14 hours Ago By Louise Pyne
Christmas is all about kicking back carefree, after all nobody wants to contemplate the number of sugar cubes swirling around in a mug of mulled wine or the caloric value lurking on the average Christmas lunch plate. The festivities are all about embracing good food and joyous company, but after the big day has been and gone, the chances are the seasonal excess may have left your body crying out for a spot of extra TLC. Bloating, sluggishness and general abdominal discomfort are all common post-Christmas themes caused by the mix of rich food and drink.
The liver is the body’s largest internal organ and your in-built detoxification system. As one of the most important metabolic hubs in the human body, it works around the clock to keep you healthy. From aiding digestion to converting nutrients into energy and filtering harmful toxins, this incredible organ is a multi-tasking powerhouse.
The liver is also an extremely resilient organ, so whilst one blow-out Christmas meal won’t necessarily slow down its general functioning, a few weeks of burning the candle at both ends may naturally increase liver’s workload, putting it under more strain than usual. Here are some simple tips to show your liver some love so that you feel your Boxing Day best. Start the day with a detox elixir The health benefits of coffee are well documented, but caffeine is ultimately dehydrating, so it’s a good idea to move your morning cuppa to the back burner for a couple of days post-Christmas.
Hydration is the name of the game when you’re detoxing, as flushing waste from your body will help heal you from the inside out. Swap your morning coffee for a liver-cleansing elixir. Milk thistle is one of the heavy hitters in the herbal detox realm.
You’ll find it in most detox tea infusions as it contains a compound called silymarin which helps regulate liver function by speeding up toxin elimination and stimulating the production of bile to help break down fats. Blend up milk thistle infusion by pimping up a standard detox teabag infusion, (you’ll find lots of these in the supermarkets). Dunk in a wedge of lemon and some mint leave sprigs and sip away for a cleansing start to your day.
TikTok health influencers have been banging on about the detox benefits of ice baths for a long time now, but jumping in a bathtub full of ice cubes isn’t the only way to cleanse your system. The Finnish swear by weekly heat therapy sessions to trigger the body’s natural detox pathways. Infrared saunas which use infrared light to heat the body are one of the best ways to access heat therapy.
The idea is that your body temperature rises causing toxins to be released through sweat which improves circulation and raises immunity. Of course most of us aren’t lucky enough to have a sauna in our back garden, but portable infrared sauna blankets are an accessible way to tap into the trend and widely available on sites like Amazon. Streamline your Christmas leftovers The average Christmas dinner contains up to 7,000 calories according to research, but before you look away in horror, there are actually hidden detox foods lurking alongside your turkey.
Sidestep the left over Christmas pud and focus on the healthy ingredients on your dinner plate. From boiling up your turkey bones to make a batch of collagen-rich bone broth to shredding your leftover sprouts and adding them to grated carrot and red cabbage for the perfect slaw, there are plenty of liver-friendly ways to enjoy leftover festive fare. Reels of health influencers using Castor oil packs, (a cloth soaked in castor oil and applied to the skin) are all over social media, and it could be a handy aid to have in your post-Christmas detox arsenal.
The premise is that the healing properties of the oil - which are largely based around a compound called ricinoleic acid are better absorbed into yet skin than simply rubbing in topically. Place the pack over the upper right side of your abdomen where the liver is located to help stimulate the cleansing process for around 30 minutes. Eating enough fibre is one of the best things you can do after a month of festive excess.
Not only does fibre increase gut diversity, removing excess waste from your body via fibrous foods is a sure-fire route to less bloating and abdominal discomfort. Swap raw veg for cooked to ease digestion and aim for as many brightly coloured fruits and vegetables as possible to help you obtain the recommended 30g of fibre. Artichoke, fennel and beetroot are all great fibre-rich liver-loving foods that promote bile flow and can be incorporated into stews and smoothies for a quick detox hit.
.
