03 Mar Spring detox
A winter spent in the company of comfort foods and cosy evenings spentdrinking wine can often leave you feeling a bit sluggish. With spring just around the corner there’s no better time to hit refresh on your diet. These small changes will have you looking and feeling great in no time.
Spice things up
The spice, turmeric, has really become the evidence-based medicine hero of calming inflammation. Most health conditions have the underlying foundation of inflammation. Inflammation can cause issues with insulin, which can lead to excess weight which can in turn lower the metabolism. Turmeric has also been shown to protect the liver against toxic damage and even regenerate damaged liver cells. Add turmeric to your stir fries, soups, slow cooked meals and vegie juices.
Go Green
Green tea is thermogenic and drinking it is a great way to increase yourmetabolic rate naturally. One cup of coffee or tea is fine but when you want another…go green. Green tea has antioxidant properties and is loaded with catechins. Catechins are a type of plant antioxidants that has been show to eliminate fat accumulation and promote proper liver function.
Befriend garlic and onions
Foods rich in sulphur containing compounds are one of the primary types of molecules used to help the liver detoxify a wide range of toxins. Food like onions, garlic, and eggs yolks are in this category. Garlic contains allicin and selenium which are proven to help protect the liver from toxic overload. When the liver isn’t bogged down our hormones,cholesterol and metabolism is happy.
Tantalise your tastebuds with grapefruit
This yellow or rosy-hued fruit is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants which are excellent at cleansing the liver. One of the flavonoids in grapefruit, naringenin, contains a compound that causes the liver to burn fat rather than store it. Why not squeeze some into your sparkling water today?
Lower your sugar intake
Fructose is very hard on your liver, much the same way as drinking alcohol is. Fructose is converted into fat that gets stored in your liver and other tissues as body fat. If this is consumed in excess this can lead to non-alcohol fatty liver disease. When the liver becomes dysfunctional we lose our metabolic powerhouse.
Go nuts
All nuts are full of amino acids and protein-rich, which makes them so appealing for those seeking lean muscle mass. They have no sugar and they are satiating. Nuts are full of essential fatty acids, but walnuts in particular are high in l-arginine and glutathione which can assist in detoxifying the liver and oxygenating the blood. It is the walnut hull that is often found in the liver cleansing products that you can purchase in the chemist. Choose food over a supplement when possible.
