Holistic Dentist in Southlake: 4 Foods to Cleanse Your Liver

As the largest solid organ of the body, the liver plays an integral role in overall health. It breaks down old blood cells, fat, and protein to produce energy for your body. It also aids in digestion and detoxification of your body. But if you are eating a heavily processed, high fat diet, your liver can get overloaded and may not be able to do its job as well as it should. Eating certain foods can help to clean out your liver so it can function properly — and this is an especially great idea right after the holidays, when many of us may have overloaded on sweets or fatty foods. As your holistic dentist in Southlake, Dr. Preetha Thomas doesn’t just concentrate on your teeth and gums. She and her team know your overall well-being is closely tied to your oral health, and that’s why she wants to ensure you enjoy excellent systemic health, too. In this week’s blog post, we are happy to share the top 4 foods (and one drink) your liver loves… so consider picking up a few (or all) of them on your next trip to the grocery store!

#1: Beets and Carrots

Aside from being tasty and colorful to boot, beets and carrots are chock-full of plant-flavonoids and beta-carotene that aid in proper liver function. To get more of these root vegetables in your diet, consider roasting them with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and then adding some into your next salad.

#2: Leafy Green Vegetables

Pass the kale, please — leafy greens like kale, spinach, lettuce, and others are wonderful for your liver because they contain high levels of chlorophyll, which helps to naturally soak up toxins from your bloodstream, therefore lightening the load on an overburdened liver. They can help to neutralize metals and chemicals for better overall health. Don’t love the taste of leafy greens? Consider sneaking them into your sandwich, or blending up a fruit smoothie with a handful of spinach tossed in. It may change the color of your fruity concoction, but we promise you won’t taste a thing.

#3: Green Tea

Sipping on green tea in lieu of coffee (or just adding a cup into your daily routine if you can’t manage to give up your cup of joe) can work wonders for your liver health. Green tea tastes great and won’t stain your teeth like black coffee — and even better, it contains a whopping dose of catechins, which are known to assist in liver function.

#4: Olive Oil

You don’t have to give up all fats from your diet to go easy on your liver — that wouldn’t be very realistic, anyway. Using olive oil in moderation can help your liver by providing an absorbent base to soak up some toxins from your bloodstream, doing part of the grunt work so this important organ doesn’t have to.

Love Your Liver in January!

There you have it — the top 4 foods that your liver loves. This month, eat them and feel good you’re taking a small step to benefit your overall health in a big way! One other thing you can do to improve health in January is to schedule an appointment at your dentist’s office. Dr. Thomas is now accepting visits for 2018, and we invite you to contact your Southlake dentist at 817-912-1218 to book yours!