milk thistle

I hope you are enjoying the holidays so far.  We were fortunate enough to host Christmas at our house this year and outdid ourselves with delicious indulgences.  (Had so much fun I forgot to take pictures!)

Speaking of fun, many of us tend to imbibe more than usual during the ‘season.’  With family in town or travels out of town, our daily routine can be disrupted. Our bodies bear the burden – in particular the liver. This resilient organ is on overload trying to keep up with processing more than just rich foods.

We can still enjoy the festivities while helping support our system.  Here are some guidelines:

• Eat two to three daily servings of dark-green, yellow or orange vegetables for essential nutrition support.  Think (and buy) spinach, kale, and sweet potatoes.
• Eat a low protein diet to avoid excess stress on the liver. Poor quality fats, conventional meats and cheeses tend to contribute to its congestion.
• Eat the right kind of fats in moderate amounts.  Fish oils, raw nuts and seeds are the best sources of essential fatty acids which are needed for cell protection.  Corn oil and margarine should be avoided at all costs (a more in-depth post on healthy fats is in the works.)
• Drink grapefruit juice which decreases the enzymatic conversion of many potential toxins by up to 30 percent.  A tablespoon of apple-cider vinegar with honey in one cup of water is also a great panacea with similar effects.
• Milk thistle, burdock root, dandelion and red clover aid in cleansing the blood, reducing stress on the liver.  These are all available in tea blends as well as supplemental form.
• Uh, I would be remiss if I didn’t list consuming alcohol in moderation.  Remember, wine is in our family, so I have to be particularly mindful of reducing my intake. But when pairing with food, the absorption is optimal. Maybe one of my new year’s resolutions will be less justification.  Or maybe not:)