Fall is here and it is time to clean your liver. We all know what we had too much of this summer – and since the liver’s job is to eliminate the toxins which come from alcohol, coffee, cheese, sweets, fats or anything else we put into our mouths – all of our livers need an overhaul!
The liver sits right between the digestive tract and the bloodstream. Nothing can get into the bloodstream from the digestive tract without first passing through the liver. The liver’s job is to trap what is undesirable and try to detoxify and eliminate it. That is why Trans fats are so dangerous; they are very difficult to eliminate. What we don’t eliminate stays trapped inside us, slowly contaminating us. If the body is not detoxifying properly harmful substances may accumulate, causing symptoms such as fatigue or chronic fatigue, pain, chronic hormonal problem (including PMS), fibroids, heavy menstrual bleeding and even serious illnesses.
Toxicity often affects the liver and interferes with the brain’s functioning and moods. The reason the effects of alcohol or caffeine eventually wear off is that the liver has cleared the substance out of the bloodstream. The same is true for the effects of medications, harmful poisons, carcinogens, or other toxins. By supporting the liver and reducing its burden of detoxification, we can promote its long-term healthy functioning. The liver is one of the organs of longevity. By addressing and promoting detoxification (cleansing) in general we can eliminate one of the basic underlying mechanisms of many illnesses and diseases, and prevent those disorders from developing. So the logical thing people, is to take care of our livers.
Practical Tips :
The Liver Cure
The liver needs bitter foods and herbs to eliminate the bile. If the bile is not eliminated, it can harden into stones i.e. Gallstones.
In the natural food stores you can find a 10 day cure in the form of ampoules that contain artichoke, black radish and boldo. i.e. Flex-o-bile. Take the ampoules with water and lemon juice every morning before breakfast. We can sometimes experience some unpleasant side effects from doing a cleanse. These side effects may include increased bowel movement, headaches or other symptoms.
Keep your liver clean by taking herbal teas or tinctures containing mixtures of burdock root, dandelion root, ginger root, licorice root, sarsaparilla root, and other herbs, on a regular basis.
Liver Maintenance
- It is a good habit to start the day with a half a lemon squeezed into a glass of warm or hot water.
- Try a meslun salad mix. Add endives, radicchio, chicory and watercress. Rappini, lemon and artichoke are also in the bitter food family. Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables daily (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, bok choy).
- Eat high-quality sulphur containing proteins: eggs, whey protein, garlic and onions.
- Try fresh vegetable juices including carrot, celery, beet, parsley and ginger.
- Try dandelion greens, which help liver detox, improve flow of bile and increase urine flow.
- Add cilantro to meals; it can help remove heavy metals. Add dark green leafy vegetables which contain chlorophyll, a helpful detoxifier.
Certain exercises found in Yoga, T’ai Chi and Qi Gong are specifically for the liver. Join a class and enjoy the benefits of the body mind approaches.
Go on. Take care of your liver and enjoy a long, healthy life. I have provided you with a wide variety of possible actions. A few must be just right for you.
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