Liver Health & Detoxing

Let’s Talk Liver Health…

Liver health has been a topic I have discussed numerous times on my blog in regards to detoxification and cleansing, but what if there was a way for you to keep your liver cleansed and healthy without doing radical juice cleanse??

I’m here to fill you in on a little liver health secret…milk thistle.

Milk Thistle, also called Silymarin, is used to help with liver health and function. This herb has been found to help regenerate liver tissue, and actually protect the healthy cells of your liver from damage. Milk thistle helps to remove toxins from your liver, and is essential in any liver detox. The liver is one of our major detoxers in our body, and so it is so important to keep it healthy and functioning at it’s prime.

Milk thistle has been shown to have a lot of healing effects, and is said to be anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-Parkinson, and anti-Alzheimer. There is new research about how milk thistle may help to slow the disease progression of multiple sclerosis, this is very exciting and I can not wait to see this research develop. Milk thistle is popularly known to help heal the liver of alcoholics, and in fact anyone who drinks alcohol should consider taking milk thistle. This powerful herb is also popular among those under chemotherapy treatments, and is often used in combination with chemotherapy.

Milk thistle is antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory. This herb is high in calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper. The estimated Therapeutic Range for milk thistle is 250-1000 mg per day, and the therapeutic Dosing 750-1000 mg per day (take half in am, and half before bed). You can take milk thistle in power form, or in a powder filled capsule, and my favorite tincture form! When making milk thistle it is important to use the whole plant: leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds.

It is important to note that milk thistle can cause severe allergic reaction to those who have allergies to Asteracae plants like ragweed and marigolds. Fortunately it does have very low drug interactions. However, it is not advised that you use Milk thistle if you have diabetes, as it may interact with diabetes medications. Milk thistle may also interact with: Raloxifene, Simeprevir and Sirolimus medications. Milk thistle is not recommended for children.

With so many healing benefits it’s no wonder milk thistle has become a popular almost “trendy” supplement over the past few years. It has incredible healing and detoxing potential, and is an essential part of detoxing the liver and keeping it healthy.

* I am not a doctor, I am simply educating you on health and wellness. Always consult your doctor before begging a new supplement routine.

Celery Juice Update!

By now you all know I love my morning celery juice!

Over the past three weeks I have gotten in the habit of juicing every single morning…yes, even on the weekend. I have to say that I love it!

It was not easy to carve out this extra time for myself I the mornings, but with a few tweaks of my schedule and getting up earlier…I have found this super special time just for me in the morning!

I have made celery juice on and off for years now, and would occasionally buy the SUJA version but never got into a set routine for weeks on end.

I recently took a leave of absence and it was during this time that I thought “hey, why not try daily juicing again!”. I had all this “extra” time on my hands, and figured it would be a fun and super healthy little project for me.

Little did I know that I would love it so much! Some days I make 2-3 different juices at time using whatever I picked up from the farmer’s market. I have the entire process down to 20 minutes or less…wash, prep, trim, juice and clean up…pretty impressive!

I am about 3 weeks into my daily celery juice and I feel such a difference in my body. I don’t think I could ever go back. My skin is clear, my eczema is gone, the whites of my eyes are super white, my belly feels amazing and I have zero bloat.

I am going to keep it up and promise to keep you updated on my thoughts and changes along the way!

Have you tried daily celery juice? If so, comment below and let me know your thoughts!

Detoxing on a Budget - part II

The ‘Detoxing on a Budget’ series is back! In our first part of this series (HERE) we discussed the first (and cheapest) steps you can take to begin detoxing your diet today.

Now we are going to discuss the next steps you can take to further detox your pantry. In part one we discussed eliminating all processed foods and really anything that comes in a box or a bag. Time to let that shit go! Your body deserves better. 
In part two today we are going to discuss how to incorporate a morning routine. 

A morning routine is a great way to add a daily detox into your life…and the results are unbelievable! What you choose to do in the morning sets the tone for your entire day. By starting your day on the right foot you are literally setting yourself up for success. 

When you start your day by flooding your body with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, hydration, and really fueling your body and mind properly…you are more likely to make better choices throughout the day. 

I have discussed my morning routine HERE and it has definitely evolved over time, but remains very similar. 

I’m a true believer in the triple play. To read the full benefits of the triple play click here

The idea is to hydrate your body first thing (our bodies get so dehydrated when we sleep because they are working so hard)… so hydration is number one. Start your day with 8 oz of room temperature water (super important because we do not want to shock the system) mixed with the juice from 1/2 an organic lemon. 

Next I like to come in with a gentle detoxer…kinda scrub the wall of the intestines… and seriously energize the body… it’s like a shot of espresso (minus the caffeine). That’s right I’m talking about APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. If you have been following me for awhile now, you know I’m super into ACV. Check out my full post on ACV here 

I’m so passionate about this product that when I was the keynote speaker for my alma matar Springfield College last year, I started my talk by serving up shots of ACV to the entire crowd. Yep, that’s right! We were all awake and ready to go!

There are two important things to remember when taking ACV… first always mix it with water. I prefer to mix it with 2-4 oz of water, but I know some individuals who like a full 8 oz, up to you! The second thing is to make sure you are buying high quality ACV, my favorite brand (#notsponsored) is Braggs ACV. I’ve been talking about this brand for years now, and have gotten hundreds of people nationwide taking it every morning. I love this brand because it contains “the mother”, the cloudy questionable stuff at the bottom of the bottle…that’s the good stuff. Make sure you shake up your bottle before pouring. Any ACV with “the mother” would be acceptable…and ACV without “the mother” is simply a salad dressing ingredient. 

Many people worry that the ACV will make their acid reflux (and other symptoms associated with an acidic diet) worse… honestly, in my research, education and my work with clients it has made it much better… and is actually know to alleviate the symptoms  all together. 

Lastly, my final step in my morning are greens!! Honestly, probably my favorite step, hence the name LEAN AND GREEN BODY®. The greens come in and provide a second layer of gentle detoxification, boost your immune system, and provide you with natural (caffeine free) energy. Many of my friends and followers wonder how I last 12 hour work days without coffee… it’s all in the greens, natural energy! Honest. 

Here are the two brands I’m currently loving for greens! HERE and HERE

I could drink just about anything for my health, but these 3 steps in my morning routine are essential…and I think they all taste pretty good! Okkk Okk the ACV is definitely an acquired taste, but I promise the benefits outweigh the flavor. 

The Lean and Green Body® Morning Routine #TRIPLEPLAY

8 oz room temperature water with 1/2 organic lemon

1 TBSP of ACV with water

8-10 oz of water mixed with greens 

Happy Detoxing!

How to Detox on a Budget - part 1

I’ve received countless questions about how to detox on a budget. So I thought it would be fun & super helpful to put them all together in a blog series for you!

Let’s begin…

Is it really possible to detox on a budget??

YES! Absolutely, it’s possible to detox on any budget.

The first part of any detox is removing all processed foods from your diet. Eliminating anything that comes in a box or a bag. Chips, crackers, cookies…gone. 

I discuss this “easing in to your detox” in depth in my book Revitalize & Renew: 7 days to a healthier you…and honestly it is one of the most important steps. 

Why? Because despite your specific reason for detoxing, we all cleanse our bodies hoping to eliminate toxins in a particular region or organ in the body. The first (and easiest) way to do this is to remove processed foods from your diet. 

We can not detox or cleanse our body if we are still flooding it with preservatives and chemicals. 

If you think about how long the food in your pantry can last…it’s a long time. I mean how long was that bag of chips sitting on the shelf in the store before you brought it home? Chances are a longgg time. 

For any food item to be shelf stable for long periods of time chances are it has some chemicals and preservatives in it - unless we are talking dry beans…then stock up on those! ;)

The elimination of processed foods (this includes fast food) is the first step of any detox…and is definitely the first step to detoxing on a budget. 

You are the gate keeper to your home (more than likely) - you control what comes into your house and your kitchen. If you are not the gate keeper to your home, you are at least the gate keeper to your body… you ultimately have control over what you choose to put in your body and how you fuel it. 

Throughout this series I will discuss the basics on how to detox on a budget. What you need to know without breaking the bank. Have questions about this topic…leave them below!!

Time to clean out that pantry!