Curb your risk of fatty liver disease

Feeling worn out and weighed down lately? A bogged-down liver could be to blame. When the organ is overburdened by its many jobs (burning fat, filtering toxins and keeping blood sugar and cholesterol balanced), fat can accumulate and raise your risk of fatty liver disease. Clearing away the buildup can rev energy, speed slimming, restore a sunny outlook and even cut heart disease risk by 45%. Here, simple ways to reverse fatty liver

- —Melissa Gotthardt

Stir flaxseeds into smoothies

Or add the nutty-tasting gems to salad dressings, cereal, pudding and baked goods. A recent study published in the journal Food & Function found that participants who added 4 Tbs. of ground flaxseeds to their diet for 12 weeks experienced liver-fat reductions that were up to six times greater than those who didn’t eat the seeds. The study investigators explain that flaxseeds’ fiber fuels the growth of beneficial gut bacteria that have the power to enhance fat metabolism within the liver.

Sleep in on weekends

Love spending extra time in bed after a busy week? Permission granted: A report in the journal