Weekly Insight                   Keeping Your Liver Healthy                     August  22, 2011

You can’t punish yourself into change. You can’t whip yourself into shape. But you can love yourself into well-being. – Susan Skye-

Last fall and during the winter months I had one virus after another until I ended up with pneumonia and thyroiditis.  Because of my illness, I had to be put on prescription medicines for over a month.  When taking any drugs, the liver gets overloaded and can become sluggish.  During this time my face broke out and nothing I did and no skin care regime seemed to make it better.  Since I eat healthy my doctor was a little perplexed as to why.   Because hormone therapy is her specialty, she suggested I see a dermatologist for my condition.  I knew that the dermatologist would probably suggest more drugs and I certainly didn’t want to do that. I ended up visiting with a nutritionist and she suggested that since I had been on prescription drugs I needed to detoxify my overworked liver.

 As the body’s largest internal organ, the liver plays a vital role in keeping you healthy. Not only is it critical to proper protein synthesis and healthy digestion, but it’s also the hub of your body’s natural detoxification system.  When the liver is working at its peak, everything from energy and cholesterol levels to weight and complexion will reap the benefits. If you have had your gall bladder removed, then the liver has to take on double duty to keep everything working properly.  My nutritionist said that anyone who has had their gall bladder removed should be on bile salts for the rest of their life, to help with digestion and to keep the liver healthy.

I had to go on a pretty intense detox cleansing to rid myself of all the toxins in my system, but taking care of the liver on a daily basis is something that we all should be doing to have ultimate health, according to the nutritionist.

 We are all exposed to many environmental pollutants and free radicals, and if you are not eating a healthy diet 100%, then your suboptimal liver functions can drag your entire system down, leaving you tired and in need of detoxification.  You may find yourself to be oversensitive to any number of dietary or chemical insults and maybe even find yourself overweight and nothing seems to help shed those extra pounds.  If you experience any of the above conditions and don’t feel your body is up to snuff, then launching a daily liver-supporting supplement regimen could be one of the smartest steps to take.

Some suggestions to keep your liver healthy are:

  • If you smoke, quit! 
  • Don’t consume alcohol (alcohol affects a woman’s liver even more than a man’s).
  • Avoid eating undercooked seafood and meat. 
  • Do eat apples – the pectin binds to heavy metals and helps to detoxify the liver.
  • Drink lemon juice water, first thing in the morning as it helps to cleanse your stomach and bowels.
  • Eat artichokes as they increase bile production as does dandelion and chicory.
  • Eat beets as they are a blood purifier.
  • Avoid sugar, high fructose corn sweeteners, and especially artificial sweeteners, white flour, white rice, soda pop and processed foods.

 A great supplement to take is milk thistle.  If the liver has already been compromised in any way, it cannot cleanse the blood as expected. Skin problems like psoriasis and dermatitis can erupt when the blood is in need of cleansing. The milk thistle herb will support the liver to cleanse the blood. As a result, skin conditions will be lessened. When liver diseases are present, milk thistle has been proven to effectively treat such conditions. In fact, milk thistle has been prescribed by doctors for hepatitis, inflammation control and cirrhosis. When liver enzymes are elevated from taking prescription drugs, milk thistle will protect the liver.

 This effective liver support supplement which has been used throughout ancient history does not have side effects for the most part. If any, there may be a slight case of diarrhea. Some prescription medications may have interactions with milk thistle. Your best bet would be to consult with a healthcare professional about such medications and the milk thistle herb.

 Vitamin C, magnesium, co-enzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid, along with milk thistle can help ease the burden on an overworked liver.  These great supplements also help more than just your liver to keep your body in optimal health. As I have said before, Healthy Body – Healthy Skin.

“It doesn’t matter how long we may have been stuck in a sense of our limitations. If we go into a darkened room and turn on the light, it doesn’t matter if the room has been dark for a day, a week, or ten thousand years — we turn on the light and it is illuminated. Once we control our capacity for love and happiness, the light has been turned on.”  –Saron Salzberg-

 Truly Caring for Your Health & Happiness!

 Till Next Time,

 Rosemary Evans

Live Your Perfect Weight

www.LiveYourPerfectWeight.com