Parties! Gatherings! Homecomings! It’s that electric time of the year again with joyful songs, colorful lights, and cheerful spirits abound! Yet while this season is a top fave for most, it can also be a highly stressful one — especially for those who are tasked to prepare the holiday meal. Creating a balance of traditional and healthy options can be challenging, but not impossible. For starters, take note of foods that are rich in vitamins and fiber, which assist digestion (your guests will thank you later!). These include whole grains and leafy greens. Also consider using ingredients with antioxidants and methionine, which help the liver process sugar, additives, and toxins that are commonly found in many holiday offerings. For example — fish, legumes, brussel sprouts, beets, and fruits such as blueberries and Goji berries have high antioxidant levels, and therefore may help prevent liver damage.

Celebrate the holidays with liver-friendly options (photo credit: Clara Don)

In the spirit of giving, ADRLF shares these delectable and healthy recipes for a stress-free and liver-friendly holiday feast.  We promise with these offerings on your table, you’ll be the toast of the town!

Sweet Potato Latkes with Tomatillo Salsa

If you’re feeling a bit more health-conscious and adventurous this year, try this healthier latke recipe from Men’s Fitness. Sweet potatoes (instead of the traditional potatoes) are low in sodium and high in multivitamins, such beta-carotene, vitamins B5 and B6, and niacin. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A, which is a natural antioxidant that aids liver cleansing.

Ingredients for Latkes:

1 lb. sweet potatoes or yams

2 large eggs (beaten)

2 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. sugar

½ tsp. kosher salt

Black pepper to taste

½ cup to ¾ cup olive oil

Low-fat sour cream (optional)

Ingredients for Tomatillo Salsa:

1 lb. tomatillos (green tomatoes)

1 head garlic, peeled

10-15 habanero peppers (dependent on desired spice factor)

Handful of cilantro

Salt and pepper

Instructions for Latkes:

1. Peel sweet potatoes and/or yams and coarsely grate by hand (or use a food processor).
2. Drain potatoes/yams of any access liquid with paper towel or clean dishcloth.
3. Place sweet potatoes/yams in bowl and mix with beaten eggs, flour, cinnamon, sugar, salt and pepper. Coupons
4. In a 12-inch or slightly larger non-stick pan, begin to heat up olive oil.
5. Pat potato mixture into 3-inch round patties, making sure they are well condensed and sticking together nicely.
6. Place 4 latkes in pan at a time and fry on each side until brown and crispy. Each family likes their latkes at different consistencies from slightly browned to almost black and very crispy. Note that sugar burns quickly and turns things black faster, so flip the latkes often.
7. Remove latkes from oil and place on platter layered with paper towels to absorb extra oil.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all latkes are made.

Instructions for Tomatillo Salsa:

1. Place tomatillos in boiling hot water until they are soft.
2. Cook garlic in oven at 350 degrees with a little olive oil until it turns brown.
3. Mix all ingredients (tomatillos, pinch of salt and pepper, habanero chiles, cilantro) in a blender and puree.

Instructions for Serving:

1. Drizzle the tomatillo salsa over the sweet latkes or place it next to latkes.
2. Drizzle with sour cream or serve it on the side. (optional)

Quinoa Salad with Oranges, Beets & Pomegranate

Quinoa tops the list of the healthiest foods, with its high-fiber and high-protein content. It also features flavonoids  — plant anti-oxidants with anti-inflammatory qualities that have various health benefits. This recipe from Eating Well definitely adds a delicious twist to your holiday menu.

Ingredients for Salad

3 medium beets (about 1¼ pounds)

2 cups vegetable broth

1½ cups water

2 cups red quinoa

½ teaspoon salt

3 medium oranges

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, divided

½ cup chopped pitted dates1 whole pomegranate, seeded

Instructions:

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F.
2. Trim the root end of the beets and remove any greens (reserving for another use); rinse and pat dry. Wrap individually in foil. Roast until tender, 1 to 1¼ hours, depending on size. (Alternatively, place beets in a microwave-safe dish, add ¼ cup water, cover loosely and microwave on High until the beets are tender, about 10 minutes, depending on size.)
3. Bring broth, water, quinoa and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a large serving bowl.
4. Zest and juice 1 orange. Place the juice in a medium bowl. Working over another bowl, cut the remaining 2 oranges into segments (see Tips) and set aside. Measure the juice from the first orange—if it isn’t quite ⅓ cup, squeeze the juice from the membranes until you get ⅓ cup. Add the zest, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and pepper to the juice; gradually whisk in oil in a thin stream until well combined. Stir in ¼ cup parsley.
5. Peel and dice roasted beets when they are cool enough to handle. Add to the quinoa along with dates and gently combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat. Serve garnished with the reserved orange segments, pomegranate seeds and the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.

Coconut Eggnog

The holiday season would not be complete without traditional items like eggnog. Skip the alcohol (if you’re inclined), and add some liver-friendly goodness by using coconut milk as your base. Coconuts have large amounts of MCT, making it a liver “superfood.” MCT is a fatty acid that helps the liver detoxify. Here’s a useful guide in buying coconuts. For an easy or a traditional method, we love this recipe from Wellness Mama.

Ingredients for Eggnog:

6 cups of coconut milk (about 3 cans)

6 egg yolks

1 tablespoon of vanilla

¼ cup honey or cane sugar or a few drops of stevia extract (optional)

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

¼ cup (or more) spiced rum or brandy (optional)

Instructions:

Easy method

1. Put all ingredients except alcohol in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
2. SLOWLY bring up to low heat in a medium saucepan, being careful not to let it boil. When it is warmed and barely starting to thicken, it is ready.
3. Chill in fridge for a few hours or overnight and whisk alcohol in just before serving.

Traditional method

4. Heat coconut milk and vanilla until warm in medium saucepan.
5. Whisk or blend the egg yolks, sugar and spices in a blender.
6. Slowly add in about half of the coconut mixture to the egg yolks to warm it and then add the whole mixture back into the saucepan.
7. Bring up to low heat and whisk until barely starting to thicken.

* * * * * *  * *  * *

Do let us know how it all turned out at @ADRLFoundation! We’d love a few tasty words from you, or better yet, a picture!

The Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation wishes you and yours the HAPPIEST & HEALTHIEST OF HOLIDAYS!

Are you experiencing abdominal bloating, having trouble digesting fatty foods, gaining weight even with deliberate calorie restriction, and/or experiencing pain on the right upper abdominal area under the rib cage? Your liver might be telling you it needs help. Your liver functions as the main organ for flushing out toxins, as well it is a key organ for digestion. Your liver might be working on overtime, and in need of you ‘pressing the reset button’ with a refreshing cleanse.

Take advantage of Fall harvest for liver-friendly cleansing treats (Photo credit: Creative Commons; Cale Bruckner).

Here are three tasty treats for your liver:

Mediterranean Apple Cider Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups of apple cider
Half cup of orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
8 whole cloves
Half teaspoon of ground allspice
Pinch of nutmeg
*Note: Allspice is a special herb that is commonly used to cook savoury dishes. This superb herb is made from dried pimenta fruit of the evergreen myrtle plant: Pimenta Dioica.

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a pot or thick saucepan, place the apple cider, followed by the cloves, pinch of nutmeg, and the half-teaspoon of Allspice. Stir to mix the spices with the apple cider. Poor the orange juice and then add the cinnamon stick.
Turn the stove to medium-high heat until the cider begins to boil. Then adjust the heat to lower setting and let the concoction simmer for 10 minutes. Don’t forget to occasionally stir the cider.

Let it cool for a while. Some people enjoy this drink warm; some people like to place this in the refrigerator to cool it overnight. Either way, your body will benefit from this tasty, healthy concoction!

Apple Cider Jam
INGREDIENTS:
5 cups of apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
1 strip of lemon or orange zest
1/2 teaspoon of whole cloves
1 cup of honey
1 package of low or no-sugar-needed powdered pectin (such as Ball)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix the honey and the pectin. Then set aside. Pour the apple cider into a large pot. Group the cinnamon stick, lemon zest, and cloves together in a cheesecloth and add to the pot. Boil the mixture. Add the honey-pectin mixture. Stir the mixture constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and take out the cheesecloth from the mixture. Skim any foam from the surface of the jelly. Pour the mixture into a jar then let it rest for at least six hours.

Onion-Apple Cider Soup
INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
3 tablespoons of olive oil
6 large onions (about 3 1/2 pounds), halved, thinly sliced
3 cups of low-salt chicken broth
2 1/2 cups of bottled apple cider
12 large thyme sprigs
Chopped fresh thyme

INSTRUCTIONS:
Put the butter and oil in a large pot. Sauté the onions in the butter-oil mixture. Add the chicken broth, cider, and thyme sprigs. Boil. Reduce the heat and then season with salt and pepper. Let the soup simmer for 25 minutes, then remove the thyme sprigs.

These are three simple apple cider recipes that will benefit your liver this autumn — especially with the quickly approaching holidays, where your liver will be in high demand.

Always remember, apple cider is a great way to cleanse your liver. It has a combination of minerals, vitamins and alkalinity that helps the liver get rid of accumulated toxins; and apple cider also helps keep the body’s PH balance from becoming overly acidic.

Check this site for more liver detox recipes
 

Are you — or someone you know — one of the many people today whose job requires long hours of sitting and typing? If your answer is ‘yes,’ make sure you know the serious health risks associated with prolonged sitting. In our blog, Love your Liver? Get up and move! – we discussed a study which found  that sitting for 10 hours or more a day may lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To prevent NAFLD, it is important to reduce sitting time through physical activities like yoga — which features poses that are beneficial to your liver.

Try some yoga to keep your body and liver healthy. (Photo credit: MeditationMusic.net)

NAFLD is one of the most common liver diseases. It is a serious condition caused by the build-up of extra fat in the liver, which typically happens to people with sedentary practices, including extended periods of sitting. The accumulation of excess fat makes it difficult for the liver to breaking down fats into much-needed energy. To prevent NAFLD, incorporate a good diet and exercise into your daily routine.

Yoga (or asana in Sanskrit) is a great way to stay physically active even on tedious work days. Many physicians recommend yoga as an exercise to help improve general health and wellbeing. Certain yoga poses can stimulate the liver to function properly, helping other organs to work as well.  It’s also a relaxing way to stretch strained muscles and relieve stress after hours of sitting and typing on your desk, or driving. Yoga poses are easy to learn, simple to perform, and can be done at your own pace and comfort zone — at home, at the gym, or even in the office.

Here are some liver-friendly yoga poses that you can try —

Yoga Skull Breathing Exercise (Kapalbhati Pranayama): Breathing exercises are great in stimulating the liver. When done correctly, this yoga pose will help remove toxins, calm the mind, and keep depression away.

Seated Half-Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana):  This pose targets abdominal problems such as indigestion, constipation, or urinary tract disorders. It helps relieve pain by pressing your abdomen where your largest organ, the liver, is located.  The spinal twist stretches the muscles on your back and hip, giving you a soothing relief from stiffness.

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana):  This pose also targets the abdominal area, which consequently stimulates the liver as well as other nearby organs such as the pancreas and small and large intestines. Since it is a bow exercise, your back also gets the benefit of a total workout. Back muscles are stretched and strengthened to allow flexibility and improve good posture.

For pre-yoga stretching, check out these warm-up exercises

For more liver-friendly moves, practice these yoga poses

For exercises you can do at work, try these office yoga moves

Remember to consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. And to ensure a healthy liver, ADRLF reminds you to: Screen, Vaccinate, Educate, Don’t Hesitate!

Who doesn’t love basking in the summer sun? From doing barbecues at the park to enjoying beach picnics with family and friends — it’s that time of the year when the longer days mean more outdoor fun. But the heat also calls for refreshing drinks that need not be restricted to sugary lemonades and sodas, or ice cold beer. ADRLF gives you some liver-healthy and tasty smoothie ideas to beat the summer heat.

Beat the summer heat with liver-healthy smoothies!
(Photo credit: Ida Myrvold)

But first, let’s quickly recap the importance of the liver. Your liver is one of the body’s most vital organs. It’s responsible for over 500 functions in your body, and serves as the first line of defense in preventing toxic substances from food and drinks from passing to your bloodstream. If you do not support your body’s natural detoxification process — especially after consuming food and drinks with high sugar and alcohol content — the liver can quickly become overburdened. This may eventually lead to chronic disease. To keep your liver in a top working condition, it is essential to make the right food and drink choices – and these liver detox smoothies can help boost your hard-working organ’s overall health.

 Liver Boosting Beet Smoothie

Compounds known as betalains in beets have anti-inflammatory properties that help repair cells, especially in the liver where detoxification occurs.

 INGREDIENTS (You can change the amounts, and adapt it to your own taste)

2 beets quartered

1 carrot roughly chopped

1/2 lemon juice

1 handful parsley

1/2 cup water (increase or decrease, per your preference)

Directions: Put the ingredients in the blender, large chunks first then add the rest and pour water according to your desired consistency. Drink and enjoy!

Refreshing Watermelon Smoothie

Watermelon has a high amount of water that helps cleanse the liver and the kidneys.  It also keeps you hydrated while flushing out toxins.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cubed watermelon

1 handful fresh mint leaves

1 Lebanese cucumber

1 large carrot

1/2 cup water (increase or decrease, per your preference)

Directions: Put all the ingredients in the blender.

 Dandelion Green Liver Detox Smoothie

The vitamins and nutrients found in dandelion help to cleanse our liver and keep it working properly.

 INGREDIENTS

2 oranges peeled,

1/2 rib celery,

1 lemon peeled,

1/2 cup dandelion greens (or other bitter green),

1/2 cup parsley,

1/2 cup water (increase or decrease, per your preference)

Directions: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

So when you think of grabbing a quick can of soda, why not take an extra few minutes to prep a deliciously rejuvenating liver detox smoothie instead?

Check out this great site for more exciting healthy smoothie recipes!