Ask anyone how healthy the typical Western diet is, and they’re likely to say ‘Not very!’ One of the first organs to fall victim to bad eating is the liver, due to its many functions and variety of stresses placed upon it. If you want your liver to still be healthy and to work with your metabolism, you’ll have to add a little something special to your diet.
However, these additions don’t need to be huge alterations to your lifestyle. Most of the things that will keep your liver going for the long haul are perfectly ordinary foods that cost less than what you’re already eating!
Fruits known for being high in antioxidants are one of the key things your liver needs.
This can be fresh fruit or fresh fruit juice, but shouldn’t generally be processed fruit products. This is because processed food tends to process out all the useful nutrients while adding in sugars and other unhealthy additives that are little better than junk food.
Prunes, raisins, apples, and various kinds of berries such as strawberries are highly preferable and can be eaten as regular snacks or turned into beverages in juice form.
If fruits aren’t something you fancy, then there are other plant-based options for a meal that makes your liver happy. Like salads? Then you might want to try adding in some chicory, dandelion greens, or endive.
These are versatile ingredients that can be added in small, non-obtrusive amounts to most kinds of salads. Therefore they’re one of the least demanding of pro-liver foods you can add into your life.
Onions and garlic are two flavorful favorites that can add a lot to a meal, and unlike most strongly-flavored ingredients don’t have a negative impact on the liver. However, you don’t get the same benefits from just using a powder or flavor supplement based on these vegetables. Use the real thing, or don’t bother.
You might notice that all of these suggested foods are plant-based. It’s true that there are very few meat-based foods that your liver needs.
However, if you stick to lean varieties of meat and eat it only moderately, you’ll find that your liver can handle pretty much anything reasonable that you throw at it. Make sure that you also consume healthy calves liver also. So don’t feel the need to become a vegetarian!
As a final cautionary note, don’t forget to avoid excessive alcohol, which is a definite bane of your poor long-suffering liver. You can remove the liver-harming elements by using it as a cooking agent instead of drinking it directly.
So you see, there are plenty of ways to include all the things you normally enjoy in a liver-healthy life… without really needing to give up the flavors that make life worth living!
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