As the gentle breeze of spring wafts through the air, signalling a time of renewal and rejuvenation, it's the perfect moment to pay attention to our body’s internal cleansing mechanisms. Just as nature sheds its winter cloak, our bodies like this time of year to embrace cleansing, nourishing foods and spring flavours.
This March, let's delve into the realm of liver health, a cornerstone of our body’s detoxification process alongside the skin. Our liver, a diligent worker tirelessly filtering toxins, can sometimes use a helping hand, especially as we age. After the age of 50, its function may start to slow, impacting vital processes like cholesterol regulation.
What foods help our liver to do its job effectively?
First and foremost, we need to reduce our sugar intake which can cause a fatty build up in the liver akin to the damage that alcohol can inflict. Avoid ultra processed foods and instead use sugar from fruit to sweeten foods.
Include plenty of sulphur-rich foods like garlic, leeks, chives and spring onions into your diet. These foods help with detoxification and are also a key component of glutathione which is your body’s master antioxidant.
Include rosemary and turmeric in our diet. Rosemary contains rosemarinic acid which helps support liver detoxification pathways, while turmeric stimulates bile production and flow which is essential for the digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins.
Also include bitter foods in your diet such as artichoke, endive, rocket, watercress and coffee. These help with the flow of bile which then stimulates liver regeneration. Bitter foods are also great for our digestion and eating a small bitter salad before a main meal can be very effective at stimulating digestive enzymes which help to break down foods and retain more nutrients.
This watercress and wild garlic soup combines bitter watercress with sulphur-rich wild garlic for a delicious light lunch.
https://www.thehealthboost.co.uk/blog/watercress-wild-garlic-sweet-potato-soup