Liver Flush Immune Elixir Recipe

The ReFresh Cookbook - Ruth Tal with Jennifer Houston

This recipe is from one of my favourite cookbooks, that comes from one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto - Fresh. It was a wonderful place to eat with a diverse menu of fresh, raw, vegan (and non vegan) dishes that tasted delicious and you knew were amazing for you. You can learn a little bit more about them and their vision here.

This juice recipe is one I have recommended to patients for years and have made for myself many times. It is especially helpful if your liver is congested - you are experiencing a lot of anger and/or frustration or you are having any menstrual problems like cramps.

Some Signs of Liver Stagnation

Pain along the sides of the body
Anger (that is overwhelming, inappropriate or not easily controlled)
Frustration
Sighing
Hiccups
Depression
Irritability
Headaches
Extreme stress that is difficult to manage
Mood Swings
Sensation of having a lump in your throat

Women

Menstrual cramps where the pain is dull, distended, localized, sharp or stabbing in quality
Blood clots
Irritability
Headaches
Lower abdominal pain
Urinary problems
Depression
Sciatica
Infertility

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or if you just want to do some regular liver maintenance I would highly recommend this delicious juice to help your liver get its energies moving. Here is the recipe straight out of the book.

Liver Flush Immune Elixir

Formerly called Bukowski's Liver Flush after the prolific poet and devout alcoholic Charles Bukowski, this combination is spicy, sweet, and intense. You can gradually increase the amount of beet juice in this recipe as you become accustomed to its detoxifying effect on your body. Beet juice has powerful cleansing benefits to the liver, kidneys and blood. Be sure to drink lots of water throughout the day.

Ingredients

1/2 inch ginger root
2 medium beets, scrubbed
1/2 lemon peeled
2 large pink grapefruits
2 shakes cayenne pepper
20 drops milk thistle

Method

Juice the ginger first. Follow with the beets and lemon. Finish with the grapefruit. Stir in the cayenne pepper. Drop in the milk thistle. Pour into a tall glass.

CAUTION!!

Something I want to be sure to note to the uninitiated, is that drinking beet juice has a direct effect on your poop and will make it bright red, looking like blood. I say this because of the number of times that I have had patients call me in a panic sure that they were dying because they were bleeding from the inside. It can be scary indeed.

The lovely featured image from foodgawker.com