7 Ways to Detox Your Liver From Alcohol and Processed Food

So, you’re giving up an addiction and want it completely out of your system! Now, admittedly, this isn’t an easy task. The process itself is relatively simple with various ways to go about it, but the effect it can have can range from uncomfortable to downright bad. This result varies depending on how long the addiction lasted, the substance of choice, and the toll those factors can take on the brain, but getting better unfortunately has to begin with some level of discomfort. It’s one of those “worth it in the long run” scenarios.

For those who may be unfamiliar, detoxing is considered the first step in recovery. It’s a natural process in which the user would refrain from using and get the substance completely out of their system. Detox can be incredibly taxing either emotionally and physically, but it is completely possible. However, if there’s ever a need for help, The Addictions Coach and Sober on Demand offer wonderful at-home or private medical detox services. They offer natural-assisted therapies, sober companion and sober coach services, holistic services, and so much more! You don’t have to go through the process alone and having help can only make things easier. With that being said, here’s how you can start detoxing!

7 Ways to Detox Your Liver From Alcohol and Processed Food

Limit Consumption

First and foremost, comes the best and arguably most effective method of detoxing – limiting your consumption. It may seem like the most obvious solution, but it’s worth mentioning. If you are going to let go of any addiction, whether it be alcohol or processed food, you need to remove it from your daily life as much as possible. This doesn’t mean going cold turkey, but a change must be made.

These substances undoubtedly have a poor effect on your body, actively harming it with alcohol potentially causing fat buildup, inflammation, damaged ability in filtering waste, and scarring. When it comes to processed foods, the associated health issues that come with it – heart disease, cancer, diabetes – severely hamper the process as well, damaging the ability to detoxify. In other words, in order for your liver to do its job, you’ve got to stop increasing its workload.

Sleep

Sleep is another key element in detoxifying one’s body. This doesn’t just mean one or two hours, but a full healthy night’s rest. It allows one’s brain to recharge and recognize toxic byproducts that may have accumulated throughout the day. The lack of a good night’s rest can actually lead to a build-up of those toxins and in turn affect other aspects of one’s health.

The recommended amount of rest per person depends on their age, with adults around 18-60 being recommended 7 or more hours per night, and teenagers just below that being recommended strictly 8-10 hours. So back when your parents used to tell you to get a good night’s sleep, they were on to something.

Drink Plenty of Water

It’s often recommended that we hydrate throughout the day, but most times the value of doing so is underappreciated. Sure, there’s the most obvious aspect of quenching one’s thirst, but it also regulates body temperature, aids digestion as well as nutrient absorption, lubricates joints, and – most importantly – detoxifies your body!

The process of breaking down nutrients in one’s body leave’s all sorts of waste and allowing it to build in one’s blood is a big issue. With water, this waste is swept away and completely removed from one’s body through breathing, sweating, and urinating.

To summarize, if you’re trying to get something out of your system, water is vital to that process. Hydrate plenty and often! On average men are expected to consume 125 ounces of water a day, and women 91 ounces. This varies depending on weight and activity level, and it’s also important to note that water consumption isn’t entirely through drinking water itself! Eating certain foods such as watermelon, cantaloupe, lettuce or celery are great ways to get some of that water intake! Heck, it’s now suggested that other beverages contribute as well – coffee, tea, sports drinks, and juice, while far from healthy, do aid in increasing that intake. There’s often a misconception that coffee leads to dehydration, but more often than not there is no direct link. So if it helps, don’t be afraid to drink some!

Antioxidants

Eating a diet that’s full of antioxidants is a surprisingly effective tool in detoxing. It reduces one’s chances of getting a disease that hampers detoxification and reduces damage caused by factors  like alcohol or poor diet.

It’s recommended one stays away from supplements that promote increasing or providing antioxidants as they can actually increase disease risk, and instead incorporate a diet with antioxidant-rich food like dark chocolate, pecans, green tea, and, again, coffee.

Prebiotics

A big player in detoxification is also good gut health. Your intestines and intestinal cells work in excreting harmful toxins and keeping those in tip-top shape is undeniably useful. A great way to maintain and improve one’s gut health is via prebiotics, fiber that lingers in one’s gut for beneficial bacteria to later eat and strengthen one’s gut health.

Foods known for their prebiotics may include bananas, garlic, oats, asparagus, and tomatoes. So, if you’re trying to detoxify, working these into your diet is also highly recommended.

Less Salt

Believe it or not, water weight is not entirely attributed to water. In fact, it can most often be linked to consuming too much salt. Increased consumption of water can reduce water weight, and if an insufficient amount of water is consumed, your body may release an antidiuretic that prevents urination/detoxification.
With excess sodium intake, on the other hand, your body retains excess fluid, which causes bloating, and often the solution is as simple as drinking more water. So, in other words, take step 3 into account, and also watch your salt intake! The last thing you’d want to do is counteract the water with too much sodium.

Stay Active

Finally, regular exercise is a huge component in detoxifying one’s body. It reduces the risk of many diseases and conditions that would make detoxification more difficult, reduce inflammation, and overall contribute positively towards detoxification and protection.

This isn’t to say you should become a bodybuilder or a track star but getting in at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week is incredibly helpful (moderate intensity being along the same lines as a brisk walk).

There are other methods and diets one can pursue to detox, but this is the natural tried-and-true process that almost anyone can do. If there are ever any issues, help is available such as The Addictions Coach or Sober on Demand, call 800-706-0318