Looking after your liver: why it matters more than you think

The liver is one of the most remarkable organs in the body, and yet, it’s often overlooked when we think about our health.

In my latest podcast, I sat down with wellbeing nutritionist, Selina Prager to explore just how central the liver is to our overall wellbeing, and what we can realistically do to support it.

A personal connection to liver health

For both of us, this is personal.

Selina’s journey began when she was diagnosed with hepatitis A at just 17. It stopped her in her tracks and forced her to learn how the liver works, because at the time, there wasn’t medication to “fix” it. That experience shaped the work she does today.

For me, it was a combination of lifestyle and later health challenges that brought my attention to the liver. I used to drink quite heavily in my younger years, and later experienced a skin condition after pregnancy that led me to explore detoxification more deeply. That’s when I began to understand how much the liver influences everything.

And that’s really the key point, the liver doesn’t work in isolation. It is deeply connected to so many systems in the body.

When the liver is under pressure

One of the most interesting things we talked about is how easy it is to miss the early signs of a struggling liver.

You can have a blood test and be told everything is “normal,” but still feel that something isn’t quite right. That’s because the standard markers often only show up once the liver is already under strain.

Instead, the signs tend to be more subtle. You might notice ongoing bloating or digestive discomfort without a clear cause. Perhaps you feel tired more often than you should, or you experience brain fog that makes it harder to focus. Headaches, hormonal imbalances, difficulty losing weight, or even a general sense of inflammation can all be linked back to the liver not functioning optimally.

These symptoms can feel disconnected, but often they are part of the same picture.

Supporting, not “cleansing”

There’s a lot of talk about liver cleanses, but as Selina explains so clearly, it’s not as simple as just drinking a detox tea or doing a short juice cleanse.

The liver is already designed to detoxify. What it actually needs is support.

Detoxification happens in phases, and each phase relies on specific nutrients to work properly. If those nutrients aren’t available, the process can become unbalanced. In some cases, toxins can even become more reactive before they are properly eliminated, which is why the body needs the full system working smoothly.

This is also where digestion becomes important. If the bowels aren’t moving well, toxins that have already been processed can be reabsorbed. So supporting the liver is never just about the liver, it’s about the whole system working together.

What makes a difference day to day

When it comes to supporting the liver, it’s often the small, consistent choices that matter most.

Reducing things like alcohol, ultra-processed foods, refined sugars and heavy, fried meals can ease the burden on the liver. At the same time, adding in supportive foods makes a real difference. Vegetables like broccoli, leafy greens and beetroot, along with foods like eggs, legumes, small oily fish and olive oil, all provide nutrients the liver needs to function well.

Hydration is also key. It’s one of the simplest things, but it supports the entire process from start to finish.

It’s about gradually shifting the balance so your body has what it needs.

The importance of rhythm

One of the things I’ve found most powerful over the years is working with rhythm.

The liver has its own natural cycles, and when we align with them, the body responds. For me, this led to developing a regular rebalance routine. Instead of doing something drastic once or twice a year, I began doing smaller, more regular resets.

That might mean supporting elimination first, eating more lightly in the evening, or creating space for the body to detoxify overnight. Over time, these small practices build into something much more sustainable.

And what’s interesting is that when people start to feel better, their habits begin to shift naturally. They don’t feel like they’re forcing change, they’re responding to how good their body feels.

More than just food

Another important part of the conversation was recognising that liver health isn’t only about diet.

Movement plays a role, especially gentle, enjoyable movement that gets things circulating. Sleep is crucial, because that’s when much of the body’s repair and detoxification takes place. And taking time to pause, through practices like breathing, stillness or yoga nidra, helps the nervous system settle and supports the body’s natural processes.

A simple place to start

If there’s one change that can have a big impact, it’s this: start looking at your evening routine.

Eating earlier and keeping your evening meal lighter gives the liver the space it needs to do its job overnight. It’s a simple shift, but one that can improve sleep, digestion and energy quite quickly.

Your liver is constantly working for you, often without you even realising it. It’s processing, filtering, balancing and supporting so many different systems in the body.

When you begin to look after it, you’re not just supporting one organ, you’re supporting your overall health.

And the good news is that it doesn’t require extreme changes. With small, regular adjustments and a bit of awareness, you can start to feel the difference.

📺 Watch the full podcast here: https://youtu.be/JRD9sem_-jQ