Supporting the Liver
I always find myself in awe of the liver, its strength, its skill-set and its resilience are incredible! Its ability to filter, convert and remove toxins from the body is a great super power. Then you consider that it is simultaneously creating bile, orchestrating cholesterol activity, assisting with blood sugar balance and weight regulation, I am impressed with all the jobs it carries out. The resilience of the liver is astounding. 90% of the liver can be removed surgically or damaged chemically and within the right healing conditions, the liver can regenerate and grow back! (It is the only organ with this ability.) All this culminates within one organ and I am simply amazed I have so much respect and gratitude for my liver and all the things it does to keep me functioning!
For more detailed information about the liver functions mentioned above, please see my blog Understanding Liver Function.
There are seasons in our lives when the liver becomes overburdened. We get carried away with life, we get stressed out, we become less mindful about what we’re eating, we move away from mindfulness and our liver suffers.
For more information about the liver becoming overburdened check out my blog post The Overburdened Liver.
Start Small
The great news is that this wonderfully resilient organ can make some great headway with a series of small, mindful diet and lifestyle changes. These can be something as simple as eating more fibrous vegetables (especially your dark green vegetables), purchasing a glass or metal water bottle for refilling instead of purchasing bottled water, transitioning to filtered water, switching to glass food containers (Costco has a great set BTW), investing in a toaster oven to reheat leftovers instead of the microwave or making sure you finish eating no later than 7pm. (the liver regenerates between 11pm and 1am, ideally the body shouldn’t be processing any food at this time.)
You can also support your liver by bringing in foods that support liver detox pathways, like:
citrus zest, which contain the terpene: limonene. Orange has the most limonene but lemon, lime & grapefruit are great sources as well.
soluble fiber, which helps absorb and carry out toxins. Sources include: oats, lentils, black beans, lima beans, chia seeds, flax seeds, citrus fruits, pears, plantains & turnips
insoluble fiber, which helps by working like a broom to sweep out toxins. Sources include: kale, spinach, chard, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, celery, whole grains, onion, garlic, peppers, eggplant and carrots.
cruciferous veggies support hormonal detox. Sources include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, bok choy and Brussels sprouts.
chlorophyll helps support detox of heavy metals and can be found in green produce. Sources include all dark green vegetables (like these cruciferous veggies and those insoluble fiber sources), matcha green tea, spirulina, seaweed & chlorella.
milk thistle helps support regeneration of liver cells. (avoid if pregnant of breastfeeding)
beets help protect the liver and the bile ducts from damage.
turmeric also protects the liver, promotes bile flow and reduces inflammation.
choline is essential to liver function. Sources include: eggs, avocado and non-GMO Soy Lecithin.
There are so many small changes that can contribute to a big impact so start with something that you can easily incorporate into your life. Once that action is a habit, choose another habit to “develop” and continue along until you’re ready for more, at which time you may begin to consider a more GRAND Gesture!
A Grand Gesture
When considering a more grand gesture for your liver, we’re talking a more major lifestyle change. These are things that will likely need some require some research or education, planning and preparations. This is not in an effort to scare you away, but in an effort to let you know what it takes to pull these changes off smoothly.
These grand gestures may look like: switching to organic produce, transitioning to grass-fed/pasture-raised/antibiotic & hormone free dairy & proteins, doing a liver cleanse (with the guidance of a professional) and even cutting out major toxic contributors like caffeine, processed foods, refined sugars, and/or bad fats, for the long haul.
Executing these types of changes can have deep impacts upon your overall function and wellness, which often times manifests in a reduction of symptoms. Things like a more consistent flow of energy throughout the day, less irritability, more feelings of clear-headedness and even a reduction in anxiety!
The beauty is that ANY gesture, small or grand, will allow you to syphon off some of the stored toxins, in turn relieving some of the burden on the liver. The key is to simply begin; by bringing awareness to the toxic exposures in your life and then committing to taking small meaningful actions towards reducing your exposure.
If you have the desire to support your liver function & overall wellness but you’re not sure where to start, you may want to explore becoming a client of mine. If you’re interested in learning more about 1:1 coaching, click here.
Posted: March 8th 2022