Tis the detox season upon us.
After all the partying and gorging bad foods from the back end of last year (3 months usually) people tend to come back to the gym overweight, tired and bloated at the beginning of January/February. The reasons for this is the increased consumption of sugars, sweets, deserts, mince pies and alcohol and more. Whilst we relish in this type of festive behaviour the liver and guts have to work overtime to detoxify all these toxins, chemicals and bad fats in addition to excess calories. In other words our organs and hormones that deal with digestion and metabolism take an absolute beating! When the liver becomes overloaded with toxins and pollutants, it's natural working cycle slows down. Parallel to this our gut health also slows down with its abilities to digest foods and breaks down fats becoming seriously impaired. Bye bye six and toned muscles and hello the wrong type of weight gain.
If people continue to consume too much alcohol, over indulge on fried foods, refined meals which contain chemicals, transfats and other unhealthy impurities for the body, further issues can arise such as:
Inflammation/fatty liver.
A loss of appetite and/or energy
Sickness and colds/flu with lowered immune system
Tummy pain leading constipation or diarrhoea
Swollen tummy
Rapid weight and fat gain
Heartburn
Blood in the stool
Joint pain
Skin issues and spots
Mouth Ulcers
Increased Stress
Headaches or migraines
Decreased quality sleep
Anxiety, depression, moods swings
Sugar Craving
Does this sound familiar? 2000 calories of unhealthy inorganic food is not the same as 2000 healthy calories tracked with the correct macros. Eating junk food continually damages and slows down our ability to burn fat for fuel due to the damage it does to our organs, blood and fat burning hormones. Reducing calories but keeping bad dietary habits is not going to cut it either, you'll likely lose muscle mass.
It's 2025 so lets start the year with good intentions and healthy habits. Lets clean out your body completely and begin the rejuvenation journey! Empty those cupboards filled with crisps, sweets, chocolate and beer and replace your macros with the right proteins, carbs and fats. Remember micronutrients come from vegetables which include your vitamins and minerals which play a huge part in repairing the cells of your body, rebalancing hormones and thus helping breaking down the proteins, carbs and fats and sending sending them to the right areas of the human body. Want to turn the body into a fat burning furnace? Start by changing what you eat with this guideline for liver and gut repair.
Here are 10 foods you can add to your new diet to cleanse the liver and improve gut health also:
Garlic: Garlic contains selenium, a mineral that helps detoxify the liver. It also has the ability to activate liver enzymes that can help flush out your toxins.
Citrus fruits: Fruits like grapefruit, oranges, limes and lemons all boost the livers cleansing ability as they help to push out pollutants. They also contain fibre, vitamin c and citric acid which helps digestion and prevents constipation. Add to your drinking water.
Cruciferous vegetables: examples like broccoli and cauliflower contains glucosinate which helps the liver produce detoxifying enzymes. They also include with sulfur compounds that aid liver health and repair. They also help repair the lining of the bowels.
Leafy vegetables: such as spinach and kale are high in chlorophyll which leaches toxins out of the blood stream. They can neutralize heavy metals to protect the liver. They also contain anti oxidants and a specific sugar that helps with healthy gut bacteria.
Tumeric: This herb works wonders on the liver and gut health by flushing out toxins and contains antioxidants that repair cells in both organs. It helps to detox metals via ther liver and boost bile production for digestion.
Beetroot: This vegetable assist with increasing oxygen by cleansing the blood, and can break down toxic wastes to help them be excreted quicker. Stimulates bile production and enzymatic activity. Fibre and vitamin C means it helps cleanse the gut.
Carrots: Carrots are very high in plant flavonoids and beta - carotene, which stimulates and supports liver function. Also has vitamin A which helps prevent liver disease.
Green Tea: Known as a remedy for thousands of years for both the liver and gut health. It contains catechins, plant based anti oxidants.
Apples: This fruit contains a large amount of pectin, a chemical that helps the body cleanse and release toxins from the digestive tract. With fewer toxins in the digestive tract, the liver can better manage its toxin load, being able to cleanse the rest of the body
Avocado: Avocados are basically a superfood. In addition to cleansing arteries, they help the body naturally produce glutathione, the compound that helps the liver rid itself of toxins.
It's now time to take more of a scientific approach to your eating habits. Proteins, healthy carbs and fats need to be consumed in every meal. It's not just about counting calories which is important, it's about picking the right foods to repair all the damage that been done.
Did you like this article and want more on this subject?
Like and comment!
Rick Gregory
Comments