Do your liver a favour with this flexible and ultra-nutritious recipe from clinical nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo.
Sarah Di Lorenzo
Liver disease affects about one in three Australians, and liver cancer is the fastest-rising cancer in this country.
These startling statistics motivated Sydney-based clinical nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo to focus on liver health in her latest book, The Liver Repair Plan.
“Put simply, our liver is the foundation of good health. If your liver is not well, then your entire body will know about it,” she writes in the book.
Di Lorenzo describes the liver, the body’s second-largest organ, as a “quiet powerhouse” that performs many vital functions. These include filtering blood, producing bile, removing toxins, processing nutrients and regulating metabolism.
Liver disease, which is often linked to metabolic dysfunction or excessive alcohol consumption, occurs when fat builds up in the liver. This leads to inflammation and scarring, which increases the risk of cancer.
While people who are obese or have hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes are at greater risk, the condition can often be asymptomatic. This makes it difficult to detect, even when subtle symptoms such as bruising, itching and poor sleep are present.
Fortunately, the liver has a remarkable ability to regenerate, and some liver damage can be reversed through diet and lifestyle changes. As Di Lorenzo writes: “The liver is like an elastic band: it can take a lot of abuse but has a breaking point.”
Sarah Di Lorenzo’s top tips to support liver regeneration
- Limit alcohol intake: Excessive alcohol consumption is a leading cause of liver damage.
- Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps the liver flush out toxins.
- Get tested: A full liver function test from your GP can help detect issues early.
- Review medications: Take only necessary medications as some can strain the liver.
- Prevent infections: Reduce risk of hepatitis through vaccination and practicing safe sex.
- Maintain a healthy diet: Eating a balanced diet provides the nutrients your liver needs to function properly.
- Achieve a healthy weight: Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk of fatty liver disease.
Here, Di Lorenzo shares her versatile recipe for “Loving your liver soup”, one of the simple, nutritious dishes in her book’s four-week liver repair plan.
– Megan Johnston
Loving your liver soup
You can make this soup more substantial by adding your protein of choice. Options include 2 cooked chicken breasts, diced tofu, 4 cooked fish fillets, 2 cups of cooked beans or 2 cups of cooked lentils.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion, chopped
- 1 leek, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- pinch of dried chilli
- 2 cups chopped bok choy
- 10 Brussels sprouts, halved
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 zucchini, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 sweet potato, diced
- 1.5 litres water
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- salt and pepper
- 15g (½ cup) chopped fresh parsley, to serve
METHOD
- In a large casserole dish on the stovetop, heat the oil, then add the onion, leek and garlic. Cook for a few minutes to soften before adding the cumin, ginger, turmeric and chilli, and cook briefly, until fragrant.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add your cooked protein of choice (see introduction) and mix well.
- Serve with fresh parsley.
Serves 4-6
This is an edited extract from The Liver Repair Plan by Sarah Di Lorenzo, Simon & Schuster, RRP $39.99.
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