My Food List for the Liver

💖 The easiest and most effective way to love your liver…

Is to eat nutrient-dense whole foods 🥗

That’s because there are 2 phases of liver detoxification, each of which depends upon a steady supply of nutrients to keep it going. Nutrients that are in foods like…

🥦 Cruciferous Vegetables (foods like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and collards support both phases of liver detoxification)

🧄 Garlic & Onions (these provide sulfur compounds, vitamin B6, and antioxidants)

🫐 Blueberries (contain polyphenols to support antioxidant status)

🥣 Turmeric (a powerful health-promoting spice!)

🍵 Green Tea (rich in EGCG & antioxidants)

Think of it this way:

Your liver is working around the clock to process chemicals and toxins for elimination. If it doesn’t have the nutrients it needs, detox will slow down and you’ll start to feel the effects on your health.

Save this post 📍 and commit to eating at least one of these foods every day!

Reference

Hodges RE, Minich DM. Modulation of Metabolic Detoxification Pathways Using Foods and Food-Derived Components: A Scientific Review with Clinical Application. J Nutr Metab. 2015. [link]

A Lesser Known Benefit of Deep Breathing…

🫁 Why we say “take a cleansing breath” ➡️

It’s not just cleansing for the mind but actually detoxifying for the body to breathe deeply.

With every deep breath, oxygen floods our cells and tissues—allowing them to function at a more optimal level and to process and metabolize waste better.

Our lungs are one of our main organs of detoxification, along with the liver, gut, kidneys, lymphatics, and skin.

So consider this your reminder…

To take a deep breath.

Did You Know Your Skin Could Do This?

👀 Did you know…

That your skin is the largest detoxification organ in your body!

Even though sweat is almost entirely water, studies have found that some toxins—including heavy metals and bisphenol A (BPA)—are excreted in sweat.

Here are 3 simple ways to support detoxification through the skin:

1️⃣ Sauna

2️⃣ Exercise

3️⃣ Dry Skin Brushing

The first 2 help you sweat, while the last unclogs pores and sloughs off dead skin cells.

Isn’t it fun how all the body systems actually work together?

References

Kuan WH, Chen YL, Liu CL. Excretion of Ni, Pb, Cu, As, and Hg in Sweat under Two Sweating Conditions. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(7):4323. [link]

Genuis SJ, Beesoon S, Birkholz D, Lobo RA. Human excretion of bisphenol A: blood, urine, and sweat (BUS) study. J Environ Public Health. 2012. [link]

Is Alcohol Clogging Your Liver?

I get this question a lot.

Maybe you’re eating vegetables, staying hydrated, moving your body, and even using a dry skin brush or epsom salt baths but…

👉👉What about alcohol?

Here are the facts:

✔️When you drink, 90% of the alcohol is processed by your liver.

✔️Alcohol is first converted into an even more toxic compound, acetaldehyde. Even though this is short-lived, it can damage liver cells.

✔️Alcohol can decrease the breakdown of fats, leading to fat accumulation in the liver.

✔️When the liver is busy processing alcohol, it is less available to carry out its other necessary functions.

This is your body and your choice, but decreasing alcohol is always helpful when it comes to supporting healthy detoxification.

We always want to “remove the obstacles to cure.”

Sometimes alcohol is one of those.

Curious about a holistic and root-cause approach to healing?

Schedule an initial visit with Dr. Cantrell to get started! 🍃

Reference

Hyun J, Han J, Lee C, Yoon M, Jung Y. Pathophysiological Aspects of Alcohol Metabolism in the Liver. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(11):5717. [link]

Easy Ways to Support Detox Today!

📍 You’ll want to save this post!

Because healthy detoxification is foundational to feeling good 🙌

Did you know we have 6 pathways of detoxification? Here they are and how you can easily support them:

Skin ➡️ Dry Brush

Lungs ➡️ Deep Breathing

Liver ➡️Vegetables

Kidneys ➡️ Water

Bowels ➡️ Fiber

Lymph ➡️Movement

Did you ever think about how hard your body is working on your behalf?

Like this post ❤️ if you want to see more tips on simple ways to improve your health and stay that way.