Tag Archive for liver loving foods

Do You Need To “Cleanse”? and Brownie Truffle Recipe

liver detoxI get asked about “cleanses” and “detoxes” all the time.  Are they necessary?  I think so.  Our liver, which burns more calories and fat than our muscles, our brain, or any other part of our body, ( it’s about 60% of our total metabolism), is responsible for constantly cleaning our blood.  It’s supposed to clean 2 Quarts of blood EVERY MINUTE.  Imagine that.  Now imagine these numbers:

Liver disease in the form of Non-Alcoholic Fatty liver disease, liver cancer, hepatitis, and pediatric liver disease is affecting 1 out of 10 Americans.  That’s manifested conditions; the liver is struggling for YEARS before an actual diagnosis.  Liver disease completely compromises the livers ability to do it’s jobs.  What happens then?  A lot, because the liver is involved in just about every function in the body.  Here’s a list of symptoms:

indigestion
acid reflux
hemorrhoids
gall stones
alcohol intolerance
nausea or vomiting attacks
bloating
constipation
depression
mood disorders
anger
irritability
poor concentration
overheating of the body
recurrent headaches (migraines)
sugar cravings
hypoglycemia
onset of type 2 diabetes
heart disease
clogged arteries
high blood cholesterol levels
high blood pressure
strokes
fatty organs, including fatty liver
fatty tumors
weight gain
inability to lose weight
slow metabolism
pot belly
cellulite
weakened bones
allergies
sensitivity to chemicals and food additives

Thanks to a Standard American Diet, and tens of thousands of chemicals in our food, water, and air, a good liver cleanse is a good idea.  How to do it?

Quit eating and drinking toxins!!  This is the number one, most important step you can take.  There’s no pill, no program, no magic anything that will replace that step.  Honest.  Let step 2 be eating and drinking Liver Loving Foods:  lemons, parsley, cilantro, garlic, sulfur/cruciferous vegetables(brussels, cabbage, onions, kale..), TONS OF WATER, fermented vegetables, keifer, and kombucha.  Want to get really special?  Eat liver, real or freeze dried, take milk thistle, get Vitamin D from the detox 21sun( that’s easier on your liver than supplement form),  and use turmeric and curcumin when you cook.  Want to really get in there and make things happen?  Get in touch with me.  Detoxing is an old and complex art, a good one can make a big difference in how well your body works.

Will you lose massive weight if you do a Cleanse?  No! That’s just savvy marketing, appealing to dreams of fast, easy, effortless weight loss.  There are Cleanse/Detox products that will make you poop; No Amount Of Pooping Pulls Fat Out Of Your Fat Cells.  Ever.  Will you be healthier? YES, absolutely!

trufflesLet me leave you with a dessert my daughter Meg made the other night, Paleo Brownie Truffles – DELICIOUS, and liver friendly! (Thank goodness, because I ate them all in 2 days!)

1) In a bowl, mix w spoon:  3 tbs melted coconut butter, 2 tbs melted coconut oil, 1 tbs Swerve, 1/2tsp vanilla, 1 tbs protein powder, 1/4 – 1/2 cup carob powder, add gradually and stop when mixture becomes cookie dough like.

2) roll mixture into small little balls

3) heat slowly: 1/4 c coconut butter, 2 tbs coconut oil, 1 tbs Swerve

4) dip balls in chocolate and refrigerate until shell hardens