also the antioxidants crucial for phase 1 of the detoxification process.

2. Medicinal Herbs 

Offer it additional support in the form of medicinal herbs and extracts such as St Mary’s thistle, turmeric, globe artichoke, gentian and dandelion root. Herbals tinctures are amazing, herbals teas work the best, as your body can naturally and slowly stimulate the benefits of a nicely brewed cup of tea.

3. Minimize Liver loaders

Cutting off or really reducing the intake of processed foods as they contain high amount of toxic preservatives, and high amounts of sugars and salt. Whenever possible try to eat more organic, reducing the amounts of unknown pesticides harmful to our health. Put alcohol to a very minimum.