Love your liver and gall bladder!

Do you love your liver and gallbladder? Our livers are often overlooked in terms of their importance. Not only is fatty liver and liver disease on the up but as Andreas Moritz author of ‘The Liver and Gallbladder Miracle Cleanse’ postulates it is a reason for much more. He states that many symptoms that we suffer today are an indication our livers are overburdened and need some support. 

Signs of an overtaxed liver

Some common signs of an overtaxed liver include low appetite, cravings, digestive disorders, constipation, most infections, nausea, asthma, depression, haemorrhoids, any skin disorder, nightmares, tooth issues, heart disease, brain disorders and hormonal imbalance.

Our livers are important as they metabolise substances that go into our bodies including supplements, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and other toxic substances and metabolic waste. It plays a crucial role in our health and well-being. Some of its responsibilities include detoxing toxic substances, producing bile for digestion, regulating the hormones, regulating blood sugar levels and synthesising cholesterol.

An interesting fact or two!

Not having enough bile means that foods will remain undigested or partially digested and this includes fats. When fats reach the colon with other waste products bacteria will break some of the fat down into fatty acids or excrete it into the stool. Since fat is lighter than water, stools with high-fat content will float.

When fat is not absorbed neither is calcium, leaving the blood deficient hence it takes extra calcium from the bones. Most bone density issues including osteoporosis are a result of insufficient bile secretion and poor fat digestion and not calcium deficiency!

What many of us fail to realise is that it is our fast-paced lives that are contributing to our problems. Modern living includes many toxins including poor diets comprised of processed and trans fats, chemicals in the atmosphere and pollution; all of which go through the liver.

When does challenge turn to overwhelm?

All of our livers are challenged but when we become overwhelmed, we suffer from the type of symptoms listed above and bigger health challenges.

A healthy liver will take in food, oxygen and water and build the framework your body needs to regenerate. It will help other cells to regenerate and like a tube, it takes in food particles and toxins such as mould, bacteria, exhaust fumes and organophosphate pesticides that saturate much of our foods. 

How do I help my liver?

Many things can be done to assist the liver including removing poor food and lifestyle choices and incorporating good ones, some of which are listed below:

A natural/organic diet - following a ‘natural’ diet such as the Mediterranean-style diet that is high in fibre and omega fats that bind toxins and usher them out of the body.

Use bile-promoting supplements – low-fat diets do not work as they inhibit bile production and excretory functions, which are needed to break down fats and oils.

Herbs to improve liver function and bile flow. 

Minimise your exposure to toxins - such as processed foods, alcohol, heavy metals etc.

Carry out a liver and gallbladder cleanse – for those able to do so, which is generally anybody with a chronic but not acute condition. The cleanse stimulates the 2,000 or so miles of bile tubules to contract and eliminate their sludge and stones.

This practice can be carried out twice a year for general health. If suffering from a health condition a practitioner can devise a plan and provide supervision and support.

Ensure your gut is clean – to have a clean liver it is important to ensure the gut is clear to receive and deal with these toxins otherwise the gut will send these toxins back to the liver! 

Incorporate liver-loving practices – include skin brushing before a hot/cold shower to get the lymph moving. Rebounding on a mini trampoline will have the impact of moving the lymph. Castor oil packs on the liver are a wonderful technique for liver cleansing and aiding the emotions of anger and frustration. Additionally, manual liver compression and massage are all practices to aid the organ that is our liver.