When it comes to cleansing the body of impurities, it is integral to include the liver in that cleansing process. The liver has many jobs in the body, the most important one being that it gets rid of toxic waste and filters out what it doesn’t need, releasing it back into the bloodstream. Even though it is the liver’s job to get rid of toxins, it can always use a little help. And if you keep putting toxins in your body, whether it is alcohol, drugs, processed foods, artificial sweeteners or acidic foods, the liver can become taxed and not function like it should.
Think of your liver as though it is a water filter. If you pour sludge in the filter, it will get clogged. First of all, why would you pour sludge in your water filter at all? It’s an easy question to answer when talking about water filters. You might answer differently when you are asked about the toxins you put in your body. You might figure out a way to justify the things you eat. Everything that enters your mouth ends up in your blood and digestive system. This isn’t a problem if you are feeding your body healthy foods with beneficial nutrients, but toxic items may affect your body more than you know.
Before you consider all of the terrible foods that you have eaten and how your liver might actually be functioning, you need to know that there are natural, plant-based foods that can help nourish your liver to function optimally. While cleansing is always a beneficial option, there are foods you can give your body to help your liver out all the time. One of these foods is the beet.
What’s So Great About Beets?
Besides the fact that they are one of the best words to make puns, beets contain nutrients that help the body with its natural detoxification process. These nutrients benefit the liver, digestive system, and kidneys. Beets help to boost lymphatic flow, aid in cleansing the blood, and they help to break down toxic waste to make it easier for the body to eliminate. Rich in vitamin C, beets also help to promote healthy digestion.
How to Use Beets to Benefit Your Liver
The cool thing about beets is that they are extremely versatile. One of the easiest ways to incorporate beets into your diet is to add them to your smoothies. Beets have somewhat of an earthy flavor, so make sure to use them with some sweet ingredients like strawberries, blueberries, bananas, or mangos. They also go great with greens like spinach or kale; and ginger heightens the flavor profile. You can also roast beets with other vegetables, or by themselves. Beets are kind of like sweet potatoes in that they should be slightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside when you roast them. If you need a hearty element to your salad or desire an earthy component, you can thinly slice beets with a mandolin and put them in your salad. Golden beets actually make salad toppings. If you are more of a juicing person, combining beets with lemon, ginger, carrot, romaine lettuce, and cucumber makes a great, liver-cleansing juice.
