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Support Your Body’s Fat Burner

Surprising fact: The most important metabolic organ in your body that supports weight loss, weight maintenance and weight control is your LIVER!

Liver detoxification is something that goes on every day of your life, just as nature intended, your body has the ability to “cleanse” naturally on a daily basis. This occurs optimally if your diet adequately supplies the nutrients necessary for this this process and the burdens are not too great.

The Liver’s Function:
The liver has more than 200 metabolic biochemical functions to perform and plays a central role in nearly all bodily functions such as:

  • Digestion and conversion of nutrients
  • Eliminating metabolic waste
  • Producing bile for fat digestion and toxin excretion(via the bowel)
  • Energy and nutrient storage
  • Controlling cholesterol levels
  • Maintaining hormonal balance and elimination
  • Produces immune factors to fight infections
  • Detoxifies the blood by filtering and breaking down toxins

What kind of toxins does it break down?
Toxins may include microorganisms, normal metabolic end-products, hormones, alcohol, medications, environmental contaminates, pollutants, dead cells, cigarette smoke and more.

If your toxic burden is too great and your diet is of poor nutritional value this will then contribute to poor liver health, metabolic disturbances and many other associated health problems.

The Liver’s Nutrient Requirements
Fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods support these nutrient requirements (B2, B5, B6, B9, B12, carotenoids, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium, zinc, magnesium, amino acids and other plant properties).

These nutrients are required to breakdown and eliminate toxins and convert them into water soluble compounds that are neutralized and eliminated out of the body via the kidneys (urine), bowel (via bile and feces) and skin (sweat).

How Your Liver Burns Fat and Supports Metabolism
Your liver plays a central role in the metabolism of any type of calorie and helps support your fat metabolism and weight control. When the liver is overworked and undernourished, metabolic wastes can build up within the fat and liver cells and recirculate back into the blood stream, causing inflammation and oxidative stress.

A fatty and/or unhealthy liver unfortunately stores fat rather than burns it. When your liver and visceral cavity become congested with fat its primary functions become impaired and this will disrupt your metabolism, digestion of fat and nutrients, hormonal health, and increase your risk of other more serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and liver disease.

When excess calories are consumed and after all glycogen stores have been replenished the excess calories are dumped into the liver. When this occurs too often this will contribute to an unhealthy fatty liver.

What Supports Liver Health?
Certain foods and plant compounds support a healthy liver. To encourage healthy weight loss you must support a healthy liver!

The liver is supported by many plant containing phyto-compounds such as:

  • Cabbage family vegetables. Due to the glucosinolates, these sulphur compounds help bind and eliminate toxins. They also boost glutathione which is an antioxidant liver boosting nutrient.
  • Onion family vegetables. These boost glutathione and contain high sulphur for liver support.
  • Beet family (beetroots). Beets contain betaine which helps to support and produce bile that is thinner, this supports easier bile flow that supports excess fat removal.
  • Orange vegetables. Carrots, Sweet Potato, Squash, and Pumpkin are all rich in carotenoids and plant-flavonoids which support healthy liver function.
  • Leafy greens. Leafy greens support liver cleansing, bile production, high nutrient and plant chlorophyll content.
  • Citrus fruits. Lemon, lime, grapefruit and oranges all have vitamin C and phytonutrients that support liver health.
  • Other liver boosting foods include asparagus, tomatoes, peppers, avocados, apples, peaches, mustard greens, chicory, endive and radicchio.

Beyond fruits and vegetables, other foods that are beneficial for liver health include; green tea, turmeric, dandelion leaves and roots, milk thistle, resveratrol and grape seed extract.

If your diet is deficient in fruits and vegetables this can have a serious impact on your liver health and increase the risk of fatty infiltration and other more serious health issues.

Here is more on Liver Health and Don’t live with a Fatty Liver!