Gentle liver support and detox tips for every season of motherhood, plus a liver love smoothie recipe!
Momma, this one is for you!
Get baby to sleep in that sling, get a stack of coloring books out for your toddler, and send the big kids off to play, and settle in so we can talk about taking care of you for a bit!
Spring cleaning…
I’ve never been enthusiastic about housekeeping, and while I do a form of spring cleaning on the house each year (as much as can be done with little whirlwinds running around the house!), I’m going to be talking about spring cleaning…you!
Momma, did you know that it is ok to focus on your health? In fact, it is vital to your kids to have a momma that feels her best and is functioning at her best!
Gentle is the name of the game…and the most effective.
So here’s the deal. I’m a go-getter. I’m a jump in with both feet kind of a person. I decide I’m going to do something and I’m full on, 100 percent into it…and then some.
However, when it comes to our liver, brute force, full on, over doing it is not always wise, especially if you have never done anything to help support or detox your liver before. I am putting this all in bold at the beginning of this post because I have over done before. And it is not pretty. And it actually is super ineffective as you flood your body with toxins you can’t handle.
I am going to show you how to add a few things into your daily routine to assist your body at getting rid of toxins in a natural, gentle, and effective way. Because when we just DUMP and over do it, you can really throw your body off as toxins are released. It makes you feel even sicker, or cause Herxheimer reactions, that will make just about everyone need to stop. Including someone like me {ahem…can you tell I have experienced this?!}
Do you need to work on loving your liver a little?
Do you eat food? Breathe air? Drink? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then the answer is probably yes! Unfortunately there are toxins just about everywhere we go these days, and even if you are a “clean eater”, the environments that we live in are just not ideal.
Our livers were designed to filter these toxins, but sometimes things get backed up. Helping the liver stay clear and doing a few things to unclog the liver will keep things flowing well. Many of these items are things you can do on a daily or weekly basis to keep your liver happy, all year long.
My goal in this post is to show you the most gentle effective ways to give your body’s natural filtering process some love during all seasons of life.
Detoxing can take on many forms, and depending on what stage of the game you are, you will want to find the best fit for you in the season of life that you are in.
- If you are planning on getting pregnant, are pregnant, or are nursing, your goal will simply be to give your liver some love and support so it can do it’s thing. You don’t want to be dumping and detoxing while making or nourishing a baby.
- If you are not in a season of pregnancy or nursing, but have never given your liver a second thought before (IE you have never done any of the items on the list before), you may want to consider starting out with just a few of the first suggestions. Dumping too quickly will make you feel pretty crummy.
- If you are a veteran dry brusher, detox bather, caster packer, and beet and dandelion lover, I’ve got some great supplements to share with you at the bottom to up your liver love game – and they truly have been a game changer for this veteran! You’ll love them!
Set your thought process in the right direction.
Your thought process in this gentle, effective detoxing should be…
“I am going to nourish my liver and lymph system whose job it is to clear toxins from the body.”
You are like the assistant making the environment prime for filtering. Dumping out loads of toxins is not the end result you want. Believe me. Assisting the unclogging of your liver and getting lymph moving should be at the forefront of your mind, and your body will do the rest for you.
I promise that there are gentle things you can do to assist your body’s natural cleaning process while you keep your body environment safe, and still able to function.
So let’s get started!
Proactive Ways to Support Your Liver and Lymphatic System
You can add some of these to your day today! Don’t be overwhelmed with getting every point in *right now*, however. In fact, just start with what appeals to you the most with where you are at. Some of you that maybe are already doing the first couple points are ready to move on to something more in depth. And those of you that haven’t done anything ought maybe just start with the first couple of ideas.
Lemon Water
Quite simply lemon water is a great place to start. Especially if you have never done anything to aide your body in detoxing, drinking lemon water will get the party started. It will also get things moving and flushing so the other detoxing methods can work effectively. It is something you can start today, and just about everyone can afford it!
Eat Foods That Encourage Natural Detoxing
From beets to greens, turmeric, garlic, and other herbs, there are every day foods you can fit into your meal plan to make detoxing a part of your everyday life. Beets blend into smoothies nicely (see the Liver Loving Smoothie at the bottom of this post!), as well as make a great roasted veggie side for dinner. We love this beet slaw for a side salad or as a topping to a grassfed burger too! You can wilt greens into just about any stir fry and they blend up into a green smoothie without even noticing! And as far as the herbs, well…dress your food up with real food medicine! Turmeric is the main component of curry blends – you can make curry for the whole family in the form of curry soup or curry skillets and to get that in. We also love collecting dandelion greens from the yard in the spring to make dandy salads.
Another quick note about food and the liver! The liver cleans out around 1-2am every middle of the night. If you eat big, heavy meals at night, you might notice you wake up and feel crummy around this time of the night. Try to make the last meal of your day a healthy dinner and skip the bedtime snacking to allow your liver free space to work at night and not be so bogged down. (If you are pregnant or nursing you can snack on healthy options, but I encourage you to try eating most of your food during the day so your digestion and liver and recover at night).
Dry Brushing
You can coordinate dry brushing with your detox bath which I will discuss below. Dry brushing moves lymph. Our lymphatic system carries toxins from various parts of the body to the liver to filter. Moving the lymph keeps things, well…moving! It makes your skin feel amazing too which is just an added bonus!
To dry brush, simply start at your feet brushing towards the heart. Swipe each area 3-4 times moving up the legs and the groin, tummy, back, arms, armpits, and chest. Always brushing toward the heart. I like to use this brush for my body, and then I have this brush for more sensitive areas like my chest, neck, and face.
This is another super affordable method to aide detoxing that just about everyone can start this week!
Detox Bath
Epsom salts have been used for ages for natural detoxification. A simple hot bath full of epsom salt draws impurities out of the body after just 20 minutes, and then after about 20-40 minutes of soaking you will absorb the mineral benefits of the epsom as well. I use 3 cups of epsom salt in my bath. You can use a cup or two of baking soda in your bath if you don’t have a water filtration system. It neutralizes the chlorine and helps the minerals in the epsom salt to absorb.
This is the simplest, bare minimum detox bath, and it is very effective. If you want, you can occasionally add clay or Himalayan salt to your bath to up the ante. I like to add a few drops of lavender essential oil, and I make an herbal tea bath once and a while to make things even more relaxing. Just steep a strong pot of chamomile tea and pour it into your bath. It is very soothing!
I buy large bags of epsom salt and baking soda at Costco.
Castor oil packs
*NOT recommended if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant!*
Castor oil packs are another very simple, cost effective way to draw toxins out of the liver or digestive system. I am 3 years out from a very looong season of being either pregnant or post partum or trying to get pregnant, so castor oil packs are newer to me in the last 2 years. I used to hate doing them because it meant I needed to lay down (ha!) and I just didn’t have time for that…or did I?!
You know that 30-60 minutes before you go to bed or are laying in bed looking at your phone (yeah yeah yeah, I know we aren’t supposed to do that, but we pretty much all do it anyway!)? THAT dear momma is the perfect time to castor pack!
Castor oil packs improve lymph circulation and lower inflammation to the area it is directed toward as well as the natural detoxification for that area. You can focus on different areas depending on what you are going for. For instance, you can lay the castor pack over your liver to stimulate the liver, over the lower intestine area to aide digestion, etc
To make a castor oil pack, you will need caster oil, a thin cotton cloth (use an old cotton cloth, piece of flannel, piece of an old tee shirt, or you can buy castor oil flannel here.), and a heat source such as a hot water bottle.
- Place the cloth in a quart jar and pour about a tablespoon or so of castor oil over the cloth and let it soak in completely. Keep adding the oil until the cloth has absorbed it all but it is not dripping wet.
- Lay down with your feet elevated slightly and place the cloth directly over the area abdomen you are looking to help. If you are not moving your bowels well, I would recommend starting there so you can get things moving – you don’t want to be backed up while you are detoxing. Place your heat source over the cloth and rest for about an hour if you can. If you don’t want oil to get on your heating pad, put a layer of plastic wrap over it.
- When you are done, put the oiled cloth back in the jar, put the lid on, and keep it in the fridge for up to a month to re-use. You can then wash it and reapply the oil. Make sure to drink/stay hydrated while using a castor oil pack to keep things moving. I try to aim for 3 times per week when I am focusing on detoxing because that is what I can fit in – if you can fit it in daily that is fine! Uncomfortable side effects from castor packs are rare – only really good deep sleep and relaxation! It is truly a gentle way to detox.
*Please remember castor oil packs are NOT recommended while pregnant or while trying to get pregnant!*
Rebounding
Rebounding is a great routine to make your exercise while loving on your liver because it moves lymph very effectively! Here’s the way this multi-tasking momma looks at rebounding….exercise AND lymph movement checked off my list for the day, all in one shot?! I’m in! My friend Kristen wrote a great post about rebounding here if you would like to learn more. (This is another one that I would be careful with if pregnant – gentle is the name of the game. You can always do stretching, yoga, or walking to move lymph and exercise too!)
Herbal supplements for liver detoxing
BIG BOLD notes for mommas who are planning on getting pregnant, are pregnant, or who are nursing! Repeat after me…“My liver focus is supporting my liver so it can do it’s thang!” You do not want to be dumping toxins while making or nourishing a baby. Focus on the supportive things above. Milk thistle is a liver supporting herb, and I loved sipping on milk thistle tea while nursing – or make milk thistle tea and use that as your base for the Liver Love Smoothie below if you don’t like tea. This is a great Milk Thistle Tincture you can add very easily to your day as well. I big puffy hear love this post my friend Kristen wrote about detoxing while pregnant or nursing.
Ok! Onto my friends who are not in a season of pregnancy or nursing! There are so many herbal supplements on the market to try out for loving on your liver. Some of them use herbs or herbal blends that are more supportive in nature, while others are focused on actual detoxing and removing toxins.
Over the years I have tried numerous liver loving herbs. I like making dandelion root tinctures because they are easy. And adding milk thistle to tea is great too. I have used a handful of herbal liver detox supplements on the market, and I am quite impressed with the Liver Detox supplement from Perfect Supplements. (If you decide to give the PS Liver Detox a try, be sure to use your RGN reader code for 10% off! Just put GENERATION10 in the coupon spot at checkout!) I have been using the Perfect Supplements Liver Detox for the last month!
The Perfect Supplements Liver Detox is naturopathic doctor designed and endorsed. It is SO easy to take, and lets just be honest…sometimes I don’t make the time to brew tea! It is the perfect blend ratios of milk thistle, turmeric, and artichoke as well as schisandra berry, broccoli sprout powder, cilantro, and chlorella superfoods to enhance both phase I and II Liver detoxing. It really is an “all in one” package! I like to take liver detoxing supplements at night on an empty stomach so that by the time “liver time” comes around in the middle of the night (livers clean out around 1-2am!) they have the support they need.
Notes About Detoxing Symptoms & When To Back Off
While everyone is certainly going to have different responses, there are a few general ideas to keep in mind as you take on unclogging the liver so you can get rid of toxins. You may not notice more than a few pimples as your body rids toxins. If you are doing something more thorough such as some of the supplements, you may feel more.
Here are some of the symptoms I have experienced myself:
- Tiredness/Fogginess/Energy Decrease. It is a lot of work to detox. And the toxins can make you feel a little off. It shouldn’t last long – again if you feel really off it might be indicating that you are doing too much too soon. Back off on doseage, and start with some of the basics of unclogging your liver so it can filter better. Be gentle to your body as you start, getting enough rest/sleep so your body can work.
- Nausea/Digestive Upset. As the liver and gall bladder drain, it can cause nausea, and as old material in the digestion get moving, you can feel bloated. Again – if this is amplified over days, it might mean you need to back off a bit.
- Skin Eruptions/Rashes. Your body can get rid of toxins through the skin. A bit of acne or a skin rash may indicate some detoxing. It should be mild – if it is not and you feel like you are having a Herxheimer type reaction (I have experienced this – NOT fun!), you may be doing too much too soon. Back off and start with some of the basics of unclogging the liver.
Be sure to check this post from my friend Kristen for more possible detoxing symptoms, and a thorough explanation of healing reactions.
What can I do to get over detoxing symptoms and still function as a mom?
GREAT question! I think many (including myself way back when) think detox equals energy. And it just doesn’t until you get rid of the toxins. Detoxing is getting rid of the yuck so you are not going to feel fabulous until the yuck is gone. I don’t feel awful when I do these things anymore, but when I first started out it wasn’t very fun. Here are a few things I have learned that will help you over the detox hump so you can still get through your day.
- Take it easy. Nap, sleep, rest. Whatever you have to do. This is another reason why it is important for pregnant and nursing moms to not go full on overboard with detoxing. It is near impossible to get the amount of sleep you will need for a big detox when you are up nursing a baby or rolling all over uncomfortable in bed at 8 months pregnant. I am not ashamed to say that while I am spending a focused period of time on detoxing, I get at least 9 hours of sleep per night. It’s called discipline. And it stinks. I set an alarm for my bedtime. I let a few things go on the house so I can occasionally get a nap in. It is so worth it though. In the end you will have MORE energy!
- Drink more water/herbal tea/lemon water. You may feel more thirsty while you are detoxing (I usually do), but even if you don’t, drink as much as you can to flush it out. I don’t do well with plain water diluting my electrolytes, so I sip on sea salted lemon water or herbal infusions all day. It sounds simple, but I even plan ahead for this. I have an alarm set on my phone to remind me to make a gallon of herbal infusion to sit over night so I don’t forget. Plan ahead!
- Eat well and ditch the sugar. *ducking*. I know it. I’m sorry. But we all know sugar just doesn’t jive with a healthy lifestyle. Even “real foodies” can sometimes get caught up in making real food treats, and for occasions, that is totally fine. But sugar is still sugar at the end of the day, and it inflames the body when we get too much of it. Period. So you can do all the liver cleansing techniques you want, but if don’t eat well, you are just putting it all right back in. You don’t need to be 100% perfect in my opinion, but if you want to feel well, I do think the food we eat plays a roll.
- Don’t over do the exercise. Again, it is a lot of work to detox. Gentle walking, stretching, and yoga are great for getting lymph to move without taxing your body. Rebounding is probably one of the best exercises during detoxing as it is a great way to move lymph and get the yuck out.
- Sweat it out in a hot bath or infared sauna. Not only will a hot bath make your achy-ness feel better and relax you, you can make it work double time for you by making it warm enough to sweat the toxins out. This is one of my favorite indulgences to let myself have during a time of focused detoxing. I literally schedule it in and am very protective over it. You are allowed to have a 20 minute bath every once and a while. (More details on how to take a detox bath are in the Detox Bath section above.)
- Make sure your bowels are moving. It goes without saying that your bowels are moving waste out! You don’t want to be backed up while unclogging your liver. Add some chia seed to your smoothies (see the Liver Love Smoothie below!), drink plenty of water, make half of your plate veggies, take a good probiotic (you can see the probiotics I take in the supplement section of this post), and keep the sugar low.
- Support your adrenals and boost your mineral intake. Your body can always use a little support for the adrenals. Adaptogens like Cordyceps keep the adrenals balanced, improve energy, and build resistance to bodily stressors. I added the Aquatic Greens from Perfect Supplements into my daily routine while taking the Liver Detox supplement for added minerals to support my organs. (Adaptogens like Cordyceps and the Aquatic Greens are NOT recommended while pregnant or nursing)
As promised! My Liver Love Smoothie Recipe!
This is safe for every momma, no matter your season of momma-hood! Just watch the notes on the Aquatic Greens for my pregnant and nursing momma readers! This liver love smoothie is refreshing and energizing!
Happy liver loving to you dear friends!
Liver Love Smoothie!
Ingredients
- 1 cup liquid base of choice I used herbal tea infusions or coconut water. Any herbal tea or even water works fine too. If you have higher calorie needs such as if you are pregnant or nursing, you can use coconut milk or raw milk per your tolerance
- 1 scoop Aquatic Greens leave this out if you are pregnant or nursing. You can use fresh or steamed spinach instead
- 2-4 TB steamed peeled beets or greens like kale or spinach freeze a load of them so it's easy to grab!
- 1 scoop grassfed collagen this adds 10g of taste free protein!
- 1 TB healthy fat of choice I use Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil
or an egg yolk. Melted coconut oil, avocado oil, or avocado would work too
- 1 TB chia seed
to keep your bowels happy!
- 1/4-1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4-1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 whole small/medium orange peeled (I like my to be frozen. Just freeze bag full of orange slices so they are easy to grab!)
- 1 pitted date raw honey would be fine here or leave it out if you want it less sweet
or an egg yolk. Melted coconut oil, avocado oil, or avocado would work too
Instructions
- Everything into a high powered blender to blend until smooth. Tastes the best if the liquid base is cold and the oranges are frozen. You can freeze a load of orange slices and steamed beets and keep them in a freezer bag in the freezer for convenience. You can also steam huge boxes of baby spinach or kale and freeze them into "pucks" in a muffin tin and then into a freezer bag.
. (Don’t forget if you click through those links and purchase through Perfect Supplements to use my code GENERATION10 at check-out to get your RGN reader 10% discount!).
. The recipes in the book are meals my girls have grown up on, and are on our table weekly!
and use that!
with instructions to just steep a tablespoon of herbs per quart jar of hot water into an infusion. Making nettle infusions was absolutely key in my energy as a new mom as well as my milk production (and yes I was one of those that really struggled with nursing supply – I had to work my tail off for my milk). It is also a good way to hydrate mom without diluting all of her minerals with too much water.
, 1 cup of 
, 1 cup of baking soda, and 1/2 cup 
. You may add a couple drops of lavender essential oil if you wish, though keep in mind not everyone tolerates essential oils in a heated environment like a warm bath (I am one that cannot) so I tend to leave them out unless I know for sure. She can pour the whole jar into a bath and enjoy some time to gather her thoughts and take care of herself.
that I have been using just for infusions for a couple years now, and I love how convenient they make tea making. No straining or fuss. Just push down and pour. I even have a 
so that my 2 and 4 year olds can do it themselves!
. I was given the book for review purposes and to compensate for my time – please know that I never recommend products that I wouldn’t use on my own family. There are affiliate links for the book in this post – it does not make the price any different for you, but helps keep the information on this blog free to you!
or other essential oil blend that they like on the top of the poultice that will be facing up so they can smell that instead of the onion. This last cold we ran through the house I actually sprayed the 
blend from Plant Therapy, and really felt like it kept things calm too. I have a small spray bottle with water and about 10 drops of the EO in there. Just shake it up before you spray. You only need a small spray or 2! If they are really sensitive to the onion smell you can put an extra towel over the top of the poultice and then spray.
at nighttime finding it really helps with calming the cough and helping them rest.
(yes I know they can be made but with the baby and another toddler I just didn’t have the time) and started what would be a very long weekend. We really kicked this ear infection well though, and I wanted to share how we did it!
on her ear/neck area after dripping the oil. I followed the instructions on the salt pack from 
and 
to boost the immune system. I also used 
on her feet at bedtime. And since the majority of the immune system resides in the gut, she was taking 
daily. I even added 
probiotic that has a strain that is specific to the ear. She was not up to eating much, even her favorite 
in her bath, or had her take some 
to help her relax so she could just rest.
in her ears to have the same effect on the bug. I actually feel like within 12 hours of starting this was when I saw her turn a corner.
and baking soda. I used 
in the bath at night to help with sleep.
! Perfect for scratchy throats too! (And might I add teething toddlers?!)
to the jar if I haven’t been able to get them in any other way during the day.
, or 
is a good brand
. 
. You can read more about the 
to blend this all up! This serving fits perfectly!
is something that should always be around your house. Not only is effective at helping with a stomach bug (both ends) it also works for food poising or if you accidentally get glutened.
and 
,
is a great, gentle herb that does a bang up job of helping to soothe an inflamed digestive tract. Slippery elm contains large amounts of tannis which is an astringent so it can help ‘dry up’ diarrhea.
synergy for tummy aches – the oils chosen for this blend were specifically chosen to be safe for kids as well as effective. You can get a 
you can dilute yourself.
and rubbing it on the feet and stomach. If your child is sensitive to smells, don’t force this one on them. I find it is very individual.
or 
and have fun making some 
or water
are well known for specifically being very powerful against viruses. Elderberries work well at giving the immune system a boost to fight off the flu faster and more efficient.
to the simmering pot of elderberries since they are a good source of immune supporting vitamin C. It has a very pleasant, kid friendly taste as well so it works well in this syrup.
to strain out the syrup. I use it to make herbal infusions/teas, and of course coffee too.
because the syrup stains. They do take it off a spoon no problem but I just have accidently dripped too many times and ruined shirts! It is also delicious stirred into 
, and 
, are the probiotics I like to use.