Detox and cleanse your body for health and weight loss

If you seem to have more than an inch to pinch on your waist no matter what you eat or whether you focus on intervals or weight training, the problem may not be your stomach but another organ.

Read: 10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

You probably don’t give much thought to your liver (except maybe when you contemplate that third vodka soda), but its health is key to your overall health and weight. Your liver is the ultimate multitasker: It acts as a filter to remove toxins (like medications and alcohol) and nutrient byproducts such as ammonia from the blood; it aids in digestion by producing bile to help break down fat and absorb fat- and water-soluble vitamins and minerals; and it plays a part in regulating glucose, blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin, estrogen, testosterone, immunity, and blood cholesterol production and removal. And you thought you had a long to-do list!

Read: 5 Weight Loss Tricks for Beginner

Because of all of this activity, your liver may be in need of a little TLC. When it’s overworked, toxic residues can build up, causing inflammation that is associated with obesity. A stressed out liver can also cause fat to build up, especially around the belly. Added together, this can mean that no matter how much you restrict calories, weight loss is near impossible unless you detox your liver.

Before you jump to start a crazy cleanse, check if you have other symptoms of liver problems, such as fatigue, insomnia, brain fog, rashes or acne, digestive troubles (constipation, acid reflux, indigestion, bloating), high cholesterol, and blood sugar and insulin imbalances, which can lead to low energy, cravings, and excessive thirst and urination.

If you think your liver may be amiss, ask your doctor for a liver function test, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) test, or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) test, or request CAT or MRI scan to get a picture of your liver.

Once you have the results, you can make the following lifestyle changes to help remedy and even reverse the problem.

1. If you smoke, stop.

2. Use medications only when necessary, as even taking a Tylenol can have severe consequences on the liver.

3. Do not drink alcohol.

4. Eat and drink clean. Skip foods and beverages that contain high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, additives, hormones, preservatives, or artificial colors, and eat free-range or organic whenever possible. Your liver has to work harder to filter all this gunk.

RELATED: Clean Eating

5. Consume cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards, and cabbage. These contain sulphur compounds called glucosinolates that bind and eliminate toxins.

Read: How to Store Fresh Vegetables in Refrigerator

6. Ditch the salt, which can contribute to fluid retention and further strain the liver, and flavor foods with garlic, rosemary, dandelion, or chicory, which appear to support liver function.

7. Exercise the same way you take your prescription medicine: consistently and every day. Aim for at least a half hour, though more can be better, and be sure you’re doing intervals, which will help melt fat. A review published in the Journal of Hepatology found that a combination of diet and exercise was best to reduce body weight and therefore improve liver health.

RELATED: 5 Best Exercises For Weight Loss

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See Also: 
- 5 Simple Steps to Lose 20 Pounds

- 4 Simple Ways To Lose Belly Fat

- 8 Ways to Jumpstart Your Weight Loss

- 7 bad habits that put anyone vulnerable to diabetes

- The Living Room Workout

Flush the Fat Away With These 5 Cleanse & Detox Solutions

Detoxing and cleansing is one of the best ways you can do just that. All of our detox and cleanse recipes are made with whole foods and not just liquids. It’s the best way to give your body a nutritious boost while it flushes away fat and toxins.

1. Lemon Ginger Detox Drink

The ginger in this drink helps kick-start metabolism while the lemon naturally detoxifies and helps to release toxins from the body.

Ingredients :

    1 12-ounce glass water, at room temperature

    Juice of 1/2 lemon

    1/2 inch knob of ginger root

Directions :

Add the lemon juice to the glass of water. Finely grate the ginger by using a zester, add to the glass of water. This drink is a perfect way to start your day!

2. Super Detox Green Smoothie

There’s no need to fear the green. Readers who have tried this fruit and veggie smoothie have been pleasantly surprised by the taste, and they love that it’s packed with all kinds of nutrients.

Read: Weight Loss with Green Smoothies

Ingredients :

    2 celery stalks, chopped

    1 small cucumber, chopped

    2 kale leaves

    1 handful spinach

    Handful of fresh parsley or cilantro

    1 lemon peeled

    1 apple, seeded, cored and chopped 

Directions :

If using a juicer: Add all the above ingredients to a juicer and juice.

If using a blender: Add all the above ingredients to a blender along with 1 cup chilled water. Add ice if desired. Blend until smooth.

3. Cleanse and Detox Smoothie

This is another great cleansing smoothie that includes veggies, fruits, cinnamon and flax seeds.

Ingredients :

    Recommend organic apple, kale and celery be used for this recipe.

    1 organic apple with peeling, cored (Wash away harmful toxins in the body)

    Juice of 1 lemon (This citrus fruit helps boosts the digestive tract)

    1 cup kale (Chlorophyll kick starts the digestive tract by ridding the body of pesticides and environmental toxins)

    1 stalk or rib of celery...depending where you live. (Thought to be a great blood cleanser)

    1/3 cup flat leaf parsley or cilantro (Thought to help rid the body of mercury and other harmful minerals)

    1 tablespoon ground flax seeds or chia seeds (Great source of Omega-3's and ridding the body of

    harmful toxins)

    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    1 1/4 cups chilled water 

Directions :

If using a juicer: Add all the ingredients and enjoy!

If using a blender: Add all the above ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour over ice. This recipe makes one serving.

Read: 5 Herbs to Promote Your Weight Loss

4. Flush the Fat Away Vegetable Soup Recipe

This soup does a body all kinds of good since it flushes away fat and toxins and helps restore acid-alkaline and sodium-potassium balance.

Ingredients :

    1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

    3 carrots, peeled and sliced

    1 stalk celery, diced

    1 small yellow onion, diced

    1 clove garlic, minced

    Pinch of Kosher or sea salt, more or less to taste

    1/2 teaspoon black pepper

    1/8 teaspoon allspice

    1 teaspoon paprika

    1 bay leaf

    2 (15 ounce) cans navy beans, drained and rinsed (optional, black beans)

    4 cups vegetable broth, low-sodium

    1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes (no salt added), *this is an optional ingredient

    4 cups baby spinach, loosely packed

    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, optional, for serving (1/2 teaspoon per serving)

Directions :

Add all ingredients, except spinach and olive oil, to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or until the vegetables are tender. Add spinach, stir and continue cooking just until wilted, approximately 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! 

Tip: If you prefer a thicker soup, after 5 hours of cooking, simply remove 1 cup of soup, along with ingredients, mash ingredients with a fork, return to the slow cooker, stir and continue cooking 1 to 3 hours. When serving, drizzle a little (optional) olive oil over each bowl of soup.

Note: Olive oil helps the body absorb nutrients more efficiently and supports a healthy digestive system.

Stovetop Method: Follow the same instructions above for prep, cover, and simmer until veggies are tender, approximately 2 hour. Stir every 15 minutes to prevent sticking. Add spinach at the end of cooking time, remove from heat, cover and allow spinach to wilt before serving.

5. Cleanse and Detox Superfood Salad

This salad will have you feeling great. Combine 4 cups baby spinach, 1 cup fresh blueberries, 2 carrots (sliced), 12 raw almonds sliced, 2 dates (diced). Drizzle with 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Ingredients :

    5 cups baby spinach

    1 cup fresh blueberries

    2 carrots, thinly sliced

    12 raw almonds, sliced

    2 dates (pitted and diced)

    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

    1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions :

In a large bowl toss together all of the ingredients. Whisk together oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

" Synthia: I tried your 3 day cleanse and detox just last month. It worked great. Jump started my weightloss journey by losing 2 lbs in the 3 days. Only lost 1 lb after that, but am very clear that I will do your cleanse and detox again in the future from time to time. Yes, I got a vicious headache on day 2 that lasted till the day after the cleanse, but I felt a lot better from doing it. Besides, I like green smoothies so that was not a problem for me. Still have to lose 42 lbs (till my goal) and also started on exercise again. Hope I can do it. I gave myself a lot of time (my goal is to lose 1 lb a week, which I am now 2 lbs behind on, but I'm not giving up on that yet. I'm in my 40's, so it's a very different road now than it was 10 years ago, but I am determined. "

See Also: 
-- How to detox in 3 days

-- Cranberry Juice Detox

-- 10 Foods to Tighten Your Tummy

-- Top 10 ways to lose belly fat