Liver Health

Liver is the one of the most vital organs we possess. It is a crucial organ for everyone and we cannot survive without it. If liver is damaged the entire body cannot function properly. It has an essential function in energy metabolism. The liver selects, removes, synthesizes, detoxifies, and stores the finial product of digestion. Everything we ingest passes through liver in some form via the blood stream. All toxic substances end up stored in the liver and once their levels become too high, the liver begins to have trouble eliminating wastes from the body, and it has trouble digesting the food. Buildup of toxins damages the liver tissue and prevents it from a healthy function. Liver has the ability to regenerate itself even if 80% of its tissue is damaged by toxins or drugs. Viruses and alcohol are one of the elements that slow down that natural liver regeneration process. Generally speaking, if you want to have a healthy liver, there are three major dietary elements that you must stay away from; saturated fat, refined sugar and alcohol. A diet high in those dietary elements increases the risk of developing fatty liver (infiltration) and cholestatis. A Big Misconception Contrary to popular belief the most prominent factors that imbalance our diet and lifestyle are lack of knowledge, poor thoughts, lack of consciousness, diet, lifestyle, exposure to toxins, exposure to viruses, bacteria, yeast, parasitic animals, unpleasant life situations. Bad genes, viruses and bacteria are the last causative agent in the long raw of real life hazards.

Diet imbalances and deficiencies of essential nutrients are affecting biochemical processes inside your cells. It is also affecting digestion, preventing internal natural detoxification and liver function.

6 Dietary Rules That Support Liver Health 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Well-balanced diet which should include grains, legumes, seafood, sea vegetables 5-6 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables (mostly green leafy) No or low processed and refined carbohydrates Organic fermented foods (dairy products, legumes) Low fat intake (25%- 30%): use of quality fats as much as possible (extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, extra virgin coconut oil) 6. Herbal drinks and tonics such as dandelion, nettles and green teas.

Making your liver a 'Healthy Liver'

Everything you eat, breathe and absorb through your skin must be refined and detoxified by your liver thus special attention to nutrition and diet can help keep the liver healthy.

If you are concerned with your liver function your diet should be rich in fresh green leafy vegetables that are rich in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll can protect you from carcinogens like no other food or medicine can. It strengthens your cells, detoxifies liver and bloodstream, and chemically neutralizes the polluting elements. Chlorophyll adds oxygen into the blood that is essential for optimal liver function and rejuvenation. One of the richest sources of chlorophyll is chlorella (single cell algae).

If your liver is damaged, you should consider a 'cleansing diet' until your liver gets in a better health condition. A cleansing diet helps the release of toxins and it cleans up dead tissue from liver. Sour flavored foods (sauerkraut, pickles, citrus fruits.) are the most active in liver, where they counter the effects of rich, greasy food, and function as a solvent breaking down bad fats and proteins. Also, very helpful in detoxification and activation properties in liver are bitter foods. Some bitter foods are rye, romaine lettuce, asparagus, quinoa, alfalfa, radish leaves, and citrus peel. Quality vinegars (apple-cider, brown-rice, rice-wine) should be bought sour and bitter and very helpful and powerful in quickly removing stagnation in liver. Other sour-bitter foods are lemon, lime or grapefruit.

Helpful Supplements 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Vitamin C: a powerful antioxidant: 4-15g daily. Beta-carotene-Vitamin A: antioxidant, 5000- 50000 I.U.(about 1.5-1.8 mg daily in adults). Vitamin E: 200- 1200 IU daily. B-complex vitamins (B-6 50-100mg daily, B-12 1000 mg daily for 1 month, Folic acid 400 mg daily). Methionine: increases the fat removal in the liver - 1000 mg two times daily. Zinc: 15 mg daily - important to the structure of cell membranes. Magnesium: 500 mg daily - essential in detoxification and energy production. Selenium: 0.2 mg daily - important in glutathione production, and a powerful antioxidant. Glutathione: major antioxidant and free-radical scavenger. Fresh fruits and vegetables.

Food Supplements 1. Fruit and vegetable juices such as fresh green apple juice, grapefruit juice, cabbage juice, carrot juice, juice from dark leafy vegetables and wheat grass juice. 2. Sea vegetables such as wakame, kombu and hijiki. 3. Algae such as spirulina, chlorella (two times per day, between meals in tea or smoothie). 4. Nutritional yeast (liver support, excellent source of protein, B vitamins and folic acid). 5. Lecithin granules (for fat metabolism) for liver disease such as alcoholic fatty liver; a typical dose is 350 to 500 mg taken 3 times daily. 6. Broccoli sprout extract: inhibits activity in Phase I and enhances Phase 2 glutathione pathway.

Helpful Herbs Dandelion (leaf and root) Bupleurum Oregon grape root Burdock root Turmeric Astragalus Milk Thistle (Silymarin) Yellow dock Chlorella Nettles Black Radish Sho-saiko-to

Licorice Root

Helpful Drinks Pure spring water Herbal teas Macrobiotic special drinks: sweet vegetables drink Adrenal tonic tea: Burdock root The liver cleanse tea Liver Tea Rejuvenator

Your NEW Lifestyle

1. 2. 3. 4.

Spend at least one hour outdoors each day exercising or being active Create a peaceful mealtime (sit at the dinner table with a straight spine) Try to cook simple balanced healthy meals for yourself and your family-GET INVOLVED! Choose most of the foods you eat from plant sources. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. 5. Avoid watching TV for a long stretch of time. 6. Chew your food well (25 times each bite) 7. Sleep 7-8 hours in dark room (use black-out curtains.). 8. Avoid toxins, chemical, pollutants, and any stimulants (especially alcohol, smoking, drugs..), use healthy alternatives when possible. 9. A flame or gas stove is essential. Avoid electric or microwave cooking! 10. Minimize and manage stress in your life by acupuncture, aromatherapy, Jacuzzi/steam room, massage, sauna, hydrotherapy (hot and cold water shower) 11. Learn how to say NO to junk and refined food such as sodas, fried foods, white flour products, desserts treated with processed sweetener and trans fatty acids.