Your poor liver never gets any attention; it is a total wallflower
who just quietly takes what you have to dish out. Overlooking this gem is a big mistake because it supports you in more than
500 ways. You can't live without it and living with a clean liver gives you more energy, helps control your weight and cholesterol
levels plus makes you look and feel better. On top of that, it regulates sex, thyroid and stress hormones. Fear not, some
of the things that you can do to protect this critical organ are already things you are doing to protect your heart. That
said, some of the "don'ts" may surprise you but they as easy as pie (or, for clarity, easy as avoiding pie).
The liver acts like a filter
in a fish tank, have you ever seen a fish tank that has been neglected? The water is murky, filled with detritus and it smells.
Everything that you eat, every medication that you take, every breath of toxic air and, yes, sip of alcohol you take has to go through the liver to be processed and
eliminated. Here are the top do's and don'ts to keep your liver working at peak performance:
Avoid:
Let's start with the one you already know: Alcohol. Any amount of alcohol can damage your liver. Yes, there
is evidence that it can protect your heart but the down side is that it is putting a strain on your liver. To make matters
worse, if say, you overindulge and take an acetaminophen to try and prevent the headache, you are asking for trouble. The
combination of this pain reliever and booze creates a toxic soup that the liver has a hard time dealing with. Fatty
foods all have to be processed by the liver and when this organ gets overwhelmed, it accumulates fat itself (think foie gras).
Fatty Liver disease can lead to liver inflammation (and therefore malfunction) and cirrhosis that looks just like the alcoholic
sort. Sugared soft drinks, cakes, pastries, candy bars etc "contain table sugar which contains fructose and the
effect of fructose on the liver cells is similar to alcohol: fat accumulation and oxidation. The current epidemic of
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is because we eat too much table sugar!" says Dr Eric Yoshida, Medical Advisor, Canadian Liver Foundation
Foods that can carry Hepatitis may surprise you: Raw
oysters and under cooked shellfish or pork. Dr Yoshida says that pork raised in Canada or the US is likely safe but pork
grown in other countries like China or Italy have had problems.
Scared yet?
There is good news
about beautiful food that can protect and prevent liver damage. It's not all about avoid, avoid, avoid...
*Brazil nuts, brewer's yeast , kelp, brown rice, garlic, onions and molasses are high in selenium
which is required for enzyme activity
*Eggs, fish,
legumes and seeds are high in methionine which aids in detoxification pathways
*Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts are high in sulphur compounds with aid in detoxification
pathways
*Whole grains, chicken, wheat bran and nuts contain vitamin B5 which
speeds up detoxification of acetaldehyde after alcohol consumption
*Wheat
germ, dried peas and soybeans contain vitamin B1 which reduce the toxic effects of alcohol, smoking and lead
When you take a step back and look at it, these tips make good old common
sense and good eating. The difference is that now you know what they are doing for you in addition to making dinner more pleasurable.
THERESA ALBERT, DHN, RNCP, is a registered nutritional consulting
practitioner with a busy private practice in Toronto. Her new book Ace Your Health: 52 Ways to Stack Your Deck (McClelland
& Stewart) is a fun, practical guide to making healthy, weekly changes for improved health using morsels of
information and tasty, healthy recipes. Her television show "Just One Bite" aired on the Food Network for over two
years in a daily time slot and introduced her energetic style to millions. She is also the author of Cook Once a Week,
Eat Well Every Day. Theresa is a recognizable news media and online face as a resource for consumers and marketers who
seek to remove the bologna from their lunchboxes and their news. She prepares a free weekly newsletter to make you laugh,
eat well and be inspiredwww.myfriendinfood.com
