Protecting your Liver during the Silly Season

Why the Liver?

The liver is the second largest organ in the body (second only to our skin) and performs an amazing array of functions. It filters blood, forms bile for fat digestion and metabolises
toxins for excretion. Every drug, pesticide, hormone, food substance and chemical is broken down or metabolized by the liver cells. If these substances are not processed by the liver, they will be stored in the fat tissues and cell membranes of the body. The danger of these substances being stored is that they will be released during exercise, stress, and fasting and can then hurt the body. This can cause unwanted symptoms.

Some general signs and symptoms of liver toxicity:

Fatigue, sluggish metabolism, headaches, muscle pain, sore red eyes, paleness, dizziness,brain fog, indigestion, tingling hands/feet, inflammation, allergies, cancers, constipation,
white coated tongue, PMT, hormonal imbalance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fluid retention, bloating, bad breath, nausea, weight gain, depression, mood swings, itchy skin,
blood sugar fluctuations, liver spots, spider vein clusters.

Follow these general tips

Follow these tips for two to three months and you may notice weight loss, brighter eyes,increased energy and clearer skin.

Lifestyle:

Exercise:

• Get your heart rate and circulation moving. This helps circulate and remove toxins.

• Relaxation: Massage also is excellent for removing toxins. Ask your massage therapist for more specific therapies e.g. lymphatic massage if you think you have an excess toxic load. Contact our qualified team to discuss your massage needs.

•Baths: Bathing in general can help the elimination of toxins. Also try once weekly Epsom salt baths for no longer than 15mins. Epsom salts help draw toxins out of the body, but any longer than 15mins may dehydrate you.

• Dry Skin brushing:The skin is the largest organ in the body and a major organ of detox. As toxins are removed through the pores of your skin it is important to clear away dead skin. Regularly brush your skin in circular motions towards the heart - use a natural skin brush only, not synthetic.

• Calm Calm the mind and eliminate negativity: The liver is also known in many medical traditions as the ‘seat of anger' - many toxic people have short fuses, and alcoholics flare in to alcoholic rages. When you detox you may notice symptoms of anger, or slightly more irritation than normal. Witness this and try and manage your mind and calmness with activities such as exercise, breathing exercises, meditation, tai chi, yoga.

Learn to let go.

Nutrition for Liver Detox

• Lemon Jucie:Start your day with lemon juice in warm water. This helps increase bile flow and increase liver function. Lemon juice is an excellent detoxifier and digestive
stimulant, so drink prior to meals when you can.

•Consume more:Carrots, beetroot, alfalfa, barley grass, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, capsicum, tomato, brewers yeast, brown rice, whole grains, soy flour, buckwheat flour, oats, corn, pumpkin, kumara, fresh fruit and veges (organic where
possible), small amount of nuts and seeds.

• Increase intake of:green leafy veges, prunes, apples, berries.

• Fibre: Helps to bind and excrete toxins: eat plenty of fibre from fruit, grains, ground flaxseed, vegetables.

• Add extra nutrients:Supply extra nutrients to help detox the liver and improve energy. Add spirulina/multivitamin to your daily intake. Drink fresh vegetable juice.

• Cook with:Cook with ginger and turmeric: ginger helps circulate nutrients, turmeric provides liver protection.

• Eliminate:Eliminate dairy for a month if possible. Substitute with goat, rice and soya products

• Protein: obtain protein from healthy sources e.g. reduce/eliminate red meat and eat more fish or vegetarian protein.

• Water Drink at least 2 litres of pure, filtered water daily. We recommend pH10 water which is alkaline and will help offset acidity from too much partying. If you are in Auckland call Bob for delivery on 0800 74 10 10

• Eliminate: junk food, roasted food, takeaways, fatty fried foods, charcoal-cooked foods, artificial foods, sodas, excess sugar, non-essential medication, drugs, smoking, high sugary foods and refined carbohydrates e.g. sweets, desserts, white bread and processed grains, biscuits

• Restrict: alcohol, coffee, black tea, saturated animal fats

Supplements to consider:

RU-21
Our senior naturopath Kirsten highly recommends this simple yet very effective formula. See it in our liver supplement section.
This unique Russian blend was formulated to help the Russian soldiers drink and be able to fight the cold war in the morning. RU-21 supports the body's natural ability to metabolize alcoholic beverages. When taken with alcohol, the natural ingredients in RU-21 support alcohol metabolism

It is a good idea to ALWAYS use RU-21 when consuming alcohol. It not only helps to prevent you from having a headache the next day but it actually protects the liver. Studies link even moderate drinking to brain damage, memory loss, compromising behaviour & life-threatening diseases. This is why it is very important to always keep alcohol consumption to a minimum and supplement it with food and vitamins.

Lipoic Acid

Helps the liver in three ways, firstly, it is one of the most powerful antioxidants you can take to help offset the damage of free radicals. When free radicals are produced, antioxidants are needed to help cancel out the damage that free radicals may cause to cells in the body, including liver cells. Second, it is a special antioxidant because it is both fat soluble and water soluble and therefore works in all parts of the body. Usually, an antioxidant will work only in one part of the body or the other. Lipoic acid is also special because it increases the levels of the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, and Coenzyme Q10 in the body. Third, it raises the level of glutathione in the body, and glutathione is needed in liver detoxification.

Vitamin C

This vitamin is water soluble and will be found mainly in our skin (between the cells). Vitamin C is also involved with many other important bodily functions, like collagen formation, wound healing, energy production and fighting off colds (viruses). Vitamin C should be taken with bioflavonoids to ensure that all the components of the vitamin C complex are absorbed.

Zinc

Zinc and copper get displaced the many of the zinc-dependent enzymes get destroyed. Zinc is important for proper functioning in a host of major metabolic pathways; it is a component of over 90 enzymes in the body. Zinc is also a part of the antioxidant enzyme, which fights superoxide radicals. Zinc deficiency has been implicated in a wide variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, including dyslexia, epilepsy, mental depression, and attention deficit disorder.

Magnesium

Magnesium availability is essential for the proper functioning of our immune system as well as hundreds of enzyme systems critical to human health and detox. Organically amino acid-bound ones are more easily absorbed and are less irritating to the gastrointestinal tract as well.

For basic protection most people should be on a Multivitamin & mineral of some kind as in today's world we do not get all the nutrients out of food sources.

Herbs to consider:

Milk Thistle 12,000 Complex from Nutralife Health & Fitness
has a very generous amount of St Mary's Thistle or Milk thistle as it is more commonly known as - 12000mg! along with supporting co factors such as Globe artichole, Astragalus, Dandelion and Taurine. This is a hefty dose product which will support your liver and digestive system. So if you are a person with liver related digestive system symptoms you should think seriously about this product.

Dandelion

Is considered both a food and a medicinal herb. As a food, dandelion leaves are eaten as a vegetable and are usually added to salads or cooked like spinach. Dandelion root is used as an herb to help stimulate bile flow and help improve the symptoms of various liver diseases, including hepatitis.

Milk Thistle (Silymarin)

To help maintain normal liver function by enhancing liver detoxification, increasing the antioxidant glutathione, and promoting repair and regeneration of liver cells.

Globe artichoke

Increases bile production in the liver, and has been shown to reduce blood lipid (cholesterol) levels. It is also a choleretic (increases the flow of bile from the gallbladder), and a choliokinetic (increases the contractile activity of the bile duct), which makes this herb indicated in gallstones and gall bladder disease, as well as conditions where there is liver cell damage or chronic liver dysfunction.

Turmeric

This falls into both the food and medicinal plant category. As a seasoning, turmeric is used a lot in Indian food. This substance helps to protect the liver against damage, fights inflammation and oxidation, aids in digestion by stimulating bile flow and supports liver detoxification. Try adding it to your favorite chicken and rice dishes.

Make sure you increase your fibre:

Fibre such as oat bran and apple pectin, will bind to metals and help draw them out of the body. Fibre such as red beet root fiber is high in antioxidants and facilitates clearance of toxins through the liver.

We know the silly season is there to be enjoyed so have fun BUT take care doing it. Protect your liver over the Christmas & New Year time then come and see us for a gentle check up and potential detox in the New Year.

If you need further assistance or you have any questions, please contact one of the naturopaths ( Kirsten or Kate) at New Zealand Health Shop Ltd, phone (09) 378 0444 in Auckland or 0800 4 NZ HEALTH from around the country.

From all of our team, we wish you a Merry Christmas and good health in the coming year!



December 2007, written by Kate Rejthar (Naturopath/Medical Herbalist) for New Zealand Health Shop Ltd,