Liver Detoxification

I think one of the most important steps for me on this journey has got to be liver health. ALL of my symptoms indicate a sluggish liver. So along with following Anthony William’s food guidelines, I’ve been eating firey foods, like ginger, trying to reignite the healthy fire in my liver and guts.

I will say, my stomach has stopped feeling funky. It was only for a couple of days and then it was gone. I’m guessing a tummy bug, happy to see it go.

So now my focus is on what my liver needs to be super efficient and firing on all four cylinders. I’m going to run my liver at optimal operations. I almost said, “if I’m able.” Well duh, of course I am. We all are.

So here’s what I’ve found so far. It’s cut and pastey info from a few sources I thought seemed reputable. It’s the bare bones nuts and bolts.

From here we learn!

Our livers work overtime to inactivate alcohol and process rich, fatty foods.

Most toxins, or poisons, reach our bloodstream when we swallow or inhale them. Others pass through our skin, while still others are released by dying cells or invading virus or bacteria.

Many of these toxins pass through the liver — the body’s waste-purification plant — where they are broken down and removed from the blood before they can do their dirty work.

Poisons are also broken down by the kidney, eliminated in the urine and feces, or exhaled.

Drinking six to eight glasses of water daily; eating lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains; and avoiding tobacco smoke and other fumes can all help keep your body in top working order.

So can cutting back on fried foods, animal fats, sugar, and caffeine.

We can protect ourselves to some extent by avoiding obvious hazards such as recreational drugs, unsafe sex, and raw shellfish, all of which can cause the liver-damaging disease hepatitis.

But even when we’re being good to our liver, hidden dangers can damage its cells and interfere with toxin breakdown. Toxins lurk in prescription medications, food additives, and air pollutants, and these may be impossible to avoid completely.
Here’s where “liver detoxification” might come in.

When the liver is working double-duty to protect you from an onslaught of bad diet, bad judgment, and unavoidable insults, it could benefit from a little extra help.

Antioxidant vitamins such as C, E, and beta-carotene; minerals such as zinc and selenium; B-vitamins that aid alcohol metabolism; and herbs said to “cleanse” the liver such as milk thistle, dandelion root, and schizandra, might help protect liver cells while ridding our body of poisons.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO TODAY TO HELP OUT LIVER?
Just some quick points to remember:
– Stay Hydrated, 8-10 Cups of Water Today Minimum
– Eat healthy, low-fat, non-GMO, non-toxins (pesticides/herbicides)
– Exercise at least 30 Minutes Every Day

*For the exercise, at least 30 minutes. Do something fun! I like to Zoomba on the Wii game, and “Just Dance” games. I’ll throw on the latin music channel on the TV and dance while I’m cleaning. YOGA is one of the three most highly recommended activities for Liver and Lymphatic health. Just get off your butt and move yourself. For 30 minutes. Every day.

We’re not olympic athletes (well not most of us). We’re just normal humans. Move your body. Even cars who sit parked too long start to fall apart. It’s how nature works. Move and flow, or degrade into dirt. You choose.

**Photo credit to Janella Purcell (janellapurcell.com). I found the photos searching for healthy liver ideas and found her site. I haven’t checked it out yet, but her site looks like there’s some good information.

***Thanks to WebMD for their contribution. 🙂