Loving Your Liver

Loving Your Liver 

Loving your liver is pretty easy when you know how. Here are our top 12 tips you can follow every day for good liver health. 

1.  Maintain a healthy weight:  Measure your middle and keep it at a healthy circumference. Men should maintain a waist of less than 102 cm and women, less than 88 cm. Exercising and eating a diet that’s low in fat and high in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals will help you maintain a healthy weight and liver.

2. Avoid fad diets: Avoid any products that promise large amounts of weight loss in an unrealistically short period of time. These diets are usually lacking in essential nutrients and are not beneficial. Aim to lose weight at a healthy rate of ½ -1 kg per week. Liver cleansing and detox diets should also be avoided.

3. Drink alcohol in moderation Sensible consumption of alcohol is critical to your health. While alcoholism is more common among men, women are more susceptible to the adverse effects of alcohol on the liver. In fact, it takes as little as 20 grams of alcohol daily (only two standard drinks) for women to develop liver problems.

4. Quit smoking It’s been proven that smoking cigarettes is linked to the development of liver cancer. Smoking can also enhance the toxic effects that some medications (such as Paracetamol) have on the liver.

5. Take care with tattoos and piercings If you’re keen to get a tattoo or a piercing, take extra care to find an establishment that is clean and adheres to meticulous sterilization practices. Understand what makes your liver so important, try our liver-loving recipes, read more diet tips and make sure you get plenty of exercise.

                       

Diet which keeps your Liver healthy 

1. Almonds Almonds are the nuts. Jam-packed with fiber, riboflavin, magnesium and iron, they also have more calcium than any other nut.

2.  Oats Oats have a high soluble fiber content, a low glycaemic index and they are a whole grain, which means they contain many essential vitamins and minerals. So, a regular dose of oats in your diet may help lower cholesterol levels, reduce heart disease risk and prevent Type 2 diabetes.

3.  Soybeans Soy is a top quality protein that has no cholesterol or animal fat. It’s low in saturated fat, high in fibre and is known to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, may help prevent osteoporosis, alleviate those hot flushes during menopause and may even help protect against breast, prostate and bowel cancer.

4. Tea Put the kettle on and make yourself a nice cup of green or black tea. Brimming with antioxidants, a cuppa can help protect your body’s cells against damage and mutation. Green tea also packs ECGC – a powerful antioxidant that may inhibit the growth of cancer cells, while black tea can boost the immune system, lower the risk of stroke and may help prevent osteoporosis.