Cleansing the liver

While there is no escaping all exposure to toxins and poisons, there are some things we can do to not only lighten the load on our liver but also to cleanse and detoxify it.

• Exercise: When your circulation is enhanced, all of your organs perform better, including your liver. Moderate exercise and deep breathing will stimulate your circulation and blood flow, and this in turn will deliver nutrients and oxygen to all parts of your body. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.
• Diet: Cleansing the liver involves avoiding the offenders such as artificial sweeteners, overly processed foods, chemical additives, pesticides, excess animal fat and medication (if possible). It also involves adding in foods that are believed to help to cleanse the liver such as garlic, grapefruit, beets, carrots, green tea, filtered water, leafy green vegetables and olive oil.
• Environment: Try to reduce your exposure to environmental toxins whenever possible. Moderating your use of strong cleaning chemicals, avoiding tap water and getting plenty of fresh air may help. Using natural personal care products will also reduce the toxic load on your liver, as these tend to be absorbed through the skin into the blood stream.

Any effort you make towards cleansing your liver and taking better care of this vital organ will bring big payoffs in terms of your overall health, both short term and long term. Do you have liver cleansing tips? Leave them in the comment section below!

Whether you like or dislike vegetables, they are some of, if not the healthiest foods in the world. They reduce your risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. They even help lower blood pressure and keep bones strong. Veggies contain little to no fat, calories, or cholesterol and are high in essential vitamins and minerals and fiber.

Here are a few helpful tips to sneak veggies in other dishes or prepare them in pleasing ways.

#1 Veggies for breakfast. It's simple to add chopped veggies to an omelet. Chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, onions, or peppers are simple ingredients to add to your eggs so your breakfast is the healthiest yet.

#2 Add to Favorite Dishes. Include them in the foods you already enjoy. Make an extra layer of veggies in your lasagna, stir chopped veggies into your favorite soup, add some green stuff to your casserole, or pile veggies on your sandwich or pizza. If you’re eating soup, casserole, and pasta, the recipes already include some kind of vegetable. Get an extra serving of veggies by doubling the amount the recipe calls for.

#3 Hide Them. For those who dislike the texture of certain vegetables or for kids who won't eat veggies plain, try this trick: grate or puree vegetables and hide them in other foods. Grated carrots or zucchini works well in meatballs, burgers, or meatloaf. Pureed cooked squash, peppers, and cauliflower are easily hidden in sauces, mac and cheese, or mashed potatoes. 

#4 Eat Them Sweet. Traditionally, vegetables aren’t known as sweet foods, but they taste delicious in baked goods —pumpkin pie, zucchini bread, carrot cake, or corn muffins.

#5 Drink Your Vegetables. While all your vegetable servings shouldn't come from juice (you miss out on fiber), a serving or two a day is a great way to fill up on the nutrients vegetables offer. Carrot juice, tomato juice, or a veggie-fruit combination can be a refreshing way to get your recommended daily amount of vegetables.



#6 Dips, Sauces, and Spices. Grab a handful of raw, cooked, or grilled veggies and make them more palatable with these ideas. Dip raw veggies in a ranch or onion dip, whether homemade or store-bought. Sauté your veggies in olive oil; glaze them with honey; or sprinkle on some salt, lemon pepper, or shredded Parmesan cheese. Broccoli and cauliflower are two veggies made even more delicious with a low-fat cheese sauce drizzled on top.