Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Liver is the grand central station for all things energy and detox! It’s estimated that the liver accounts for about 20-30% of your resting energy expenditure. So, if your liver isn’t functioning well, it can impact a large portion of how the body burns calories throughout your day, ultimately slowing things down metabolically

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Here’s a high level overview:

1️⃣ Metabolism Control:

The liver is responsible for processing nutrients from the food you eat and converting them into energy. It metabolizes carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, turning them into fuel for your body. Without this conversion, your energy levels would plummet.

2️⃣ Blood Sugar Regulation:

The liver helps keep your blood sugar levels stable by storing and releasing glucose as needed. If your liver isn't functioning well, your blood sugar can spike or crash, which affects how efficiently your body burns calories and uses energy.

3️⃣ Fat Metabolism:

The liver breaks down fats into usable energy. When it's overwhelmed (due to poor diet, toxins, sluggish bile, or fatty liver disease), this process slows down. Instead of burning fat for energy, your body might start storing it, which can lead to weight gain.

4️⃣ Detoxification

The liver is also your body's detox powerhouse. It filters out toxins and waste products from the bloodstream. When it's overloaded with toxins, it can’t perform optimally, which can slow down your metabolism and energy production.

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A sluggish liver means a sluggish metabolism.

When the liver is healthy and functioning properly, it helps you burn calories more efficiently, clean the body, stabilize your blood sugar, and keep your energy levels high.

The liver is also the organ that we don’t (yet) have a way to externally support in acute situations like we do other organs. I.e. If the kidneys are struggling, doctors can utilize Dialysis…we don’t have anything like that for the liver and it is a vital organ so we need to support it!

So what do we do? How do we support the liver - well there are a variety of ways, I know this can be overwhelming so pick 1-2 things and start there.

1. Eat Bitter Foods and Bile-Stimulating Foods

• Certain foods are particularly nourishing for the liver and gallbladder, and should be included daily. This is not a comprehensive list, but it includes some of the most helpful foods:
• Beets, particularly the fermented beet juice called Beet Kvass, can be very helpful in stimulating bile flow and thinning the bile. The juice of beet greens, particularly the part of the stem closest to the beet, has strong detoxification properties. Blend these into a smoothie.
• Dandelion greens are very cleansing for the liver with their high antioxidant levels, impressive vitamin and mineral content including calcium, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, B, C, and D, as well as health-promoting compounds such as alkaloids, steroids, and triterpenoids. They support bile production, encourage fat metabolism, purify the blood, and normalize blood sugar levels. These greens are also a mild laxative, which aids in the opening of that important elimination pathway. I would recommend dandelion tea or small amounts of dandelion greens in a salad or smoothie.
• Ginger has been shown to have therapeutic qualities particularly with its high antioxidant content and thermogenic properties, which enhance blood circulation and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body. Studies have shown that ginger may protect against liver fibrosis and the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Citrus, with its high antioxidant, vitamin C, and bioflavonoid content, has been shown to be very cleansing for the liver. Grapefruit, which is high in glutathione, stimulates the natural cleansing processes of the liver by increasing the production of detoxification enzymes.
• Dark, leafy greens are high in plant chlorophylls that help to cleanse the blood by neutralizing toxins. They are protective for the liver, as they can alleviate its detoxification burden.
• Cruciferous vegetables have high levels of glucosinolates, organic sulfur compounds that, in conjunction with the folate, flavonoids, and vitamin C also found in these vegetables, help to cleanse the body of free radicals and other toxins by amplifying the production of detoxifying enzymes in the liver.