Our liver is probably the most important detoxification organ in our bodies, and it’s responsible for over 500 processes, not just including the metabolism of alcohol, but also the metabolism of hormones, medications and toxins from the environment, food, etc. It also stores glycogen and is a powerful fat burning organ. You can see that it’s one of the hardest working organs in our body, which is all the more reason to give it a lot of love and support through nutrient dense whole foods and supportive herbs here and there, including this Liver Loving Iced Tea! Our liver goes through a lot each day, metabolising everything we eat and drink, environmental toxins we encounter each day, and basically repackages toxins for your body to use or eliminates them. Most often it’s about elimination with the Standard British Diet being particularly high in toxins. Not to mention this situation makes it more difficult for the liver since the Standard British Diet lacks essential nutrients, fats, and whole foods that our liver loves. This tea filled with bitter herbs, vitamin C rich lemons, and fresh herbs is designed to give our liver a little extra love.
Even though this tea contains all bitter herbs, it’s incredibly delicious and refreshing from the addition of lemon and fresh herbs like mint over ice. You also have the option to add in purely flavoured based teas like rose, hibiscus, or rooibos. Bitter herbs have been used for centuries in preventing illness and easing symptoms of common health challenges, especially in Ayurvedic Medicine, which puts a strong emphasis on healing and taking care of our wellbeing through nutrition and digestion. Regardless of folklore and traditions, bitter herbs actually do help our digestive systems in many ways starting immediately when you put them in your mouth. Think about when you eat a lemon and the tart bitter flavour immediately makes you salivate – bitter herbs work in the same way. This initial process stimulates our digestive system by getting it moving as digestive juices start to flow. This sets off a chain reactions of digestive enzymes that stimulate hydrochloric acid (HCL helps our body digest food) and ultimately increases gastric emptying (i.e. moves food through our system more efficiently). Our digestive systems and liver work very closely with one another so it’s important that our whole food choices optimize how our liver functions. Let’s take a quick look at some of these herbs and why they’re beneficial in this tea:
LIVER LOVING ICED TEA Recipe type: to drink Prep time: 10 mins Total time: 10 mins Serves: 12 A tea that supports your liver using herbal teas, digestive friendly teas, and floral teas that tastes delicious yet effective. INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
OTHER LIVER-LOVIN’ RECIPES TO ADD TO YOUR DETOXIFICATION ARSENAL… CHEERS! Are you in need of a little liver love tea? Let me know what you think when you give this recipe a go! Leave a comment and rate it, rating helps me continue to improve recipes for you. I love seeing what you come up with so don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #emma_olliff_nutrition on Instagram. Emma xx Resources: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/12/21/herbs-to-improve-digestion.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22010973 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4446506/
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Emma OlliffYour guide to living whole and well. Emma Olliff is a Registered Nutritional Therapist, wellness expert, food lover, and advocate for healthy living! Archives
May 2018
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