Our liver is one of our biggest superstars in the body, it works constantly for us helping to remove toxins, bacteria and waste products from our bloodstream. Looking after our liver is a vital part of our wellness. Liver detoxification occurs everyday for us without us thinking about it, but we can help support its super action with our top 5 easy tips for liver health.

How our liver helps us stay well

Did you know our liver is responsible for filtering over 380 litres of blood per day, it is one of the bodies most important organs, helping everything from our gut flora, digestion, immunity, hormonal balance, energy and sleep. So, not only is our liver an essential part of daily healthy detox but it also supports healthy mood, sleep, and has a whole-body effect.

The whole-body effect of healthy detox

The liver helps our happy neurotransmitter production in the gut, supporting both serotonin (our feel-good hormone) and melatonin (our sleep well hormone) for a good night sleep and restful mood. Our immune system also benefits from a healthy liver as the liver acts on our gut microbiome and friendly bacteria, helping influence our immunity. As up to 70 percent on our immunity is in our gut.

The liver acts as one our own primary filters for removing toxins and waste from the bloodstream, this includes hormones, often if our liver health is poor or compromised then our hormonal health can be impacted.

The common signs of an unhappy liver

• Poor or dry skin
• Digestion issues
• Hormonal imbalances or on-going issues
• Low energy
• Brain fog – we can not think clearly, a healthy liver not only helps with physical energy, but our mental focus and clarity of thought.

The top four ways to make your liver happy

1. Hydration - including enough water into your day (trying for 6-8 glasses daily)
2. Including prebiotics, we know gut health is linked with poor liver health, making sure we have some fibre in day, think psyllium hulls, green vegetables and fruit with skins, (pears, apples and berries.) Liver herbs such as milk thistle, globe artichoke and dandelion also help with powerful detox support for healthy liver function.
3. Deep Sleep, our sleep/wake cycle helps influences our daily liver function, as our liver is at its most active while we sleep. Getting enough sleep and the time we go to sleep is also important, between the hours of 10pm-2pm is our most beneficial time for deep sleep. Herbs such as ashwagandha and passionflower can help support quality sleep, calm the mind and aid relaxation.
4. Stress habits – finding time out amongst a busy day is essential for overall emotional and physical wellness. Including a few minutes in every day for breathing exercises or mediation moments even if its 5 -10 minutes of exercise depending on what works best for you for stress release and emotional detox. Taking B vitamins and stress supporting herbs such as soothing lemon balm acts as daily stress and nervous system support.