How to properly cleanse your liver?

The liver, a star organ in the elimination of waste in the body, is sometimes put to the test in the event of excess food, but also after heavy drug treatment or a change of season... Give it a good detox for many well-being and health benefits!

We don't always know it, but the liver alone performs nearly 500 vital functions every day, including eliminating waste that is useless to the body or harmful to the body, managing blood sugar, and controlling immune responses. So, everything we consume can help - or harm - this crucial organ and it is important to know how to pamper it by maintaining good liver function. This helps prevent the development of serious disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (also known as "fatty liver disease"), which is an accumulation of fat cells in the liver, which can become the site of inflammation called hepatitis, or even cirrhosis. How can you take care of your liver and clean it properly when it is congested?

When should you cleanse your liver?

Whether it's a small one-off treatment or a big catch-up session, there are only good reasons to want to do yourself some good from a liver point of view. And in general, our liver gives us back. For it, which is often put to the test, there are many opportunities to make room:

At the change of seasons in order to gain vitality and get off to a good start.
After a vacation and/or party with too much alcohol.
After a period rich in copious meals such as the end of year celebrations (foie gras, snails, dishes in sauce, Yule log, chocolate, etc.).

Before a dietary rebalancing , in order to boost the draining effects of the diet.
After pregnancy and/or breastfeeding: during pregnancy, the liver works more than usual. In fact, since the fetus' liver is not functional, the mother's liver must provide work for her own body, but also for that of the future child.
After an illness and/or taking medication , in order to relieve the liver which has had to work harder to manage substances that are heavy for the body.

Cleansing your liver, what are the benefits?

The liver is part of the family of excretory organs. By acting as a filter, it eliminates the most harmful substances for the body so as not to alter it: alcohol, drug residues (hence the importance of respecting the doses prescribed by a doctor), trans fats and those consumed in excess. This organ is also responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates, the production of glucose, the storage of nutrients and the production of bile. In short, its action is essential for good digestion and the absorption of the most important nutrients.

However, when the liver is overworked, it can become congested. The consequences are twofold: not only does it have difficulty managing its self-cleaning, but it also performs the functions for which it is there less well.

Giving it a little boost at certain key moments – by offering it draining breaks – is to ensure that it functions well in the long term. It is also the guarantee of a certain number of very beneficial effects for health and well-being:

A clearer and brighter complexion,
Less imperfections,

Potentially fewer skin problems, such as atopy, for skin prone to them,
Better digestion,
Greater immunity,
A boost of energy.

There are several options available to us. Food supplements are a particularly suitable one, for those who want to get an effective boost over several weeks. They come in several forms: ampoules to dilute, powders, capsules, tablets, drinks. They all contain active ingredients and plants selected for their hepatoprotective and draining actions, ideal for optimizing the elimination of waste: artichoke, black radish, milk thistle, dandelion and desmodium. As for essential oils, the most suitable for cleaning and draining the liver, to be used alone or together are those of lovage root (1ml), lemon (2ml), rosemary (2ml), to be consumed diluted in vegetable oil such as olive oil, for up to 3 weeks.

In terms of diet, some ingredients are particularly interesting to consume: green vegetables with dark leaves (spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, chard, broccoli, etc.), rich in vitamin K, which the liver needs to create blood clots. To do well on a daily basis - although deviations are totally permitted and essential to be fulfilled - you should focus on a diet that prioritizes proteins over carbohydrates, not drink alcohol in excess and enrich your diet with anti-inflammatory and highly antioxidant foods, so as not to make your liver work harder than it should.

For a one-day mini-diet, you can achieve good drainage with a mono diet. The idea here is to facilitate the work of the organs by consuming only one and the same food throughout the day. Thus, by not multiplying the information to be processed, the body has all the time to concentrate on what it wants to eliminate. For example, choose one of these foods: grapes, melon, apple, carrot, asparagus, rice, quinoa, etc.

Finally, more intense, juice cures, to be followed over several days, or even a week, are similar to a water fast. They consist of completely resting the digestive system, but also the emunctory organs by consuming only vegetable juices, as well as herbal teas. Enough to drain very effectively and allow the body to draw on its reserves to eliminate all the unwanted toxins that it could have stored. Very effective, these cures are however not carried out without the advice of a seasoned professional. In addition, they should not be carried out more than once or twice a year, otherwise the body will be put to the test too much.

Our tips for maintaining a healthy liver:

Eat slowly and take the time to chew well between each bite.

Drink between 1.5 and 2L (plain or flavored water, herbal tea, unsweetened tea).
Limit carbonated drinks, sodas and fruit juices, alcohol, industrial sugars (including sweeteners), dairy products and highly processed foods.
Consume fiber at each meal and ideally up to 35 grams per day (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc.).
Preferably focus on a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in antioxidant foods, which reduce inflammation.
Adopt the detoxifying dry body brushing technique on a daily basis, which eliminates dead skin, but also boosts the circulation of toxins.