Should you do a liver juice cleanse? Read on to discover 5 benefits of liver juice cleansing and my top juice recipe for a liver juice cleanse, made simple.
5 Benefits of a Liver Juice Cleanse
A liver juice cleanse does not have to mean a crazy restrictive diet! It can be as simple as incorporating a daily juice or two on an empty stomach into your daily routine as an adjective support to your daily balanced (real food) diet.
#1. Hydration
It’s been estimated that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated—both from not drinking enough water and eating hydrating foods, as well as lacking trace minerals to aid in cellular absorption of water (ie. Magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium).
Although juices (like celery juice) do not replace water, the juice itself is mostly water, and is a great way to front load the day with lymph-cleansing hydration.
#2. Absorbable Nutrients
As simple of a food as it is, juices are chalk full with several quick and easily-digested vitamins including:
- Antioxidants
- Vitamin C (immune support)
- Vitamin K (bone building and fatty acid absorption support)
- Folate (cellular energy and repair)
- Potassium (essential mineral balance, muscle tissue function)
- Magnesium (responsible over 300 metabolic reactions)
- Phosphorus (helps the body make ATP—energy)
The one missing nutrient? Fiber!
When most veggies and fruits are juiced, the pulp (fiber) is removed. This has pros and cons. In one sense, the healing benefits of juice become much more powerful—taken up more quickly by the body. However, due to the lack of fiber, your gut microbiome misses out on prebiotics that help cultivate healthy gut bugs. Therefore, you cannot rely on liver juice cleansing nutrients alone to meet your daily veggie and fiber needs.
#3. Liver Support
Most liver juice cleanse drinks are Phase 1 Liver Detox boosters—the stage during which toxins are activated in the body due to certain foods and substances.
The increase in Phase 1 liver activity metabolically speeds up the mobilization of these toxins, preparing them for Phase 2 Liver Detox where toxins are then packed up in order to be excreted and transported out of the body.
Warning: Don’t Forget to Support Phase 2 Detox Too
In order to experience the full benefits of liver juice cleanse work (from a liver and gallbladder detox perspective), it is imperative that you also support your Phase 2 Liver Detox. If Phase 1 Liver Detox is activated with your daily liver juice cleanse, BUT your Phase 2 Liver Detox pathways are NOT supportive or hypo functioning, then you may experience “back up” and have a “detox” reaction in your body (ie. Your body is unable to clear out the toxins completely). This is often why some folks may feel “worse” when adding celery juice to their regime.
Phase 2 Liver Detox pathways require a few essentials including:
• Glutathione & Sulfur-containing Foods (antioxidant found in supplements, cruciferous veggies, asparagus, potatoes, peppers, carrots, avocados, squash, spinach, melons, garlic, onions, meat, and egg yolks)
• Amino Acids (found in complete proteins: organic meat, poultry—especially dark meat and skin, organ meats, wild caught seafood, bone broth)
• Molybdenum (a trace mineral leafy vegetables, liver)
• B12 (also found in animal proteins)
#4. Gallbladder Support
Many juices are also cholagogue-rich foods (cholagogues are compounds best known for supporting a healthy gallbladder)—especially those containing celery, apples, beets, fresh herbs and carrots.
Liver juice cleanse drinks increases and strengthens your bile creation.
Your gallbladder is an accessory organ that creates waste (bile) from toxic byproducts and supports the downward movement of digestion and elimination, as well as the break down of fats. celery juice also increases and strengthens your bile.
Cholagogue foods (like celery, apples, artichoke, beets, etc.) work by “exercising” your gallbladder like a muscle in order to help your body’s toxins and wastes to naturally flow. Since your gallbladder is imperative for creating bile (waste sludge) for elimination in your feces, celery gives the gallbladder some extra oomph to do so.
#5. Boosts Enzymes + Stomach Acid Production
The minerals in liver juice cleanse drinks boost enzyme and stomach acid production naturally—both essentials for good digestion.
How to Make Liver Juice Cleanse Drinks
Despite all the amazing benefits of liver juice cleanse drinks…liver juice cleansing is NOT cheap (at least if you’re not juicing it yourself).
At $8 to $12 a pop, at one time, I was easily spending over $60/week on liver juice cleanse drinks alone (that could technically cost no more than $10 to $20 to make at home if I bought the produce myself).
In order to amend my liver juice cleanse expense predicament (and lighten my wallet load), I hit the streets, in search of the perfect juicer in order to justify my daily celery juice.
It is best to make juice fresh and then drink it immediately.
A juicer is best, but if not in your kitchen, a blender can do the job too. And no need to break the bank either. Even though there are some pretty amazing $500 juicers and Vitamix blenders out there, if you still can’t justify all the money you’ll be saving by NOT spending $50 to $60 on pre-bottled juices, never fear, there are still some great options out there.
My Favorite Juicers & Blenders for Liver Juice Cleansing
My Top Pick: Breville Bluicer x 3
A juicer and smoothie blender—all in one. This rare find is ideal for the “chef” who wants the best of both worlds—a machine that can whip up smoothies and juices with little clean up required. I also love how the juicing capabilities are accomplished in about 5-minutes (versus 20 minutes for a slow juicer). Price: $300 https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/bluicers/bjb815.html
Premium Pick: Omega Juicer NC900HDC https://amzn.to/2PWSrLx
The Porsche of juicer world, the Omega brand is a well known “slow juicer”—taking approximately 15-20 minutes to extract some of the most nutrient dense juice on the planet. Price: $390
Stylish Counter Swag: Hurom Juicer https://amzn.to/2IgjKMt
The ideal millennial device—sleek, minimalistic and stylish. Hurom juicers are a great “entry” juicer at a fair price point to help you get your “feet wet” in juice land.
Penny Savers: NutriBullet https://amzn.to/32KHzoZ or the Ninja Professional Countertop Blender https://amzn.to/2PKjzNE
True, not a juicer, but blenders can still get the job done. After mixing your celery up with clean filtered water (recipe below), all you have to do is strain out the juice from the pulp using a nut milk bag or mesh strainer. Price: $90-$100
Top Line: Vitaimix 7500 https://amzn.to/2TyMrcx
Vitamix blenders have some of the BEST, most powerful motors on the planet—aiding in some fine chopping and pureeing of your celery stalks. This one has 7500 horsepower! Price: $500.
My #1 Liver Juice Cleanse Recipe: Celery Juice
Here’s my favorite (easy) celery juice recipe for success!
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 bunches organic celery.
- Filtered water (1/2 cup) (for blender version.
Directions:
In a Juicer
Wash and chop celery stalks into 3-4 inch pieces. “Feed” celery stalks in through juicer little by little.
In a Blender
Wash and chop celery stalks into 1-2 inch pieces.
Blend the celery until it looks like a smoothie for about 30-90 seconds. You can add a dash of filtered water (about 1/2 cup) if needed, but it’s advised to use as little liquid as possible so you don’t dilute the juice.
After your smoothie consistency is created, whip out a drinking class or mason jar, and use a nut milk bag or mesh strainer to pour your celery blend into over the cup—separating the juice from the pulp.
Note: If you’re not able to juice your celery when you want to drink it, it’s important to drink it within 24 hours of making it, as juice has a short “shelf” life, and its nutritional benefits decrease with time. The best way to store the juice is in a glass bottle or mason jar with a lid and keep it in the fridge.