DO YOU REALLY NEED TO DO A LIVER DETOX?
The fashionable buzzword at the moment seems to be Liver Detox and we are all being encouraged to have one.
Do we really need to have a Liver Detox or is it just another means of getting us to spend our hard earned money on the latest fad?
Below are 17 of the most common messages that your body is sending you that you need to undertake a Liver Detox.
Do you have a History of alcohol/drug use or hepatitis?
Do you have Long term prescription drug use?
Are you Sensitive to chemicals (tobacco smoke, fumes, perfume, cleaning agents, etc.)?
Do you have continual Pain between the shoulder blades?
Is your Stomach upset by greasy foods?
Do you have Greasy or shiny stools?
Do you have a History of nausea, motion sickness, or morning sickness?
Do you have Light or pale colored stools?
Do you get occassional Headaches over the eyes?
Do you get Gallbladder attacks?
Do you have a Bitter taste in the mouth (especially after meals)?
Do you Become sick or easily intoxicated if drinking wine?
Are you Easily hung over?
Do you get Pain under right side of rib cage?
Do you suffer from Hemorrhoids or varicose veins?
Do you consume large quantities of NutraSweet (aspartame)in your daily diet?
Do you suffer from Chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia?
Any or all of the above symptoms indicate that you will likely benefit from undertaking a Liver Detoxification regime. If you have all of the above then you need to get to your Doctor to get yourself checked out.
A Liver Detox is not a full blown detoxifixation regime, it is more like a supporting system for the bodies own natural detoxification system. It just needs to be done occassionally, a bit like an oil change for your car.
Below is a description of how our bodies natural detoxification system works and how we can support it so it keeps on working the best it can.
Nature intended that the human body operates a cleaning service on a daily basis if your diet is able to supply the material it needs to carry out this cleaning.
Eating whole foods instead of using powders and supplements will give you a much safer, effective and gentler daily clean than a supplemental detox diet. This is because eating whole foods instead of supplements and powders gives your body a more well-rounded nutrition with a wide spectrum of nutrients to drive the bodies detoxification system.
HOW THE BODIES NATURAL DETOXIFICATION SYSTEM WORKS
There are 4 things that the body does on a continual basis.
1. The liver works as a filter for the blood. It identifies the parts that are useful to the body such as food and nutrients, and puts into the cleaning system the non-useful or toxic items for further processing. Having suffient nutrients in the body is essential to driving this initial filtration system. The food and nutrients are absorbed and used to maintain the bodies general functions.
The non-useful or toxix substances that were filtered out are then dealt with in a 2 stage process that eventually allows these substances to be discharged from the body.
These processes are known as;
PHASE 1 DETOXIFICATION. The goal of this initial phase is to begin neutralizing and changing a toxin to make it into a water-soluble compound that is able to leave the body through the stool or urine. The body uses enzymes and nutrients to transform these non-useful substances (toxins, used hormones, RX drugs, food additives, etc). However at this half way point, toxin reactivity actually increases, and can cause problems if it does not continue to Phase 2 detoxification right away.
PHASE 2 DETOXIFICATION. Phase 2 detoxification acts upon the partly transformed Phase 1 products as the final transformation stage on the toxin, making it water-soluble for removal from the body. Amino acids (building blocks of protein) DRIVE this stage, as they attach to the toxins to further neutralize and help remove them out of the body.
NOTE: Not all toxins and non-useful substances are able to be transformed into water-soluble substances. These substances tend to be fat-soluble and build up over time in the body.
ELIMINATION. Lastly, the water-soluble toxins are eliminated out the digestive track via bile and stools, or via the kidneys in urine.
LIVER DETOX POWDERS AND SUPPLEMENTS
Liver detox supplements (protein powders included) are often of low quality; they contain irritating additives/fillers, and most of the raw materials are imported without strict regulation regarding safety and purity. These foods are also “refined” with much of the nutritional value stripped out during processing. Empty foods such as these can compromise your natural detoxification abilities, causing your body to retain toxins rather than excrete them.
Alternatively, when you invest in whole foods, your body is energized with nutrients for supporting the natural liver detox system. Your system is ultimately the product of your daily habits and what you choose for eat, NOT what you do or don’t consume for 16-48 hours. If you focus on the bigger picture: learning to fuel and meet your body’s needs on a daily basis, your daily diet should support the liver detox process– not through a ritual you do 1-2 times a year.
Society seems to be very focused on eating “less” and “dieting” (cleanses/detox diets can reinforce that) and people actually end up needing far MORE food than they think (and that nutritional deficiencies actually down-regulate the appetite further). Because in the end, you want your body to FUNCTION better, and naturally detox more efficiently, and this is achieved when you give your body what it needs on a DAILY basis, not when you play restrictive, limiting games.
Liquid fasts and cleanses
It is hard to make a blanket recommendation on cleansing (without knowing a person’s health/dietary history), but my general recommendation is against liquid fasts and cleanses. Because proteins DRIVE the detoxification process, cleanses based on juices, fruits or vegetables do not make a lot of sense.
Also, any time you embark in a fast or cleanse (with the exception of when you have the flu!) you are forcing a specific unnatural regimen on your body, and that often means ignoring your own bio-feedback, cravings, and intuition.
“Any craving is a good starting point, because we have several biological mechanisms for correcting specific nutritional deficiencies.” -Dr. Ray Peat.
For example: if someone is in a hypo-metabolic state (slowed metabolism), the body naturally holds on to more water in tissues, craves less water, and craves more salt and solid food. Partaking in a cleanse in the form of a liquid diet would do much more harm than good for this person.
Regardless of your decision to do, or not do a liver detox/cleanse, don’t ever forget that your body is always talking to you about what it needs. Learning to listen is an amazing tool for building your nutritional wealth so that you can empower your body’s natural detoxification system!
THE LIVER DETOX FOODS YOU’RE NOT EATING
FRUITS:
The vitamins and minerals in fruits drive Phase 1 of detoxification. Costly detox diets and cleansing routines are a waste of money, because organic fruits and fruit juices fuel this first phase of detoxification so much more efficiently.
Tip:
Choose ripe fruits that are high in vitamin C for maximum antioxidant protection. Some great choices are organic oranges, pure orange juice (without additives), kiwifruit, berries (especially dark and red ones), papaya, and pineapple.
BEETS:
Beets are an amazing liver detox and beauty food. They have the ability to help thin your bile, which allows the body to detox more efficiently. A common hidden problem is sluggish/stagnant bile flow. After toxins are neutralized in the liver, they are dumped into the bile, (the bile duct is a river for toxins to move out of the body), and when the bile gets too thick, toxic matter can’t flow out of the body quick enough (this leads to fatigue, low energy, constipation, PMS, toxicity and disease)! Regular beet consumption (and a nutritionally wealthy diet) can help strengthen this process naturally.
Tip:
Buy beets and shred them in your food processor. Have a little beet slaw (with lemon or apple cider vinegar, salt and olive oil) daily or as often as you like to help fuel your natural detoxification system.
NON- INFLAMMATORY PROTEINS:
Your body needs a certain balance of amino acids (building blocks of protein) to support your bodily functions, particularly liver detoxification. The very balance you need is achieved when you eat “the whole animal” and ALL of its parts. When you eat just “muscle meats” regularly, including chicken, pork, beef, lamb, etc. you tend to create an amino acid inbalance in the body that favors inflammation, and starves your liver. It is very important to balance the amino acid types you consume. Non-inflammatory proteins such as eggs, fish, gelatin, dairy products (milk, cheese), shellfish, and organ meats are excellent choices to increase in your diet to better support your natural detoxification capabilities.
Tip:
Try having muscle meats every other day if your intake of non-inflammatory proteins is low.
THE LIVER IS KING
Healthy detoxification to support liver health is absolutely essential for good digestion, a healthy metabolism, and proper thyroid function. A good nutrition strategy goes a long way for overcoming poor detoxification without confusion and expensive fad driven supplements. Your liver needs some daily TLC so that you can experience more robust health without fatigue and digestive sensitivity, you need to nourish your body the right way on a daily basis.
The daily use of Wasabia japonica provides some of the TLC and support that your liver needs to drive the detoxification that keeps your body in good shape.
You can purchase 100% Pure Wasabia japonica Sawa Liver Detox Capsules here. This product is 40 times more effective stimulating Phase I and Phase II detoxification pathways in your Liver.
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