The season we seem to long for is spring, especially in Canada.  Spring is also the time when the liver has the potential to cleanse and renew.  If we go with the natural cycle (spring cleaning of the liver), the process flows very easily.

What does the liver do and how can we help?

The liver has many functions and is the largest organ inside the body. It provides enzymes for digestion of protein and cleans the blood.  Cleansing the blood of toxins has the added bonus of providing the raw materials for the gallbladder to produce bile for digesting fats and oils.  By working on the liver, you get improvement in gallbladder as well as liver function.

How do we know that the liver needs help?

Dysfunction presents few external physical symptoms, so how do we know?  Our emotions can guide us to the answer.  Patience shows us we have good organ function. Check your patience sitting in traffic, for example, or maybe standing behind a slow customer at the store. Consider how your emotions are when you are taking care of details: If you navigate these types of situations with calm demeanor, you are probably doing very well.

Often though, we are not only impatient, we can be frustrated and angry in many situations.  We might feel it even if we do not express the emotions. If we find that we are picking arguments and not able to let go without going over issues in great detail, we might need to consider helping the liver out, especially at this time of year. In weather terms, we might get quite irritated with windy weather and not be able to tolerate that very well.  This is an interesting sign that the liver needs help.

If you find that you are impatient, argumentative, frustrated, irritable and even angry, keep reading! Helping the liver by giving it a gentle cleaning may be exactly what you need.

What can we do for some spring cleaning? 

The most common causes of liver congestion are too little or too much protein, too many fatty foods, and excess alcohol. Let’s start with protein, making sure we are not overeating it.  Balance the protein in each meal with vegetables, like salad and cooked vegetables as a side dish.  I would avoid deep fried foods and pork at this time of year.  Certain vegetables are great for aiding the cleanse:  raw radish, tomatoes, and onions (cooked or raw) are all fat cutters.  Any lightly cooked or raw vegetables are helpful.  Apples activate bile to work on what we have just eaten.  They can be very helpful in your diet.

Fatty liver

People often know they have a fatty liver.  An ultrasound can detect it medically, but even without this test, we can know if it’s fatty.  One of the main symptoms is a sticky stool that is hard to expel and can leave fatty residue on the toilet bowl. Fatty liver does not sound too bad, but it indicates your liver function is decreasing and perhaps even degenerating.

Several small dietary changes can specifically reverse this condition.

• Adding Psyllium husk to your daily routine (about a level tablespoon twice per day in water)
• Abstaining from alcohol for 2 to 3 weeks then adding in a serving or two of wine or beer 2 to 3 days per week at most
• Avoiding hard liquor
• Having 2 days a week with no fats and oils.

 

That way, you cleanse your liver each week and stay on top of the process. These are all gentle processes for good results.  It is important not to stress the body with a big cleanse since that can cause side effects, or a healing crisis.

Preventative medicine for great health

Pat yourself on the back if you already do most of these suggestions.  You have greatly helped your body keep the blood clean and strong and allowed your digestion to enhance the effect of the amazing foods you wisely choose to eat. If you now know there is work to be done, my advice is to get started.  The body does change with every positive action you take.  One of the best side effects of working on your liver is that you are once again patient with all that is going on around you.

When people come for an appointment, I check the function of the liver and gallbladder each time.  If the body shows me there is an issue, a gentle liver and or gallbladder remedy is given.  The results can greatly enhance the effect of all the work you have done by being mindful of the liver.

Preventative medicine is increasingly popular.  Consider finding out how every aspect of your liver is doing by coming for a session this spring.  I am happy to answer your questions in a free 20 minute call including some intuitive feedback about what may be important for you to know.

Happy Spring!