10 Tips to Naturally Detox Your Liver

Tara Carpenter, NC.

Holistic nutrition for yeast, bacterial, and viral overgrowth-related health conditions with The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.)

Every spring, the liver moves into a major detoxification phase. During this brief season, the power of nature is behind you; making spring a PERFECT time to cleanse. Any time is a good time to take the burden off your liver. You don’t have to wait for spring. It’s just during spring the body naturally goes into‘cleansing mode’ so if you take a few simple steps (see below) you’ll be one step ahead of the game and get a better cleanse.

quick test to see if your liver needs support: Place fingers of right-hand completely underneath right rib cage. If hard ‘congested’ and tender, or if all 3 finger joints don’t fit completely, then liver needs support.

Winter is a time to ‘build up’ your body with good fats and protein foods to stay warm. It’s a time of deep rest, quiet, and stillness. Your body won’t detoxify as effectively in the colder months.

When the warmth of spring returns, it awakens a deeper energy in our body that was laying dormant during the cold months. This new, upward rising energy has the power to push out what our body no longer needs (excess fat, toxins, etc).

Just like the earth soil warms up each spring so colorful flowers and green grass can grow and push themselves up and through remaining snow and rubble …. we too experience such movement in our body. Out with the old, so new can grow! To harmonize ourselves with this warm, upward rising energy you can incorporate some of the simple steps listed below. All do a great job to bring a deep sense of renewal and internal cleansing.

10 Ways to Detox your Liver

Putting into practice some of these ideas can strengthen your liver and get your body, mind, and spirit regenerated for the year.

Go ‘Gluten-Sugar-Yeast’ Free

Eliminate gluten, sugar, and yeast to support your liver’s detoxification process. A great thing to do no matter what time of year. I’m a fan of The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) which eliminates these foods (and incorporates tons of new ones) to help body detox and recover from yeast, bacteria, and viral-related health condition like Candida, herpes, GBS+. Think about cooking with seasons when you can (i.e. spring cooking).

Eat Unsalted Cultured Vegetables

The sour taste of unsalted, cultured foods (cultured vegetables, coconut kefir) satisfies and cleanse our body. They lift our energy, allowing the liver to naturally detoxify (esp. heavy metals, stored toxins) and relax. Such probiotic-rich foods help squelch sweet cravings and are essential for a healthy liver! The probiotic flora in these foods are the guards in your gut, like soldiers protecting you from bad “bugs”.

Avoid Constipation

Your liver can’t cleanse if colon isn’t open and dumping. If you need, find an I-Act colon therapist and get a series of colonics. This jump-starts your bowel movements and tonifies and hydrates intestines. This is important because the liver dumps toxins into colon and if these toxins aren’t regularly eliminated through pooping, they can be reabsorbed into the body. See how to colon cleanse in your bathroom here. You can easily make colon cleansing a part of your ‘getting dressed’ or ‘going to bed’ routine. It’s most beneficial 1st thing in morning or right before bed.

Blend a Morning Green Smoothie

What better way to start your day? This sweet ‘n sour smoothie helps open up the liver to let the bile flow. You can add in some ancient earth minerals for an alkalizing boost.

Cut Back Animal Protein and Fat

During the warm months, give your liver a break from too much animal protein and fat. These foods slow down good liver function and we want to speed things up in this department! Eat lightly steamed, chlorophyll-rich food (lettuce, leafy greens). Lighten up, it’s spring!

Drink Lemon Water

On waking, drink 8 oz of warm water or 1/3rd cup young coconut kefir with lemon squeezed in. Sweeten with green stevia powder or stevia extract. My kids love hibiscus tea with lemon and stevia!!

Walk…Stretch…Jump

MOVE your body! This increases circulation of fresh blood to your organs. My favorite way to exercise year-round, no matter what shape you think you’re in, is to jump on a Rebounder.

Go to Bed Early

The body does most repairs between 10pm-1am. So, it’s ideal to have a consistent bedtime so you can be resting by the time 10pm rolls around. Make your room dark as possible to promote deep sleep. For kids too! Cortisol elevates after 10pm and once this starts pumping through the body it can keep you more alert and awake into the night and will make it harder to wind down and go to sleep.

Release Anger

Self-care routines like meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and sleep can release anger. Negative thoughts and emotions sabotage our best efforts at relaxing the liver, so try emotional clearing approaches like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or talk to a friend. Be kind to yourself.

Take a Nap

Take advantage of the warm sun and grab a nap in your lawn chair! You’ll need less caffeine and sugar when you’re rested and relaxed.