YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health Spring 2016 | Page 16

DR CRIS BEER
Dr Cris Beer is the author of Healthy Liver (Rockpool
Publishing $29.99), which is available from all good book
stores and online at www.rockpoolpublishing.com.au

FIVE WAYS TO
LOVE YOUR LIVER
Your liver is the health gateway to the rest of your body so if you can maintain its
health by embracing a ‘liver loving lifestyle’ then good health can be your reward.
Dr Cris Beer explains.

lifestyle that favours liver health is one based on
moderation. As with anything, a total avoidance of
any particular substance can lead to cravings and
bingeing. There is no need to ‘give up’ any food entirely – all
foods are fine in moderation.

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4. Sweat regularly

When it comes to food think 80:20. Eighty per cent of your
diet should be made
up of foods such as wholegrains, fruits
and vegetables, nuts and seeds, eggs and lean meats. The
other 20% of your diet can be all the other things you love to
eat but in moderation. This includes sweets, cheeses and
processed foods.

Sweating not only helps the body release toxins through the
pores but also boosts metabolism, blood flow, and energy
levels. It helps to keep our happy hormone levels high and our
body fat stores low including liver fat stores, reducing the risk of
fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Aim to do thirty minutes of moderate intensity exercise most
days per week. This can include, for example, fast-paced
walking, swimming, weight training, cycling, yoga, and Pilates.

2. Listen to your hunger cues

5. Be consistent

Many of us overeat and therefore place an extra load on our
livers. This can easily lead to liver disease without us ever
actually eating anything ‘bad’. The result is that we end up
with poor health. Learn to listen to your hunger cues and try
not to allow yourself to become ravenously hungry. This will
help to prevent gorging, which can happen when you try to
raise blood sugar levels that have dropped.

Consistency with following a liver loving lifestyle is imperative
to maintain good health. Daily decisions driven by what is
optimal for your liver health, and thus overall health, are key to
maintaining youthfulness, vibrancy, and a comfortable body
weight for your frame. This may involve some daily sacrifices
and effort which over time becomes your norm. Like anything,
practice makes perfect, so consistency with your healthy
lifestyle choices is important.

1. 80:20 rule

Similarly, avoid eating when you are not hungry. We can eat
for a variety of reasons with hunger usually being the least
obvious. Sometimes we eat because we are tired, bored,
stressed, angry, lonely, feeling low or because we are
procrastinating. Learn to recognise when you are eating as a
result of your emotions rather than actual hunger and try to
reduce the times that you eat when you are not hungry.

3. Stay well hydrated
One of the easiest things you can do to love your liver
is to drink plenty of water. On a daily basis children
should be drinking 1-1.5L while adults should aim for
1.5-2L (or 35-45mL/kg) – more if it is hot or if you are
doing heavy exercise and sweating a lot. To check
you are drinking enough water look at the colour of
your urine; it should be light straw-coloured or clear.
The exception of course, is if you are taking B
vitamins or vitamin C, which can discolour your urine
for a few hours afterwards. Tea, coffee and herbal

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teas can also contribute to your overall daily fluid intake.
Some teas, such as black tea and green tea also contain
antioxidants, which promote health.

YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE SPRING 2016