Liver Cleansing Juice

Brightly colored and packed with antioxidants this combination of fruits and veggies is a great reprieve for your liver after a fun filled weekend.

Ingredients and why they work…

1 carton of organic blue berries 

4 organic carrots 

3 organic beets

1 thumb sized piece of ginger

1 teaspoon of Turmeric mixed with 2 teaspoons of liquid Coconut Oil and a dash of pepper

Juice all of these fruits and vegetables and then add the turmeric/coconut mixture after. 

*I am currently trying to come up with a type of turmeric butter (for lack of a better word) to mix conveniently with my juices.  Turmeric powder alone doesn't have the bioavailability that is does when mixed with an oil and pepper.

Blueberries: A University of Illinois laboratory study showed that many of the active compounds found in blueberries – including anthocyanins – possess the power to help prevent liver cancer in all three phases: initiation, promotion and proliferation.

Carrots: The flavonoids and betacarotene offer significant protection to the liver from damage caused by chemicals and pollutants.  A carrot a day will stimulate the liver and improve overall function.  

Beets:  This ruby red vegetable is one of my favorites.  The phytonutrients, known as betalains, that occur in beets have long been known to have powerful detoxification elements.   Along with a whole host of other health promoting abilities the beet is one of your liver's best friends.  A word of caution….the dark carotenes in Beets will give your urine and poops a dark red tone.  I freaked out the first time I witnessed this and wish I had been warned….so, you've been warned. 

Turmeric:  Turmeric helps boost liver detoxification by helping enzymes that flush out dietary carcinogens.  Curcumin in turmeric is well-known for its cancer-blocking properties it prevents the spread of malignant cells. 

Ginger:  In 2010 a study from the "Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences" showed that the active ingredients in the ginger root significantly improved liver functions when used daily.  It can also protect against the development of liver fibrosis. Ginger helps prevent and treat fatty liver by reducing oxidative stress in the liver. Simultaneously, ginger lowers insulin resistance, preventing inflammation, and distanced from the factors that cause a fatty liver.

Apples: I personally love to eat apples whole because of the fiber content which is lost during juicing but, even juiced the apple adds more than just amazing flavor to your diet. Apples provide and excellent source of pectin which is a fiber than binds with toxins and aids the body in the excretion process.   

Coconut Oil: So there are a few reasons that I like to add coconut oil to my juices.  I have found so many benefits associated with coconut oil, that at some point I would like to do an entire post on this alone.  But, for now I will keep it short.  Turmeric is considered a "Wonder Spice" because of all of the health benefits associated to it, however, the powder alone is not bioavailable unless mixed with a fat.  You could use the roots, but I have discovered they make such a mess when I press them.  

The MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) have long been used for treating absorption disorders, including liver disease.  Unlike other fatty acids, the MCTs in coconut oil go straight from the intestines to the liver.  Because of this they are burned immediately as fuel and can help the liver function more efficiently.