WEEK 2 - What Supplements Should I take for Liver Detox? | Supplement Mastery Series
As a holistic nutrition, I am often asked, “what supplements should I take for ____?”. While I do not recommend supplements without first assessing your body’s health needs, these supplements are safe and effective for most people when fighting a cold or flu. These are 3 supplements you should always keep on hand.
Supplements for liver detox
Let’s be clear - I am never going to recommend anyone take supplements without first being properly assessed. In fact, before you continue reading this post, it’s best to review Week 1 of the Supplement Mastery Series.
Moving forward!
Liver detox and liver cleanses are a hot topic this time of year. Everyone wants a clean slate, and they’re working hard to be better people, healthier people.
While I am not a fan of hard and fast liver cleanses, I can understand the appeal.
So here in Week 2, we are going to talk about liver function, and answer the question, “which supplements should I take for liver detox?”.
liver function 101
The liver is a complex organ. Though this will not be an exhaustive overview of liver function and liver detox, we will cover many important factors.
The liver has many functions, including:
IT MAKES CHOLESTEROL - Yep! Dietary cholesterol has little effect on total cholesterol levels in the body (1). Elevated cholesterol and fatty deposits in the liver are caused by refined carbohydrates and sugars (i.e. processed foods). Our body needs cholesterol for things like cellular structure, transfer of nutrients, and hormone production.
IT ACTS AS A FILTER FOR TOXINS - The more obvious toxins you probably recognize, are things like alcohol, medications, recreational drugs, and caffeine. Some lesser-known toxins include excess hormones (cortisol, estrogen, thyroid hormones, testosterone, insulin), many components of processed foods (additives, fillers, colorings, preservatives), excess blood sugar, and debris and waste caused by pathogens like bacteria, viruses, yeast, and parasites. Nearly two quarts of blood pass through this “filter” every minute(2).
PREPARES TOXINS FOR ELIMINATION - The liver not only determines what is and is not safe to enter our bloodstream, but it also converts toxins into forms that can be eliminated from the body so that they do not get reabsorbed. This process is known as detoxification, and due to the many different types of toxins we are exposed to, whether environmentally, dietary, pathogenically, or internally, liver detoxification can be affected by many different factors. Once toxins are converted, the liver delegates them to the respective organs responsible for eliminating them. For instance, excess estrogen (fat-soluble hormone) will be converted to a water-soluble form, so that it can be eliminated through urine (kidneys) or sweat (skin).
HELPS REGULATE BLOOD SUGAR AND FAT STORES - When glucose (the smallest form of sugar) is present in the blood, insulin is released from the pancreas and shuttles the glucose into cells to be converted into fuel. The glucose that remains is converted by the liver into storage forms of glucose, including glycogen and triglycerides (stored in fat tissue). Similarly, when glucose levels are low, the adrenal glands respond by releasing cortisol to break down these stored forms of glucose, which then have to be converted (again, by the liver), back into glucose.
MAKES BILE - A lovely sounding word, bile is essential to two important functions:
It binds to certain fat-soluble toxins, which get absorbed by fiber, then escorted out of the body through feces. Most (99%) of bile is reabsorbed into the body, and without adequate dietary fiber, the toxins bound to bile will be reabsorbed with it.
It breaks down dietary fats into fatty acids that are needed to regulate inflammation, for eye, skin, and hair health, for cellular health, and can be used as a fuel source. Rather than being used as important nutrients for your body, fats that are not broken down into fatty acids will be eliminated through feces.
symptoms of liver toxicity
SYMPTOMS OF A TOXIC LIVER
If you have any of the following symptoms, it’s a good idea to get your liver assessed by a qualified practitioner, so that you can safely and effectively detox your liver.
psoriasis, eczema, or dermatitis
acne
chronic headaches
constipation
inflammatory and autoimmune disease
chronic fatigue
unexplained weight gain, or difficulty losing weight
trouble controlling blood sugar levels
Simply put, if you have a poor reaction to any environmental toxin or drug, you can be sure that there is likely a liver detoxification problem.
SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND DIETARY TOXINS THAT BURDEN THE LIVER
As we discussed earlier, toxins come in many forms, such as excess hormones, food additives, herbicides and pesticides, heavy metals, carcinogens, byproducts from overgrown pathogens like yeast or bacteria, waste from parasites, medications, alcohol, caffeine, etc..
Here is a list of things you may not realize could be contributing to liver toxicity:
drinking water
cookware
cigarette smoke
car exhaust
poor quality supplements
dental fillings and metal hardware
air
certain nutrient deficiencies
how does liver detoxification work?
LIVER DETOXIFICATION PHASES
Many are familiar with the fact that the liver has many phases of detoxification. For the sake of this article, I am going to discuss Phase I detoxification and Phase II detoxification.
It’s important to remember that liver detoxification varies widely from person to person based on genetics and toxic load. But the best thing we can do is to educate ourselves on how to support them as best as we can, and if things still don’t seem right, get evaluated by a practitioner who can help support you more specifically.
PHASE I LIVER DETOXIFICATION
Simply put, Phase I liver detoxification begins breaking down toxins, and in doing so, creates compounds that are more toxic than the original.
Phase I handles many types of toxins like chemicals from foods, medications, alcohol and caffeine. A series of enzymes collectively known as Cytochrome P450 are primarily responsible for the detoxification in Phase I.
Cytochrome P450 enzymes work in two ways (2):
They neutralize toxins, making them non-toxic, and water-soluble so that they can be removed from the body, OR…
They convert toxins to a more chemically reactive form that makes it easier for Phase II enzymes to neutralize them, making the toxins more toxic in the meantime
This means that it’s important for both Phase I and Phase II to be well supported. Toxins that are made more toxic by Phase I that cannot be effectively eliminated by Phase II, will be reabsorbed into the body, and cause further health problems.
It’s important to know that for every toxin metabolized by Phase I detoxification, a free radical is generated.
WHAT IS A FREE RADICAL?
Free radicals are common byproducts of all metabolic processes, and are the reason it’s important we consume a wide variety of antioxidant foods on a daily basis.
Here’s a great description from the National Library of Medicine (3):
“A free radical can be defined as any molecular species capable of independent existence that contains an unpaired electron in an atomic orbital. The presence of an unpaired electron results in certain common properties that are shared by most radicals. Many radicals are unstable and highly reactive. …
“These are highly reactive species, capable in the nucleus, and in the membranes of cells of damaging biologically relevant molecules such as DNA, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Free radicals attack important macromolecules leading to cell damage and homeostatic disruption.”
Put another way, free radicals are unstable molecules, due to an unpaired electron, that damage other cells and tissues around them. In order to be neutralized, they need to be restabilized by having an electron donated by another molecule (antioxidants).
One of the most important antioxidants for neutralizing Phase I free radicals is glutathione, which we will discuss later in the post.
PHASE II LIVER DETOXIFICATION
Phase II liver detoxification takes the more toxic compounds, and adds a chemical to them which either neutralizes the toxin, or makes it water-soluble so that it can be eliminated through urine or sweat.
The process of adding a chemical in Phase II is called conjugation. Depending on the type of toxin being dealt with, each toxin will go through a different conjugation pathway, requiring different nutrients.
All phases of liver detoxification require that energy-production in cells is functioning well, primarily the mitochondria within cells. We’ll get into that more later, but what’s important to remember right now, is that supplements to support liver detoxification include both nutrients to support the pathways of liver detox, as well as cellular health within liver cells.
When the mitochondria are not functioning well, Phase II liver detoxification will slow down, causing a buildup of toxins that cannot be eliminated.
Conjugation pathways of Phase II liver detoxification include:
glucaronidation
sulfoxidation
glutathione
amino acid
methylation
sulfation
acetylation
foods for liver detoxification
Here’s a list of factors that will slow or inhibit liver detoxification:
magnesium deficiency, and deficiency of other minerals
low-protein diet
benzodiazapines
antihistamines
stomach acid blocking medications
toxins caused by overgrown bacteria in the intestines
grapefruit juice (decreases activity of Cytochrome P450 enzymes)
low anti-oxidant diet
deficiency in B vitamins
use of food dyes
use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
Before we get into what supplements to take for liver detoxification, it’s important to know it is not a good idea to support Phase I liver detox without also supporting Phase II liver detox.
When answering the question, “what supplements should I take for liver detoxification?”, we have one more factor to consider:
LIVER CONGESTION
Remember, your liver is a filter. Before detoxification can occur, the liver needs to determine what is a toxin and what isn’t. It accomplishes this by filtering. If it is congested with fatty liver deposits, it cannot filter the blood effectively.
Fatty deposits in the liver, sometimes known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, are commonly caused by poor blood sugar regulation, and all that entails, such as:
diet high in refined foods
low fiber, protein, and quality fats in the diet
poor sleep
insulin resistance
poor digestion
adrenal dysfunction
Briefly put, fatty liver deposits are caused by the constant need to convert glucose into fat, and fat into glucose, in order to maintain energy production. To learn more about how this process works, read this article.
what supplements should I take for liver detoxification?
Here’s what you came for.
SUPPLEMENTS AND FOODS TO SUPPORT PHASE I LIVER DETOX
Support for Phase I is more about stimulating Phase I enzyme activity, whereas Phase II and liver decongestion will focus more on nutrients needed to facilitate each process.
brassica vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts - contain multiple chemical factors that stimulate both Phase I and Phase II detoxification enzymes.
Oranges, tangerines, caraway seeds, and dill seeds - contain limonene, which induce Phase I and Phase II liver enzymes.
B vitamins, specifically B1 (thiamin) and B3 (niacin) - these nutrients are known to activate Phase I liver detox enzymes. Foods rich in B vitamins are sprouted whole grains (why sprouted?), organ meats, and nutritional yeast.
SUPPLEMENTS TO SUPPORT PHASE II LIVER DETOX
This list will provide nutrients to look for when shopping for supplements, rather than specific products. Additionally, here is a complete list of high-quality supplements that contain these nutrients, that I commonly recommend to clients for liver detoxification.
Glutathione - Needed for the glutathione conjugation pathway, to convert fat-soluble toxins like heavy metals, solvents, and pesticides, into water-soluble toxins. Additionally, glutathione is a powerful antioxidant used to protect the mitochondria to support energy production in cells and protect against free radical damage by destabilizing free radicals.
Glutathione is produced from methionine and cysteine, which are amino acids (building blocks of protein). Getting adequate protein in your diet is essential to the formation of glutathione, in addition to foods that contain glutathione (asparagus, avocado, walnuts).
Glycine - Glycine is the most commonly used amino acid the human body uses to combine with and neutralize toxins in the amino acid conjugation pathway. Other amino acids are also used, such as taurine, glutamine, arginine, and ornithine.
SAM-e (s-adenosyl-methionine) - synthesized from the amino acid, methionine, SAM-e is essential to the methylation pathway and requires cofactors choline, vitamin B12, and folic acid to be synthesized.
SAM-e acts as a methyl donor to certain toxins, such as excess estrogen. A methyl group contains four atoms: one carbon, and three hydrogen. Donating this methyl group to certain toxins deactivates them.
Cysteine - also synthesized from methionine, cysteine is essential to the sulfation pathway of Phase II liver detoxification. Eating a wide variety of protein-rich foods, and supporting your digestive health (to make sure you can properly break down proteins), are the two keys to ensure you get the nutrients needed for liver detoxification.
Molybdenum - a trace mineral required for most enzymes used in sulfur metabolism (sulfation and sulfoxidation pathways).
Acetyl-Coenzyme-A (acetyl-CoA) - this nutrient is needed for the acetylation pathway to eliminate sulfa drugs (antibiotics). This enzyme is not a nutrient that can be supplemented but is produced through glucose metabolism in cells. So, going back to cellular health, if you want to increase Acetyl-CoA, make sure you are supporting your cellular health and blood sugar regulation.
Vitamin B1 (thiamin) and B5 (pantothenic acid) - both nutrients are required for the acetylation pathway and are essential to glucose metabolism, which is how Acetyl-CoA is formed.
Vitamin C - A powerful antioxidant that is necessary for many functions in the body, but in this regard, it is essential to the acetylation pathway. Vitamin C has a short half-life (is quickly metabolized and eliminated), so getting it consistently in foods (brightly colored fruits and vegetables) and supplementation is important.
SUPPLEMENTS FOR LIVER CONGESTION AND FATTY LIVER DEPOSITS
Nutrients that support the clearing of fatty liver deposits are collectively known as lipotropic nutrients. Decongesting the liver will improve liver detoxification and fat metabolism (2).
Individually these lipotropic nutrients include (4):
choline - synthesized from methionine (notice a pattern here?) and serine. Needed for the transport of fats to and from the liver via chylomicrons.
betaine - synthesized from choline, and is needed for the re-methylation of homocysteine to methionine.
methionine - needed for the synthesis of SAM-e. Also serves as an antioxidant to protect liver cells from free radical damage.
vitamin B6 - elevated toxicity increases your body’s requirement for vitamin B6.
milk thistle extract - contains a factor called silymarin, which is a powerful antioxidant that protects the liver against damage from harmful chemicals by preventing the depletion of glutathione during detoxification.
dandelion root(5) - enhances bile flow and improves liver congestion.
artichoke leaf(5) - promotes flow of fat to and from the liver.
takeaways
the liver performs many functions in the body, including the breakdown of fats, sugars, and detoxification
toxins include environmental factors, dietary factors, as well as internal factors such as byproducts and waste from bacteria and glucose metabolization, and excess hormones
the breakdown of toxins causes an abundance of free radicals, which cause damage to nerves, skin, blood, and other tissues
liver detoxification support requires improvement of bile flow, clearing of fatty deposits, good blood flow, as well nutrient support for detoxification pathways
while the focus of this article was on supplements, it’s important to remember that supporting elimination pathways in addition to liver detoxification, is equally important to ensuring you don’t reabsorb toxins. This article will teach you all about supporting elimination pathways (bowels, kidneys, skin, and lymph)
liver detoxification heavily depends on protein and other nutrients. Eating a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods, balanced with fiber, fat, carbohydrates, and protein, is the best way to get these nutrients. Temporary supplementation will improve your efforts to support liver detoxification.
what’s next?
In Week 3 of the Supplement Mastery Series, we will be discussing what supplements to take for Skin Care.
WANT MORE OF THIS SERIES?
WEEK 2 - Liver Detoxification
Questions or comments about detoxification? Please post them in the comments below.
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BLOG REFERENCES
Fernandez, Maria Luz, and Anna Gabriella Murillo. “Is There a Correlation between Dietary and Blood Cholesterol? Evidence from Epidemiological Data and Clinical Interventions.” NCBI, PubMed, 23 May 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9143438/#:~:text=Dietary%20cholesterol%20increases%20total%20blood,without%20affecting%20LDL%2FHDL%20ratio.&text=36%5D%20(2015)-,NHS%20(1980%E2%80%932012)%2C%20NHS%20II%20(1991%E2%80%93,HPFS%20(1986%E2%80%932016).&text=Higher%20egg%20intake%20is%20associated%20with%20lower%20prevalence%20of%20hypercholesterolemia.
Murray, M. T., & Pizzorno, J. E. (2014). The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (3rd ed.). Simon & Schuster.
Lobo, V., Patil, A., Phatak, A., & Chandra, N. (2010, July). Free radicals, antioxidants and Functional Foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacognosy reviews. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/
M.D., A.R. G. (2017). Nutritional Medicine (2nd ed.). Alan R. Gaby, M.D.. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781532322099
Murray, M., Pizzorno, J., & Pizzorno, L. (2005). The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. Atria Books.
What’s Missing from Your Detox Liver Cleanse
As a holistic practitioner, I do not recommend doing a liver detox or liver cleanse without supervision of a qualified professional. In fact, I do not recommend them commonly at all.
A liver detox can have its place, and can be beneficial sometimes. But without being individually assessed by a holistic practitioner, unsupervised liver cleanses and liver detoxes can be more harmful to your health, than good.
Especially when they are missing these components…
Never do a liver detox without these 3 things
Who wouldn’t want a clean slate now and then?
I commonly hear this from clients who’ve been struggling to lose weight, or just feel like they’ve been off their game for a while, and want a fresh start.
A liver detox, or liver cleanse can sometimes help you feel better, and might even help you lose weight.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR HERE…
As a holistic practitioner, I do not recommend doing a liver detox or liver cleanse without supervision of a qualified professional. In fact, I do not recommend them commonly at all.
A liver detox can have its place, and can be beneficial sometimes. But without being individually assessed by a holistic practitioner, unsupervised liver cleanses and liver detoxes can be more harmful to your health, than good.
Especially when they are missing these components…
possible reasons for doing a liver detox
You might ask your holistic healthcare provider about doing a liver detox for the following symptoms or conditions:
blood sugar handling issues, hypoglycemia, signs of insulin resistance
history of alcohol or drug use
lab results confirming toxicity, including heavy metals, bacterial overgrowth, mold, or parasites
Although sometimes an intensive liver cleanse may help with these symptoms, more commonly I find that a simpler approach will relieve symptoms.
reasons to NOT do a liver detox
The following are symptoms that may be helped by assessing liver health, but are not cause for a liver detox, in and of themselves. Other factors may need to be considered.
weight loss, or struggle to lose weight
acne, eczema, skin issues
seasonal allergy symptoms
digestive symptoms: IBS symptoms, diarrhea, constipation, bloat, heartburn, or stomach pain
irregular periods, PMS, or period symptoms
I would never do a liver detox without these 3 things
BINDERS
A liver detox or liver cleanse, is typically designed to help clear out your liver of built-up toxins and improve detox pathways.
When these built-up toxins die off, they need to be eliminated from the body. Toxins, be it excess hormones, medications, alcohol, excess cholesterol, or excess sugars, must be removed from the body, or they simply get re-activated and re-absorbed.
All your hard work, wasted.
Think of it this way:
The liver acts as a filter. Everything in the blood has to be processed through the liver, so that it can find toxins, and convert them into structures that can be removed from the body by other mechanisms.
These converted structures must be escorted out of the body. They need to be bound to something that will carry it through the proper exit points.
There are many different types of binders, each having an affinity for certain toxins. The type of binders used, depends on the type of toxins being removed.
For instance, if detoxing from heavy metals, chlorella or citrus pectin would be most effective at binding to the metals, and escorting them out. Whereas if you are detoxing from mold, clays would be a more effective binder.
Your healthcare practitioner will be able to direct you as to which binders you need to use.
ELIMINATION PATHWAY SUPPORT
Above, we discussed how the liver is responsible for filtering toxins, but the toxins must be removed through other mechanisms.
These mechanisms are known as elimination pathways.
Most liver cleanses and liver detox instructions will tell you which nutrients are needed to help support the liver, and filter toxins more intensively. But what they do not commonly tell you is how to support elimination pathways (or that it’s incredibly important to make sure these pathways are open PRIOR to starting a liver detox).
ELIMINATION PATHWAYS INCLUDE:
skin (sweat) - If you find you do not sweat easily, or do not include ways of producing sweat in your daily routine, this elimination pathway is not open, and could lead to resorption of toxins.
colon (feces) - If you are commonly constipated (one bowel movement or less per day), this elimination pathway is not clear, and needs to be addressed prior to doing a liver detox.
kidneys (urine) - If you are not drinking enough water, or have poor mineral balance (swollen ankles, water retention, do not urinate often, urinate slowly), your kidneys may not be an effective elimination pathway.
lymph (an essential component of the immune system) - Lymph is a fluid that runs through channels and vessels similar to veins and arteries. It is responsible for moving nutrients, waste products, and white blood cells (immune cells) to and from body tissues.
lungs - Commonly struggling to “catch” your breath, feeling winded, feeling “air hungry”, or having a diagnosis of COPD (or similar), may be reason to better support this elimination pathway.
I do not recommend a liver detox if any of these pathways are not working well, first.
ADDITIONAL ELIMINATION PATHWAY SUPPORT
When actively detoxing, or actively killing off any toxin or pathogen such as doing a liver detox or liver cleanse, I recommend giving your elimination pathways an extra boost, in addition to simply ensuring they are routinely working well.
While it’s especially important to ensure your elimination pathways are working well PRIOR to doing a liver detox, additional measures can be taken to enhance the elimination of these toxins and pathogens.
Here are some ways you can additionally support your elimination pathways during a detox:
skin (sweat):
DRY SAUNA, OR INFRARED SAUNA - adding a daily sauna routine will optimize this pathway during a detox. Remember, just as toxins can exit through the skin, they can also be absorbed through the skin. Make sure to shower immediately after a sauna practice.
MOVE! - If intentional movement is not something you do daily, add this to your routine. It can be as simple as taking a 15-minute walk, but remember: the point is to break a sweat for at least 5-10 minutes. Walking the dog won’t cut it unless your walk is intentionally paced to help you sweat.
colon (feces):
FIBER - it’s no secret that adding plentiful, good quality fiber to your diet will help you poop. ADD: Lots of green, leafy veggies, more fibrous fruits like pears, apples, or avocados, and whole grains like wild rice, are a great way to get fiber into your diet. In more extreme circumstances, your holistic practitioner might recommend a high-quality fiber supplement like this one. AVOID: It’s best to avoid fiber-focused packaged foods (brands like Fiber-One), as they tend to be poor quality and add to your health problems. Dried fruit tends to be higher in fiber, but also MUCH higher in sugar, so I recommend avoiding these items.
HYDRATION - drinking enough water will help you poo better. For most humans not dealing with kidney issues, drinking ONE FLUID OUNCE PER TWO POUNDS OF BODY WEIGHT, daily, is considered adequate. Think of it as taking half your body weight, and drinking that many ounces of water. Avoid/minimize dehydrating factors, like high sodium foods, alcohol, or caffeine.
GET A COLONIC - these are not for everyone and should be done minimally, and under supervision of a holistic care provider. Colonics are an intensive, quick method, of removing everything from the colon. I mean, EVERYTHING (including all your good gut bacteria). Doing a colonic without properly addressing the health of your microbiome is a recipe for further health issues, like IBS. A good practitioner will help you re-establish your gut bacteria, and improve colon health going forward.
ABDOMINAL MASSAGE - Something I commonly find in my clients with constipation, is that regardless of how much fiber and water they take in, poops are still difficult. This can be due to lesions that form in the intestines over time. Breaking up these lesions is simple, but requires time and consistency (although you will likely see results shortly after starting this technique - keep going!).
This technique is known as Peristaltic Manipulation. In a gentle massage motion, similar to a ”tickle”, begin massaging your belly, just above your right hip. Work your way upward toward your ribs, stopping just below your rib cage. Massage your way horizontally across your belly, then downward when you reach your left rib cage. Continue massaging down until just above your left hip, then return to starting point. Do this entire cycle 3-4 times, 1-2 times per day. (I love hearing people’s success stories with this technique. Tell me in the comments how it works for you!)
kidneys (urine) - Hydration is the main key for supporting urine flow. Refer to the colon (feces) section for hydration instructions. Another key component to optimize hydration, and the mechanisms involved in kidney function, is mineral balance.
MINERAL BALANCE - minerals, specifically electrolyte minerals, create electric charges that impact the transfer of nutrients (including water) across cell walls. Eating plenty of whole foods, and avoiding packaged foods, is a great way to make sure you are getting good minerals. For someone who needs supplemental support, here are some product I like:
BioMins, by Thorne: I like this product because it has the best balance of minerals, ensuring they do not “compete” for one another, creating imbalance.
LMNT: I was skeptical of this product at first. It seemed too good to be true. But the more I researched it, the more I like it. I would not recommend it for anyone who consumes a high amount of packaged foods or fast foods. Use this link to get a free gift with your first order.
lymph (an essential component of the immune system) - There are three ways to support better lymph flow:
hydration (see a pattern here?)
massage
movement
lungs -
MILD CARDIO: If your lungs are not struggling due to a pulmonary condition, the easiest way to improve lung health is by exercising. Keep it simple - 20-30 minutes of brisk walking every day should help. Improve your respiratory health by practicing cardio with your mouth closed, breathing only through your nose.
BREATHWORK: intentional breathing techniques, such as Box Breathing, or yogic breathing, are fantastic for improving lung health.
NAC: NAC, or N-acetylcysteine, is a precursor to glutathione (essential for cellular health and liver detoxification), and is known to support the health of mucosal lining of tissues (lungs, sinuses, intestines). For someone needing a little extra support, I often recommend this supplement.
so, what?
Next time you think to yourself, “I need a reset,” consider the idea that maybe a liver detox or liver cleanse is not the way to go.
The answer to feeling like yourself again, is not going to be found in an intensive protocol like a cleanse.
The answer to feeling like yourself again is going to be found in your own body - your bio-individuality.
What is your body telling you it needs?
Finding a holistic practitioner who is qualified to assess this for you is the first step to getting that clean slate.
Not sure where to begin?
was this helpful?
What is your experience with liver cleanses and liver detox?
How have they worked for you?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Clean Eating 101
How your food is grown and processed, and where it comes from, are the biggest factors in determining what makes a food a "healthy food."
Some important questions to ask yourself when determining the quality of your foods are:
Is it organic?
Does that even matter?
Is it heavily broken down before it's added as an ingredient?
Was it grown and harvested in a way that is sustainable to the environment, and that does not put extra toxins into your body?
What other ingredients are in the food?
Healthy Eating Online Nutrition Course
Have you ever been at the grocery store, and tossed foods into your cart because they 'sound' healthy?
Or have you ever restricted your diet to avoid a certain food or nutrient, because you heard somewhere that it's bad for you?
(uh, hello, are you in my HEAD?!)
If you think I've been stalking you, it's because I've been there, too!
I've tried all the diets, I've bought foods because they sound healthy, I've played the guessing game, over and over... and I wasted a lot of time and money doing it…
...until I began to learn more about what really matters in regard to health.
Let's face it - healthy eating is confusing!
We all want to be healthier.
We get caught up in the myths:
healthy equals skinny
healthy equals strength & cardio training 5 days a week
healthy equals salads every meal
healthy equals foods that don't taste good
healthy equals having the energy to do ALL the things, ALL the time
But the truth is, we've been fooled.
the dirty truth about healthy eating
We've been fooled by the Dr. Phils and the marketing experts at Kraft, into thinking our foods have to say "gluten-free," "vegan," “all natural,” or "heart healthy" in order to be good for our bodies.
We are confused and ultimately misinformed by people we trust to have the answers.
And the reality is, we don't have the time (or even know where to begin) to do the research ourselves, so we just have to trust!
Well, lucky for you, friend, I have done the research.
I am a nutrition expert, and I'm here to help you dig your way out of that confusion.
I'm here to help you know how to decide for yourself what is best for your health, and your family's health.
3 PILLARS OF HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES:
bio-individuality
quality of ingredients
"good, better, best" mindset
BIO-INDIVIDUALITY: I see you scratching your head, don't worry. Bio-individuality is short for "biological individuality," meaning, what biological factors in your own body determine how well you can digest foods, absorb their nutrients, and eliminate waste. For example, we can't truthfully say "gluten is bad" for everyone, without knowing how their body processes gluten.
QUALITY OF INGREDIENTS: How your food is grown and processed, and where it comes from, are the biggest factors in determining what makes a food a "healthy food."
Some important questions to ask yourself when determining the quality of your foods, are:
Is it organic?
Does that even matter?
Is it heavily broken down before it's added as an ingredient?
Was it grown and harvested in a way that is sustainable to the environment, and that does not put extra toxins into your body?
What other ingredients are in the food?
GOOD, BETTER, BEST: This is a technique I teach my clients and live by in my own life. It is unfortunate (who am I kidding, it's actually maddening!) that quality, healthy foods are not accessible to every one, in every geographical location, and in every income bracket.
It is upsetting to me that we call foods that are heavily processed and filled with toxins, "conventional," consequently labeling quality foods as novelty items (and pricing them accordingly).
But the reality is, you have to do what is best for you, and especially if you have a family to consider.
When choosing foods, you need to consider:
availability
cost
moral considerations
community support
food allergies
picky eaters
religious considerations
(if there are any I missed, please add them to the comments!)
So, when it comes down to it, I can tell you what is "best," but you have to decide if it's what is sustainable for you. That's why I teach and advocate for the "good, better, best" mindset.
Okay, so how do I actually know how to choose healthy foods?
label-reading 101
Since I cannot assess your Bio-Individual needs through a blog post (wouldn't that be cool?! Or maybe creepy... never mind...), let's look at food Quality.
In the past, humans have not led such on-the-go lifestyles. We used to grow or forage our own food, eat seasonally, make our own flours, can our own vegetables & fruits, etc..
I do not need to tell you, we are no longer living that life.
What that has caused is the need for foods to become more shelf-stable. As food sensitivities increased due to stressed eating and poor gut health (and misinformation about what is "healthy" and not healthy), so have additives and fillers increased in our foods, to mimic textures of the real thing. Let's not forget the MONEY! Food manufacturers use techniques to increase profits, like using highly toxic (but deemed "safe") forms of fats and sugars to make their foods, rather than non-toxic forms.
It's easy to point to the reality that eating organic, fresh, whole foods is what's best for us (and it is). BUT... that's not what our lifestyles typically support.
This is why we need to learn to look at food labels to determine if what we're eating is healthy or not.
I'm not referring to "front-of-box" labeling - you've already been fooled by that, which is why you're here!
And I'm not talking about the "Nutrition Facts." Counting calories is not a form of healthy eating, and I do not advocate for it in most cases.
I'm talking about the ingredients list.
TIPS TO HELP YOU CHOOSE HEALTHY FOODS:
look for foods in their most whole form - avoid terms like "concentrate," "modified," or "hydrolyzed." These terms typically indicate the ingredient has been heavily processed, which often entails toxic methods.
avoid toxic oils & fats - the myth that eating "low fat" is healthiest, has been long debunked, but what we have to look for now, are fats that are heavily processed and toxic to our bodies. Remember, toxins prefer fat, so the quality of fats you take in is very important. Looks for oils and fats that are the "extra virgin," "expeller pressed," or "unrefined." Avoid (always): Canola, vegetable, rapeseed, safflower, and sunflower oils.
certified organic - This is a gray area. The term "organic" on a food label, is only as good as the entity that certified it as "organic." In other words, the standards of organic are different for each organic certifier. According to the USDA, organic means it contains no GMOs, & no synthetic pesticides were used.
A food can be labeled organic without actually having been regulated by anyone, and the opposite is true as well (a food may not be labeled organic, even though it follows organic standards).
Your best bet - get to know your farmers.
whole grain - Eating grains in their whole form is crucial to ensuring we get important nutrients, and reducing our inflammatory response. In the US, the term "whole grain" means that the product has to consist of at least 50% whole grains. But it's important to look at what the remaining 50% consists of. If you're eating "whole grain" bread, that also contains sugars, rice flour, and potato starch... you see where I'm going with this...
preservatives, emulsifiers, and chemicals - There are a lot of foods and products that are labeled as being "pet safe," or "kid safe," but it does not necessarily mean they are things we should be putting into (or on) our bodies.
The list of what to avoid is far too extensive for this little article, but in short, it's best to avoid:
ingredients with more than 4 syllables
ingredients with all CAPS
ingredients ending in a-t-e
ingredients you cant pronounce, or have never heard of
ingredients associated with a number
ingredients preceded by "enriched"
Pin this one to your boards to help cement it in…
Feeling a bit better about your future shopping trips?
I love talking about this stuff because it consistently comes up in conversations, that we are all so confused about what it takes to be healthy.
It's exactly why I developed the Kitchen Detox Workshop.
The Kitchen Detox Workshop is worth its weight in gold, friend. We scratched the surface in this article, but the workshop dives deeper into those factors, plus a few others. It also gives you hands-on tools to help you inventory your own kitchen, and stock your kitchen with only quality, wholesome foods.
Put differently, the Kitchen Detox Workshop helps you to make healthy food choices, every single time you eat.
Ditch the guilt of eating "bad" foods.
Stop playing the guessing game at the supermarket.
Stop wasting money on fruitless health hacks.
Make healthy choices that really matter.
Tap the button below to learn more about Cut the Crap, my online label-reading course to help you spot health scams and make healthy food choices more confidently.
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