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Liver & Gallbladder Health
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Healthy Grocery List for Liver Lovers
If possible try to buy produce that is –
Fresh and/or in season
Free of added sugar (read the ingredients on the label). Avoid foods containing high fructose corn syrup or agave.
Free of hydrogenated vegetable oils and/or trans-fatty acids
Free of artificial sweeteners like aspartame, or any recommended here to avoid.
Free of chemical preservatives
All of the above is not always possible, so do the best you can! Your local health food store will be a good source of information in these matters.
Liver friendly foods
Raw and cooked vegetables of all varieties. Vegetables that are highly liver cleansing are high in the mineral sulphur; these include cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy) and garlic, leeks, radishes, shallots, kale and onions. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, which contains healing phytonutrients such as indoles, thiols, and sulphur compounds, which enhance the detoxification pathways. Sulphur is needed by the liver detoxification pathways. Vegetables high in sulphur help the liver to break down fats and pump them out of the body via the bile. Fruits and vegetables with deep bright pigments such as orange, yellow, red, purple and green colours are very liver cleansing (eg. carrots, pumpkin, citrus fruits, purple cabbage, beetroot, red, yellow and green capsicums (bell peppers), cherries, plums etc - these pigments and phyto-chemicals are powerful healing antioxidants for the liver. Over a period of a week you should aim to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables so that you “eat the rainbow”. Alfalfa, barley leaf, wheat grass, kale and spinach and indeed any dark green coloured vegetables can be eaten or juiced, or taken in powder form, to give your liver a boost of chlorophyll, which is the green pigment that gives plants their colour; chlorophyll acts as both a liver tonic and a liver cleanser. Avocados and olives provide healthy fatty acids for the liver, so include them regularly in your diet. Raw fruits of all varieties. The best fruits for the liver are those that have a tart taste because they contain organic acids; these organic acids will lower blood levels of sugar and insulin and help you to burn fat. They also help to cleanse the liver. Fruits that have a tart taste include all types of citrus fruits, all types of berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc), cherries, kiwi fruit, persimmons and stone fruits. If you are trying to lose weight, avoid or go very easy on the bananas, mangoes and grapes. Dried fruits are delicious and generally healthy; however they are much higher in carbohydrate, so if you are trying to lose weight, go easy on the dried fruits. Sea weeds or sea vegetables are very healthy and are eaten in huge amounts by some Asian cultures. The culinary varieties include arame, wakame, nori, dulse and kombu. Seaweeds are high in health-promoting minerals and they also help to chelate (bind with) and remove toxins and heavy metals from the bowels. Nuts of all varieties provided they are fresh – meaning unroasted and unsalted. Examples are almonds, macadamias, pistachio, cashews, walnuts and Brazil nuts. Seeds such as flaxseed (linseeds), sunflower, sesame, pumpkin seeds. Legumes - these consist of beans of all varieties, lentils and chickpeas. These can be eaten cooked in soups, stir fries or salads or sprouted. Sprouts – such as alfalfa, mung bean, wheat grass, barley grass etc are a good source of protein and chlorophyll which is liver cleansing. Poultry – turkey, chicken, duck, etc - preferably free range and don't forget to remove most of the skin. Eggs - preferably organic or free range. Seafood such as oily fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel), fresh fish fillets, shellfish. Canned seafood is healthy. Avoid eating seafood raw, smoked or deep-fried. Spreads for breads/biscuits- hummus, tahini, nut spreads (Brazil, almond, cashew, natural peanut paste etc), fresh avocado, pesto sauce, Baba ganoush, salsa, tomato paste, olive paste and aioli. Make sure that the spreads you buy do not contain hydrogenated vegetable oils or sugar. Butter is much healthier than margarine, but it should only be used as a special treat and must be very fresh, as rancid butter is oxidized and is bad for the liver. Stocks and flavourings – miso paste, soy sauce, tamari, all fresh herbs, organic vegetable and meat stock cubes, V 8 vegetable juice, tomato paste. Oils - Cold pressed unrefined vegetable, nut and fruit oils are the healthiest - eg. Virgin olive oil, avocado oil, virgin coconut oil and macadamia nut oil. Coconut oil can be used for Asian stir fries if you want the tropical flavour. Vinegars – the best of all is apple cider vinegar, other healthy vinegars are red wine, balsamic and sherry vinegar. Beverages: unsweetened soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, canned coconut milk (needs diluting with water), water (filtered or purified), freshly made vegetable juices, or canned tomato juice with no added sugar, tea (regular, green or herbal). Coffee is allowed as it comes from a natural source – the coffee bean. Ground unprocessed coffee is much healthier than instant coffee. Do not drink more than 2 to 3 cups a day, as there are substances in coffee (especially the caffeine) which over stimulate the step one detox pathway in the liver. Herbs and Spices are generally good for the liver- these include jalapeno pepper, celery seed, celery leaf, peppercorns, chervil leaf, anise and aniseed, chilli, ginger, coriander (cilantro) leaf, coriander seed, curry, cayenne, bay leaves, caraway seed, lemon grass, thyme, marjoram, mustard seed, turmeric, basil, chervil, parsley, paprika, nutmeg, lemongrass, dill leaf and seed, thyme, oregano, sage, garlic, cloves, chives, fenugreek, cardamom, poppy and sesame seeds, horseradish, wasabi, mace, stevia, cloves, cassia, pimento, cumin seed, galangal, cinnamon, saffron, rosemary, mint, fennel leaf and seed, green tea and others if they are natural. These herbs and spices are especially helpful because they speed up the detoxification process inside the liver cells. Thus, they are cleansing and fat-burning foods. Sweeteners – the naturally sweet herb stevia is the best sweetener of all and is 300 times sweeter than sugar; thus only tiny amounts are needed. Stevia has zero calories and has no effect upon blood sugar levels. Stevia extract is available in the form of powder, tablets and drops from your local health food store. You can also grow your own stevia plant and use the leaves to sweeten dishes and drinks. Nature Sweet is better than sugar, and is calorie free and so has less effect upon blood sugar levels. Stevia and Nature Sweet can be used in tea and coffee and in cooking in preference to sugar. In general in those with a fatty liver it is best to minimize the use of foods that are made from grains, especially if the grains are combined with sugar and/or hydrogenated vegetable oils. In my patients with a very fatty liver and/or type 2 diabetes, I find it is essential that they avoid ALL GRAINS AND SUGAR until their problem is under control; this may vary from 3 months to 6 months. In those who find that their weight will not budge an ounce, it is also effective to choose a grain free and sugar free diet for at least 3 months. In those who find it impossible to lose weight the elimination of ALL grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats, rice, corn) and their products, often make it possible to kick start the fat-burning process. In my type 2 diabetic patients I have found that the total elimination of all grains and sugar from the diet may reverse the diabetes. But if you do want to eat some foods containing grains and/or flour these types are the best: Grains - buckwheat, rye, barley, oats, quinoa, amaranth Flour – buckwheat, soy, quinoa, pea Breads - whole-grain, multi-grain, stone ground, pita, sourdough Biscuits - crisp breads and crackers made from whole-grains; they must be free of hydrogenated vegetable oils and sugar.Know someone who might benefit from this article? Share it!
31 Comments
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If it’s faulty or wrongly described, we’ll replace it.
A liver friendly vegetarian diet is able to be done without too much stress on the liver.
It is still important to restrict carbohydrates, so protein from eggs, hemp, nuts and nut meals are safe.
Soy products have significant drawbacks, legumes are high in carbs and need to be pressure cooked to denature lectins.
Non starchy vegetables and low sugar fruits are all well indicted.
To help stabilize blood sugar to lower sugar cravings begin taking Berberine – 1 capsule twice daily with meals. Livatone Plus – 2 capsules twice daily and NAC – 2 emptied capsules twice daily away from food in a glass of water.
Popcorn is going to be broken down into sugar in the bloodstream so make this treat a very infrequent one.
As you are probably not able to produce sufficient bile now that your liver is quite scarred we recommend you begin taking Ox Bile – 1 to 2 capsules at each meal to help with absorption of good dietary fats, including unsalted butter and the fat soluble ivtamins A,D, E, and K if being taken as supplements.
Kind regards
Victoria
Naturopath for Dr Sandra Cabot MD
Lean ground turkey mince can be added to the LCD for an additional protein source and to broaden your recipe base.
Kind regards
Victoria
Naturopath for Dr Sandra Cabot MD
Diet is now becoming an increasingly common cause of Cirrhosis after liver viruses and chronic high alcohol intake.
Most nut milks have added sugars, thickeners, stabilizers and always have only a small proportion of the nut, which tends to make them very expensive water.
We hope that your cirrhosis is only mild, as it can be stopped where it is with appropriate changes to diet and lifestyle.
We recommend you begin Dr Cabot’s 15 Day Cleanse and Maintenance Program.
Begin taking Vitamin E to soften the scar tissue and Serrapeptase to digest the scar tissue proteins to return your liver to its best possible health.
Kind regards
Victoria
Naturopath for Dr Sandra Cabot MD
Dairy foods are fine for those with Fatty Liver except when gallstones are also present.
Full fat butter milk is also a good food.
Kind regards
Victoria
Naturopath for Dr Sandra Cabot MD
It's very good that you have decided to reduce your alcohol consumption and to eat healthier.
It is important to follow a low-carbohydrate diet to reverse your fatty liver. This means focusing your diet around protein (meat and eggs), healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, coconut) and non-starchy vegetables such as leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms. Avoid or drastically reduce your intake of processed foods and refined sugars such as biscuits, cake, softdrink, pasta, bread. We recommend you obtain a copy of Dr Cabot's book Fatty Liver You Can Reverse It and follow the diet in that. This article has useful information.
Supporting your liver with a liver tonic will help to support your liver and aid in repair.
Dr Cabot recommends:
- Livatone Plus Capsules : 2 twice daily with or without food
NAC 2 capsules twice daily 10 minutes before food. This works well with Livatone Plus to get the liver better faster.
Kind regards,
Louise
We agree that it can be very confusing. There is so much conflicting information out there.
It's a myth that we need to follow a low fat diet to reduce cholesterol, it's all about the types of fat you are eating.
These articles provide good information on the topic:https://www.liverdoctor.com/cholesterol/
https://sandracabot.com/oils-aint-oils/
Dr Cabot's book Cholesterol The Real Truth goes into detail about cholesterol and the type of diet that you should follow - we recommend that you obtain a copy:https://www.liverdoctor.com/cholesterol-the-real-truth.html
Kind regards,
Louise
If you have a very fatty liver or type 2 diabetes or find it very difficult to lose weight we recommend excluding ALL grains.
But if you do want to eat some foods containing grains and/or flour these types are the best:
Grains - buckwheat, rye, barley, oats, quinoa, amaranth
Flour – buckwheat, soy, quinoa, pea
Breads - whole-grain, multi-grain, stone ground, pita, sourdough
Biscuits - crisp breads and crackers made from whole-grains; they must be free of hydrogenated vegetable oils and sugar.
Kind Regards,
Jessah Robinson
Nutritionist for Liverdoctor.com
We recommend you eliminate grains, sugar, processed food and takeout meals.
There is some dietary information in this article:https://www.liverdoctor.com/cirrhosis-what-you-need-to-know/
There is great information in Dr Cabot's book 'Fatty Liver: You Can Reverse It'.
Dr Cabot recommends you also take
Livatone Plus 2 caps twice daily to improve liver function.
MSM Plus Vitamin C 1/2 tsp twice daily in a glass of water, to reduce inflammation and improve your liver detoxification pathways to get rid of toxins.
These supplements can be purchased here:https://shop.liverdoctor.com/
Let us know how you get on.
Kind Regards,
Jessah Robinson
Nutritional Consultant for Liverdoctor.com
My wife was cooking my vegetables in Coconut Oil (not sure if it is Virgin)? Is that ok. I asked her to stopping using the Olive Oil cause I thought it might have been giving me a bad reaction. We also tried Organic Sunflower Seed Oil...that gave me pain in my stomach all night. I'll have to go to a health store to see what else they offer...I'm new at this and really having trouble keeping up with reading the labels. I always tend to miss something.
Good oils to use are coconut oil, olive oil, hemp seed oil, flax seed oil and macadamia nut oil.
Please let us know if you require any further information.
Kind Regards,
Jessah Robinson
Nutritional Consultant for Liverdoctor.com
Coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil are excellent source of essential fatty acids.
There is an excellent eating plan in Dr Cabot's book 'Fatty Liver: You Can Reverse It'.
To reverse fatty liver, we recommend you take
Livatone Plus 2 caps twice daily to improve liver function.
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) 2 caps twice daily at least 2 hours away from food, if any upset occurs please take with meals. NAC is the precursor to glutathione; the body's most potent antioxidant. This supplement works well with Livatone Plus to get the liver better faster.
These supplements can be purchased here:https://shop.liverdoctor.com/
Let us know how you get on.
Kind Regards,
Jessah Robinson
Nutrition Consultant for Liverdoctor.com
5 oz of yoghurt is quite a large amount, and dairy is mucous forming and can exacerbate fatty liver.
Perhaps replace the Greek yoghurt with coconut yoghurt.
We recommend you eliminate grains, sugar, processed food and takeout meals.
There is some dietary information in this article:https://www.liverdoctor.com/what-should-you-eat-if-you-have-fatty-liver/
There is an excellent dietary plan and further info in Dr Cabot's book 'Fatty Liver: You Can Reverse It'.
To reverse fatty liver, Dr Cabot recommends you take
Livatone Plus 2 caps twice daily to improve liver function.
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) 2 caps twice daily at least 2 hours away from food, if any upset occurs please take with meals. NAC is the precursor to glutathione; the body's most potent antioxidant. This supplement works well with Livatone Plus to get the liver better faster.
These supplements can be purchased here:https://shop.liverdoctor.com/
Let us know how you get on.
Kind Regards,
Jessah Robinson
Nutritional Consultant for Liverdoctor.com
We recommend you read this article for info on diverticulitis:https://www.liverdoctor.com/what-really-causes-diverticulitis/
We recommend you read this article for further information on fatty liver:https://www.liverdoctor.com/5-ways-to-reverse-fatty-liver/
We recommend you eliminate grains, sugar, processed food and takeout meals.
There is an excellent eating plan in Dr Cabot's book: 'Fatty Liver: You Can Reverse It' or 'Healthy Bowel, Healthy Body'.
You would benefit from taking a probiotic or consuming fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso to restore your gut microbiome.
Dr Cabot recommends you take
Intestinal Parasite Cleanse start with 1 cap three times daily and after two weeks increase to 2 caps three times daily for up to two months and then discontinue use. Is a powerful formula for keeping your insides clean and eliminating any bad bugs or parasites.
Glutamine 1 tsp twice daily to reduce inflammation in your intestinal tract and heal and seal the gut lining.
Livatone Plus 2 caps twice daily to improve liver function.
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) 2 caps twice daily at least 2 hours away from food, if any upset occurs please take with meals. NAC is the precursor to glutathione; the body's most potent antioxidant. This supplement works well with Livatone Plus to get the liver better faster.
These supplements can be purchased here:https://shop.liverdoctor.com/
Let us know how you get on.
Kind Regards,
Jessah Robinson
Nutritional Consultant for Liverdoctor.com
Lean meats are ok.
Kind Regards,
Jessah Robinson
Nutritional Consultant for Liverdoctor.com
Dairy products should not be eaten in excess.
The best dairy sources are full fat yoghurt for probiotics and cheese for dietary fat.
Dairy is mucous forming, which is why dairy products are often avoided during a detox.
Kind Regards,
Jessah Robinson
Nutritional Consultant for Liverdoctor.com
So glad our information has helped you.
Please let us know if you require any further information.
Kind Regards,
Jessah Robinson
Nutritional Consultation for Liverdoctor.com