Cleansing and Supporting the Liver
I advocate cleansing the liver on a regular basis. This is crucial for
everyone, not just those of you participating in herbal or chemical
therapies, or suffering from liver ailments. Your liver is one of the
most vital organs you possess. If it is damaged, your body cannot
function properly.
Without it, you cannot survive. An unhealthy liver is the root of many
physical problems.
When you undergo any kind of chemical treatment, the liver is affected.
This holds true whether you are taking prescription antibiotics, herbal
or synthetic hormone treatments, or just are surviving on a junk food
diet. Everything that you ingest passes through the liver in some form,
via the blood stream. Many of these substances end up stored in the
liver, as the body does not know how to rid itself of many of the
unnatural toxins we ingest daily, from chemicals to preservatives to
additives. When the liver becomes overloaded, it develops problems that
can lead from mild to dangerous to fatal. Even a mildly sluggish liver
can seriously affect our energy levels, and our libidos! Always remember
that the liver is responsible for controlling the hormone levels in our
bodies.
Toxic substances end up stored in the liver. Once the buildup becomes
too much, the liver begins to have trouble eliminating wastes from the
body, as well as trouble digesting our food. This then leads to a
buildup of toxins in other organs, and in all the tissues of the body,
including the brain. A buildup of this nature can be fatal, if the liver
doesn't first cease to function altogether. So it is our job to
eliminate these toxins from the body on a regular basis. It is also our
job to feed the liver the nutrients it needs to support its important
functions, as well as to occasionally give it a complete break from all
we put it through in a day.
Hormone therapy especially calls for a need to monitor the liver
carefully. When hormones, synthetic or herbal, reach a saturation point
in the liver, you will then experience an overload of that substance in
the body. You continue to take your estrogen (or any other substance),
the liver is already full and cannot remove more from the blood, and you
suddenly are full of many times the amount of estrogen, or whatever
chemical you are ingesting, than your body needs. This then manifests
into many other serious and potentially fatal problems, not the least of
which is cirrhosis.
This includes such substances as alcohol and recreational drugs. If you
are undergoing hormone therapy, chemical treatments, pregnancy and/or
nursing, liver disease, etc., these are two things that you should be
staying far away from.
You are already taxing your liver's abilities with the extra work. Add
in the damage that has been proven to be caused by these substances, and
you are a walking train wreck waiting to happen. Binge drinking is very
dangerous when on hormones of any kind. If you have ever watched someone
die of liver failure, then you know what I mean by that. If not, spare
yourself and your loved ones of the hideous scene and intense pain it
creates.
Organ donors are in very short supply.
I recommend the following liver cleansing regimen for all. Committing to
following this regimen on a regular basis will prolong your life and
your body's organs.
The first step to a healthy liver (and body!) is diet. There is no
substitute for eating properly and obtaining as much of your daily
nutritional needs from whole foods, rather than from synthetic vitamins.
You should be eating a diet high in fiber, low in saturated fat, and low
in refined sugars.
Eat foods every day that are high in vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and
selenium.
These nutrients protect the liver and other organs from free radical
damage. You should avoid processed foods (such as lunchmeats, junk
foods, etc.), soft drinks, fried foods, salty foods, and white sugar
(and especially sugar substitutes!). Try using honey or stevia as a
nutritious replacement to sugars. Limit your caffeine intake, or stop
using it altogether (caffeine can cause breast tenderness and pain).
Limit red meats, and add fish to your diet at least twice per week. Eat
plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens,
whole grains, and legumes.
Here I will pass along the most effective therapy I have found, as it is
used for treating hepatitis and other liver problems, as well as for
cleansing and supporting. I have discovered it to be most effective.
The first couple of days of your cleansing regimen you should fast
lightly. Drink plenty of fresh water, fresh fruit and vegetable juices,
and eat lightly, such as salads, if at all. This gives the liver a rest
from the rigors of digestion, and gives it a better chance to clear out
toxins. Plenty of water is very necessary to help flush the toxins from
your system. If you live in an area where your tap water is
questionable, use bottled water.
After the first couple of days, you can slowly increase your diet by
adding foods, starting lightly, and avoiding red meats, all processed
foods and sugars. Concentrate on totally healthy foods during the liver
cleanse. If you are taking a synthetic hormone therapy, discontinue your
hormones for at least three days, or as advised by your physician.
Herbally, take the following combination.
4 capsules milk thistle
3 capsules dandelion root
2 capsules ginger
2 capsules sarsaparilla
2 capsules parsley
2 capsules nettle
1 capsule yellow dock
1 capsule kelp
Use these twice per day, morning and evening. In the middle of the day,
drink a liver support tea, such as this
combination:
2 parts dandelion
1 part ginger
1 part peppermint
1 part rosemary
1 part rose hips
Mix together the dry herbs and store in a glass container away from
light and heat.
Make the tea by using one to two teaspoons of the dry herb, steeped for
10 minutes in very hot (not boiling) water. Strain, sweeten with honey
to taste, and drink.
Continue this for one week. For the second week of the cleanse, continue
to drink the tea in the middle of the day.
Change the herbs to the following:
3 capsules dandelion root
3 capsules milk thistle
2 capsules ginger
2 capsules spirulina
1 capsule kelp
Take this twice per day. At the end of the two week cleanse cycle,
return to your regular treatment program. You can continue to drink the
liver tonic tea once per day or so, if you so desire. Remain on a
healthy daily diet, and you should enjoy better health.
After the first cleanse, you may wish to schedule a few days per month
to partake in a short liver cleanse, consisting of the herbs recommended
for the second week above. This would be especially important if you are
undergoing a long-term therapy, or are suffering from liver damage. In
the case of the latter, I would recommend drinking the liver tonic tea
at least once per day.
Blessings and Good Health!
Note: Every reasonable care is taken over the information offered here,
however no responsibility or liability whatsoever will be taken for any
consequence relating directly or indirectly to any information,
treatment, or application of any recipes or tips presented herein.