10 Simple Ways To Look After Your GenX Liver
Did you know that, despite all you’ve put it through in the past 40 years, your liver can help you stay lean as well as detox your body? It’s time to celebrate the unsung hero of all your nights out.
Take care of your liver and your body will take better care of you!
THE BRIEF
Time to read: 4 minutes 30 seconds
Time to action: 20 minutes
Mantra: Long live your liver
Main message: It’s never too late to undo the damage
Stat: A liver can regrow to a normal size even after up to 90% of it has been removed
As Gen Xers, we may be the last generation to have actively encouraged our best buds to irreparably damage their internal organs. And also ridicule them if they didn’t.
Feel free to call us out on this, but we at FORM cannot recall the last time we overheard a millennial saying, “I’m going to do some real damage to my heart this evening.” Rarely have we ever heard a Gen Zer say, “My lungs are in for a beating this evening!”
But for us and our livers, well, they’ve been subjected to more abuse than a balanced opinion at a MAGA rally. Now it’s time to turn the tide, to apologise for the 90s and the missions we were on to rid our small corner of the world of alcohol.
Luckily, the human body, especially the liver, is a forgiving beast. With this in mind, we asked 10 experts for their tips on how to care for your liver in a time of, let’s say, less excess. The easiest and most actionable ideas they came back with are below.
So when it comes to recovery, we say cane it.
1. Eat far more fibre at 40+
Consuming adequate dietary fibre supports healthy digestion and helps prevent the buildup of toxins in the liver.
Eating fibre-rich foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes) helps to keep your liver in fighting condition rather than feeling punch-drunk.
2. Ensure wholesale hydration
If you drink 3 litres of filtered water a day, toxins can be flushed out of the liver even more efficiently.
And if you can do this for 7 days, you will feel the results in recovery – although you will be weeing an awful lot too.
3. Be a cardio king
Being aerobically fit means the heart can distribute blood efficiently around the body, including to the liver, where it can detoxify faster. If you are able, try 7 days of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise.
If that’s too much, get moving more and see if you can up it, if only by 30 seconds, from day 1 to day 7. You’ll be heading to precisely the right place, at exactly the right level.
4. The benefits of fast flush
You will know all about 16/8 intermittent fasting. Try it, if only to reduce the volume of food your body is processing. Now is an excellent time to replace the snacks with water intake (see above).
Fasting like this trains your body to break down and burn foods faster when they arrive, aiding recovery and weight loss goals.
5. Nurture those nutrients
Vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats in balance provide essential nutrients for liver health and, more importantly, support its detoxification processes.
If you add antioxidants to your body, not only will your liver thrive, it’ll make sure you feel it in every cell of your body.
6. Get sufficient sleep
Yes, get your 7 or 8 hours, of course, but more importantly, try to keep it consistent, as regularly disrupted sleep patterns can negatively impact liver health.
There is an old belief that the body likes repetition whilst the mind craves variation. There is some truth in it where recovery and prevention is concerned.
7. Just the juice will do
Make your own juices using tomatoes, celery, peppers, beets, cucumber, lemon, and green leafy vegetables. You’ve probably already seen them sold as shots in your local sandwich-based fast-food chain.
But the good news is you can make much more (much more cheaply) and still enjoy all the same nutritional benefits. It’s excellent at breakfast to set you up for the day.
8. Helpful herbs
Herbs such as dandelion root, artichoke, and turmeric support liver health. Either add them to your diet or add them as supplements.
They are amongst the cheapest of the supplement ranges, so it should be more than doable, and you don’t have to take them in large quantities to help your liver – just a little bit will do.
9. Push out the processed
Processed foods often contain additives, preservatives, and the wrong sort of fats that force the liver to work harder for longer.
Reducing the liver's workload means more time on improving systems, not repairing them. Think of it as the weight loss world's secret weapon.
10. easy on the alcohol
Alcohol, well, of course, we know it’s literally toxic. When you drink too much, your liver has to go into overdrive to remove the toxins and fight the side effects. We’re not saying to go teetotal, but just maybe have a little bit more respect for your liver now than you did in the 90s.
And if you going to go large again, think about water and nutrients the day after. Because it’s not the 90s anymore, and chances are you are not in your 20s. Unless of course you are, but the same still applies.
That’s it. But just to keep it Britpop - as you were…
ENERGY RABBIT
Not simply a life coach, but an award-winner in the wellness sector with over a decade of experience. Rabbit specialises in the accessibility of information – if there is a theory worth exploring, Rabbit will work out how easily it can be integrated into your everyday life.
