Hangover Help: Cleanse the Liver

The festivities are over, the decorations have come down, and yet many folks are dragging as they go into the New Year. There was too much sugar, including alcohol, too many indulgences, which includes loss of sleep or disrupted sleep. While many love this time of year, it takes it’s toll on the body.

One’s most challenged organ during this time is the liver: the body’s detoxification organ. It processes and clears out all the indiscretions that are tossed its way. So taking a little time and effort to give one’s liver some support can reap wonderful benefits, such as increased energy, vitality and well being.

There are several things that can be used to activate this process. There are numerous products available for a liver cleanse. The herb milk thistle, also known as silybum marianum, is a liver cleansing herb from the flowing plant of the daisy family. It is best combined with other herbs and nutrients to do a more thorough job. When one takes a product like this, slow is best. Occasionally one will feel nauseous, if so, reduce the amount one is taking at one time, or cut the dose in half and take twice as long to complete the process.

Certain foods are also very good for assisting the liver in its daily job. Beets are a great cleanser and delicious when baked. Trim the greens from the top and part of the tail, rub with oil and bake like one would a potato. When ready to serve, slice into the skin and peel it away before serving, season to taste. Another food that can be eaten is zucchini. According to Henry Bieler, MD, author of Food is Your Best Medicine, this vegetable helps to rebuild the liver. It can be eaten raw or cooked or juiced, as well as combined with other vegetables in a stirfry, steamed, or salad.

It is also important to keep the intestines working well, since the liver dumps the trash into the colon. There are herbs to help with constipation and using probiotics to fortify these organs is important too. Whatever you do, the New Year is a great time to cleanse away the old. Find out my favorite products to assist in this process.