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Fifty Ways to Love Your Liver

by Dr. Susan Lark

Published 02/11/09

Western culture is firmly rooted in the pleasure principle. We purchase prepared foods laced with additives instead of cooking and use alcoholic beverages, caffeine, tobacco, and recreational drugs to reward ourselves and dull our cares. Fond of quick fixes, we take medication for every discomfort, spray our lawns with herbicides instead of digging weeds, eliminate insects with pesticides, and use “industrial-strength” cleaners.

As a result, our food, air, and water carry enormous quantities of toxic substances into our bodies. These toxins must continually be broken down and eliminated. At the same time, our bodies must break down and clear the normal by-products of their own metabolism.

That makes detoxification—the process of neutralizing or transforming substances that would normally be poisonous or harmful to the body and eliminating them—one of the body's most crucial functions.

The New Year is a Perfect Time to Detoxify

Many women naturally feel the need to do a “housecleaning” after days or weeks of winter holiday splurging. Their instincts are right on target. Getting your body's detoxification systems in tip-top shape and clearing out stored toxins helps you feel lighter and more energetic. It's a great way to start the new year.

Efficient detoxification has a number of health benefits. It:
increases physical vitality and stamina,
enhances mental clarity and acuity,
makes it easier to get along with others,
helps keep you calm under pressure, and
increases resistance to illness.

Poor detoxification can cause brain fog, fatigue, cold- and flu-like symptoms, bloating, and a number of other issues. It can be particularly hard on perimenopausal women, because it slows estrogen clearance and exacerbates the symptoms of estrogen dominance, including PMS and heavy bleeding. Unfortunately, the effects of poor detoxification can be felt months or even years later. Uncleared toxins are stored in the body's cells, where they remain until released during low food intake, exercise, or stress.


How does your liver detoxification measure up?

Check the phrases that describe you:
· Have morning brain fog
· Have muddled thinking
· Can't stay calm under stress
· Have trouble socializing after consuming certain foods or drinking alcohol
· Often unable to perform tasks effectively
· Chronically fatigued
· Often irritable or quick to anger
· Often impatient and resentful
· Impulsive
· Over 70 years of age
· Have vitamin and mineral deficiencies
· Have high cholesterol
· Have frequent episodes of tiredness, dizziness, nausea, and a racing pulse
· Don't tolerate oily food
· Often have gas pains, poor digestion, constipation, and a bloated or full feeling in my upper abdomen
· Have low levels of stomach acid and digestive enzymes

The more items you checked, the more likely you are to benefit from a making my detox diet and nutrients part of your daily routine.

If you four or more items, speak with your physician. He or she may recommend tests that assess your liver function.

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