By the USANA ANZ
Marketing Team
Your liver is
your body’s waste management system and it performs over 500 hundred functions.
It:
- Filters toxins from the blood
- Helps with food digestion
- Regulates blood sugar and cholesterol levels
- Helps fight infection and disease.
You already know that alcohol can damage your liver. And you
may also know that one of the first stages of liver disease is when fat builds
up in the liver. But, did you know that the most common cause of fatty build-up
in the liver is being overweight and consuming too much sugar?
Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a range of
conditions but it is reversible. Around 70-80 per cent of people who are obese
are thought to be affected and if untreated, the damage could eventually lead
to cirrhosis – tissue scarring which is serious and even life-threatening.
NAFLD also raises you risk of conditions such as heart attack and stroke. So,
if you are overweight/obese or consume too much of the sweet stuff, here’s what
you can do to give your liver a little lovin’…
Limit high GI
Too much sugar (high GI foods and drinks) is difficult for your
body to cope with and stresses body systems. While your body and brain rely on
a steady supply of glucose which the body tries very hard to keep within a
normal range, sugars like fructose (which is added to many ready-prepared foods
and fast foods) is processed in your liver. Too much sugar prompts your liver
to produces a type of fat called triglycerides which are then deposited around
the abdomen and in the liver. Fat in the liver impairs the functioning of the
liver. Low GI foods and drinks are easier for the body to cope with.
Snack carefully
Consuming too many calories causes weight gain (no surprise).
But recently, researchers, writing in the journal, Hepatology, found that eating frequently – i.e. snacking –
increased the concentration of triglycerides – this encouraged belly fat and
fat storage in the liver. So, opt for three daily meals and two to three
healthy low GI snacks.
Choose nuts
Nuts are concentrated in protein and healthy fats – walnuts
contain omega-3 fats and almonds are a great source of calcium – nutrients that
many of us fall short of. Other healthy snacks include veggies sticks and hummus
or tomato salsa and wholegrain crackers with peanut butter or good ol’
Vegemite.
Get into a healthy
weight range
Doing this gradually helps reverse NAFLD and can also reduce
your risk for cardiovascular conditions like heart attack. At the same time,
get moving. Exercise helps to burn calories in the form of excess stored fat.
Plus, it encourages your body to build more lean tissue and boost circulation
to further boost body – and liver – health.
Try some curry
The Indian spice, turmeric which is a relative of ginger and
gives curries their golden glow is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Curcumin, its
active ingredient, may also protect the liver by helping to expel toxins via
phase liver detoxification reactions.
Try a liver lovin’
cleanse!
USANA’s HepaPlus™
acts as a liver tonic by supporting healthy liver function and normal detoxification processes. HepaPlus is a supplement that combines numerous ingredients including milk thistle extract, alpha
lipoic acid and turmeric extract to support healthy liver function. These
ingredients not only help cleanse and remove fat in liver but they also help
regenerate cells.
Try some today!
 |
| USANA'S HepaPlus |
Vitamin Supplements should not replace a balanced diet.
USE ONLY AS DIRECTED. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL.
Labels: #liverlovin'cleanse, antiinflammatory, cleanse, curcumin, fatty liver, HepaPlus™, liver, milk thistle
