Anatomy of the biliary tree, liver and gall bladder, Jiju Kurian Punnoose
Are you depressed, irritable or angry, low on energy, having difficulty
sleeping, having eye problems, or feeling bloated? It could be an imbalance in your liver. Your liver plays a very important role in
your overall health. Many problems can
occur with your health if your liver is functioning improperly. In fact, the causes of the majority of health
problems is linked to issues with the liver, digestive system and glands.
I actually worked at an EPA clean up site (old military weapons plant full of uranium and other toxins) for several years, and then developed liver and gallbladder problems, depression, lack of energy, and the list goes on. Could there be a link to these issues and the toxins? You can decide after reading this post. The answers to the health problems I was experiencing ranged from antidepressants to gallbladder operation. No one could tell me how to get rid of these toxins that I had been unknowingly exposed to. I took matters into my own hands and began doing research on what I could do to help myself. I personally would recommend that everyone be their own "toxin detective" to see what toxins they may be getting exposed to that are harming their health. You take out the garbage in your home, what about your body?
Okay, so let’s take a look at what your liver actually
does. Your liver is the largest and most
metabolically complex organ in your whole body.
Think of it as a storehouse for all of your nutrients. What do you have stored in yours?
Your liver also helps you to digest your food and nutrients,
and helps your body to detoxify from chemicals.
It also is a major player in the functioning of your immune system. In essence, you liver is where bile is
produced to emulsify and help with digestion of fats. It is also a storage unit
for your blood, and nutrients, which it releases as needed; and it filters out
toxins from the blood in your body. Your
liver also is responsible for making lipoproteins (cholesterol – LDL takes the
fats to the tissues in the body, HDL brings them back to the liver) to
transport fats throughout your body. (In
spite of what you may have heard, our bodies absolutely require good fats to
function properly.) It also helps your
body maintain the proper blood sugar levels, and is a defensive line back to
your immune system to help prevent infections.
Your Bodies 3 Main Defense Systems:
1.
The first line of your body’s defense are the mucous membranes of your digestive
and respiratory system.
2.
The second line of defense is your digestive
system. All blood from the digestive
system is sent to the liver to process nutrients and send them where your body
needs them, and to filter toxins.
3.
Toxins in the blood that get past the liver
cause the glandular system to activate and push the toxins out, which makes the
glandular system your third line of defense.
To find out if your body may be struggling with imbalances
in your liver, you can download and take our Brilliant Body Assessment at:
·
Brilliant Body Handout Assessment
·
Or take it online at www.mynsp.com/herbbarn (click on the yellow “Health Analyzer”
Button”)
Some things that have been linked
to liver imbalances are:
·
Difficulty digesting certain foods
·
Monthly female concerns (PMS, menstrual
problems)
·
Regular consumption of alcohol
·
Food allergies
·
Smoking
·
Skin/complexion problems
·
Feeling down, uninterested or moody
·
Difficulty getting to sleep, lack of sleep
·
Fewer than 2 bowel movements per day
·
Daily consumption of fried foods
·
Restless sleep or waking up frequently
·
Feeling irritable or easily angered
·
Stuffy or bloated feeling under right rib cage
·
Difficulty digesting fats
·
Difficulty getting to sleep at night
·
Groggy feeling in the morning, difficulty waking
up
·
Chemical sensitivities
·
Environmental illness
·
Working around chemicals
·
Eye problems
·
Feeling ill, but nothing shows up on medical
tests (hypochondria)
Five Ways to Help Your Liver Function Better
1.
Keep Exposure to Environmental Toxins to a
Minimum
2.
Use Herbs and Supplements That Help to Detoxify
the Liver
3.
Let Go of Anger and Resentment (the liver is
where anger and resentment are held in the body) To see more about the mind/body connection:
astore.amazon.com/hippieherbalist-20/detail/0937611352
4.
Increase Your Intake of Antioxidants
5.
Protect Your Liver with Hepatoprotective Herbs
According to the American Cancer Society, prior to the 20th
century, only 1 out of 8,000 Americans got cancer, but since World War II, more
than 80,000 chemicals have been developed, and now the statistics say that 1
out of 3 people get cancer. The Center
for Disease Control reports that cancer is also the leading cause of death in
people between the ages of 45 and 75.
Toxins from chemicals, drugs and environmental pollutants
are putting a heavy burden on our livers.
Reports now say that 80% of the toxins we are exposed to are from our
own homes, and are 3 times more likely to cause cancer than environmental
pollutants.
It is very important to limit the amount of toxins we are
exposed to. In my family, we have thrown
away all poisonous cleaning products and personal care products and replaced
them with biodegradable safe alternatives.
In addition to cleaning up your products, it’s a good idea
to clean up the air in your home. Most
people, on average, can’t afford to put in a whole house air purifier, but
there are some very good alternatives that work well. The one
that we use is called a Boomerang Air Purifier. It is available at www.mynsp.com/herbbarn
(do a search for Boomerang).
You might also consider cleaning up your water with a good
reverse osmosis system. From our water,
we can get chemicals, fluoride, chlorine, and yes, even parasites in some
cases. You can find a great one at www.mynsp.com/herbbarn
(just do a search for Natures Spring).
Other harmful substances to avoid:
·
Drugs
·
Alcohol
·
Genetically
modified foods (GMOs)
·
Food
additives
·
Pesticides
and other agricultural chemicals
·
Gasoline
& solvents (petrochemicals)
·
Tobacco
products
·
Chemicals
in general
The liver needs vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other
phytonutrients in order to do its job the correct way. If your liver is extremely toxic you may need
even more nutritional support.
When you begin to detoxify your body, you should be aware
that as your liver detoxifies, you may feel tired and sluggish, and could even
have some “healing crisis’” occur while your body is removing these toxins. Some common indications of a “healing crisis”
may be things like, cold symptoms, headache, skin itching and even digestive
upsets. It is only temporary, and is
your body’s way of letting you know that it is working on something and getting
rid of it. Also, be aware that unless
your body is able to eliminate toxins through one or several of your elimination
systems, they remain trapped and can be a health hazard. There are six parts of our bodies that work
24/7 to get rid of wastes, with 5 of them being organs of elimination:
1. The colon
2. The lungs
3. The skin
4. The lymph
5. The kidneys
6. And in addition the liver
Some supplements to consider if you believe that you have a
toxic liver might be:
·
Indole-3-Carbinol
·
Milk Thistle
Combination
·
Liver
Balance
·
Heavy Metal
Detox
·
Psyllium
Hulls
·
Hepetic System Pack (which includes several
of the above in convenient packets)
All of the above products are available
through www.mynsp.com/herbbarn
Now let’s take a look at
antioxidants and what they can do to help protect the liver, especially during
the detoxification process. Note: your eyes and liver use more antioxidants
than any other areas of your body (eye problems can be an indicator of liver
issues due to a lack of antioxidants.)
Food antioxidants include, dark
green leafy vegetables (Chard, beet greens, mustard greens, turnip greens,
etc.); cruciferous vegetables (Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.); Red beets;
Lemon water; black cherries, blueberries, and other sour fruits.
Glutathione is also an very
important antioxidant, one of the most important in the body. Its job is to recycle other antioxidants; and
to help detoxify and eliminate poisons in the liver, lungs, intestines, and
kidneys. It also helps protect liver and
eye health. Heavy metal toxins inhibit glutathione
replenishing. N-Acetyl-Cysteine is a precursor to
glutathione and aids both liver and eye health
More on
N-Acetyl-Cysteine
Thai-Go is a great way to get your
antioxidants. Sour fruits are said to
tonify the liver chi in Chinese medicine.
Many of the antioxidant fruits in Thai-Go are used in Chinese medicine
for liver and eye problems. Thai-Go is
an excellent liver protecting remedy
More on
Thai-Go
Other support products for liver
detoxification:
·
Mood
Elevator - Depression, low energy
·
Blood
Stimulator - PMS, heavy menstrual bleeding, pale, weak
·
Gall
Bladder Formula - Poor fat digestion (also consider Hi-Lipase), gall
bladder problems
Order
these products at www.mynsp.com/herbbarn
Five Keys to a Healthy Liver
1.
Minimize Exposure to Environmental Toxins
2.
Use Herbs and Supplements That Support Liver
Detoxification
3.
Let Go of Anger and Resentment
4.
Increase Your Intake of Antioxidants
5.
Protect Your Liver with Hepatoprotective Herbs
Order
these products at www.mynsp.com/herbbarn
Find out more information about herbs and
supplements, please do not hesitate to contact us, or find out more by visiting
our website at:
www.HippieHerbalist.com