Liver Cleanse Diet: Tips on How to Detox| NextTribe (2024)

Table of Contents

Signs Your Liver Could Use a Cleanse Signs You Might Need a Liver Cleanse Easy Liver-Cleanse Detox Tips A Liver-Cleanse Diet: Whole Foods That Help Non-Dietary Changes to Consider References

Imagine cleaning up after a house party...every single day. That's what our liver does for us, and why cleansing it is so essential.

In my wellness coaching practice, I make it clear that when I say “cleansing,” what I really mean is nourishing. It’s not about deprivation but what I consider being kind to our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls. As I help clients through a cleanse, I usually don’t single out a particular body part or organ because the body’s systems all collaborate in such specific and amazing ways.

That said, I do like to focus on liver health, since it works so hard for us as a detoxifier. It’s our second-largest organ, and you might think of it as being a cleaning service for our entire body. When it is in good shape and doing its job well, the rest of us looks pretty good too — especially our skin. So, let’s dig it: Here are my ideas to help you through a liver cleanse.

Signs Your Liver Could Use a Cleanse

Wondering about your liver health? If you experience any of these symptoms, it might be time to clean house.

**Signs You Might Need a Liver Cleanse**

You may also need a liver cleanse if you:

Regularly consume coffee, alcohol, sugar, “bad” fats, or artificial flavors, sweeteners, and food colorings (and you smoke)
Are exposed to chemicals (e.g., cleaning products, dry cleaning, perfume, etc)
Live in a city

Easy Liver-Cleanse Detox Tips

So now that we’ve determined your liver needs a little attention, how do we do it? First, try out this popular liver-flush recipe.

Lemon and Olive Oil Smoothie

1 whole organic lemon or lime OR 2 small ones (cleaned and cut into quarters)
4 cups of filtered water
2 tbsps. of olive oil (organic, unfiltered, cold-pressed)
Optional extra: 1-inch piece of raw ginger root, peeled and cut to small pieces

Toss the lemon, filtered water, and olive oil into the blender Add the ginger. Blend for about a minute until smooth. Strain through a fine, mesh sieve to remove the seeds and pulp. Sip one glass about an hour before bed (save the rest and enjoy over a few days).

A Liver-Cleanse Diet: Whole Foods That Help

Try to regularly include these foods to promote a healthy, happy liver:

Garlic activates liver enzymes and flush toxins.
Turmeric regenerates damaged liver cells (pair with black pepper).
Berries reduce blood sugar, burn fat, and decrease fatty liver.
Sour citrus provide antioxidants and vitamin C that boost detoxifying enzymes and cause the liver to burn—instead of store—fat. Try a whole grapefruit for breakfast or fresh lemon or lime juice in your morning water.
Beets help repair damage from toxic build-up.
Beta carotene-rich vegetables and fruit (e.g., sweet potato, carrot, red cabbage, red bell pepper, cantaloupe, turmeric, broccoli, dark leafy greens, butternut squash, pumpkin) stimulate liver cells.
Dark leafy and bitter greens stimulate liver cells. My favorites are arugula, dandelion greens, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, young nettle leaves (in spring), and spinach.
Herbal tea infusions such as dandelion, burdock, nettle, and milk thistle are all good liver-healing choices.

Non-Dietary Changes to Consider

Image: EllenaZ/iStock/Getty Images Plus

There are so many little things to tweak to help your liver out!

Practice mindful meditation to reduce stress (start with two minutes a day and build to 20).
Consider getting an air purifier for your home/office, and bring lots more green plants into your life. I suggest starting with easy-to-care-for plants such as a spider plant, dracaena, ficus, aloe, or mother-in-law’s tongue, which are all good detoxing plants.
Use green cleaning products and personal care products. Instead of perfume, try using pure essential oils.
Reduce your use of plastic; never heat food in plastic, and it’s best not to store in plastic either (glass mason jars and ceramics are best for storing). Avoid plastic-bottled water.
Take Epsom salt baths to increase magnesium and pull toxins out of your body. As a bonus, this relaxes and soothes tired muscles and can help improve sleep.
Increase your exercise to improve your overall liver function.
Always filter your water, not just for drinking but also for cooking and filling your kettle. Store in a glass pitcher (not plastic) and get a good filter. There are many to choose from, but I really like the filter from Aquaspace, which I place in my glass pitcher. Be diligent about cleaning your filter daily and changing it out according to the guidelines of your particular filter.
Reduce stress as best you you can. Easier said than done in our society, I know, but stress releases hormones and endorphins into our bloodstream, creating toxins for the liver to process, thus making it (and us) sluggish.
Reduce or eliminate coffee, alcohol, and sugar.
Avoid “bad” fats, processed food, “diet” sugar, and artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners.
Also avoid overeating, speed eating, eating on the run, and eating too late at night.

***

Sacha Jones is the founder of Stiggly Holistics, a holistic wellness practice based in New York City and Sullivan County, NY. She studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is a lifelong learner. Inspired by her own healing, she has created wellness packages for various learning styles—one-on-one coaching, small women’s groups, and larger group “cleanse & nourish” classes. She is also a Lifecycle Celebrant, trained at the Celebrant Foundation and Institute, and believes very much in the power of ritual for healing and well-being. Find her at Stiggly.com.

A version of this article was originally published in June 2017.