• Breaking down and eliminating toxins.
  
• Breaking down and eliminating excess hormones/cholesterol
• Balancing blood sugar.
• Producing bile.
• Storing nutrients – iron, copper, Vitamin A, B12, D, E and K.
  

Basic Reasons for Poor Liver Function:

• Clearing up accumulative poisons or toxins e.g. Pesticides on fruit and vegetables, environmental pollution, car pollution, cigarette smoke.
• Improper diet – e.g. a low protein, high carbohydrate and high fat diet are hard on the liver
• Over eating – causes excess work and liver fatigue.
  
• Drugs – strain and toxify the liver, as it has to neutralize these foreign chemicals. e.g. alcohol, oral contraceptive pill, HRT, pain killers and caffeine.
  

Healing and Supporting Foods:

• Daily consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables.
  
• Sulphur containing foods: Onions (especially red), spring onions, shallots, garlic and eggs (two-to-four eggs per week would be a very reasonable amount for most people).
  
• Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale and turnip.
  
• Pungent and bitter foods: Watercress, mustard greens, basil, bay leaf, dandelion, marjoram, cumin, cardamom, dill, ginger, nuts, strawberry, peach, cherry, chestnut, pine nuts, apple cider vinegar.
  
• Chlorophyll rich foods: Wheat or barley grass, spirulina, blue-green algae, parsley, kale, watercress, alfalfa.
• Spices that support the Liver’s immune function: Turmeric, cinnamon and liquorice.
  
• Raw Foods: Sprouted grains, beans, seeds, fresh fruit and vegetables.
  

• Reduce consumption of deep-fried and fatty foods.
• Reduce consumption of trans and hydrogenated fats in cakes, biscuits, chocolate, ice cream and pastries.
• Reduce processed and junk foods, refined white flour, white sugar (and sweeteners) and imitation foods e.g. cheese sticks, crab sticks.
• Reduce caffeine – coffee, black tea, fizzy drinks, cola’s, red bull etc.
• Reduce alcohol consumption (yes you knew this one was coming!)
  
• Minimize your consumption of smoked, cured and salted foods.
• Reduce rich desserts, snacks and drinks high in calories (fruit juice).
• Use alternative seasonings in your cooking such as lemon juice, onion, vinegar, garlic, pepper, mustard, cloves, sage or thyme.
• Increase your intake of high-fibre foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, brown rice and whole rolled oats. A high-fibre diet is especially helpful in keeping the liver healthy.
• Keep your weight close to ideal
  

Stay healthy,

Kim