By It may have crossed your mind to do it someday, but it’s never been a better time to start a simple detox now
Our liver is a mighty organ. It’s in charge of processing waste products and eliminating toxins safely. Because our liver is in charge of doing so many things, it’s got a remarkable ability to regenerate and grow new tissue. So even if some of it is removed from surgery, it will renew over time. Although the liver will do its best with what you give it, sometimes it can become a little bogged down with all the toxins present in everyday life.
This comes in the form of alcohol, drugs (even the prescribed kinds), pesticides in our foods and of course, a poor diet. As a result, some toxins can sneak through and may not eliminate properly. This increases the risk of liver damage over the long term. The great news is you can do a few things regularly (perhaps daily) to help eliminate toxins and rejuvenate your liver. It’s essential to pay close attention to any of the symptoms below, which can signify that the liver needs a bit of love and care on your part. We’ll get to that too.
Signs you need to detox your liver sooner rather than later
One: Weight gain or you are unable to lose weight
Excessive calories and lack of exercise cause cells to become resistant to insulin. That leads to higher fatty acids in the blood deposited in the liver. It builds up a similar type of visceral fat that’s apparent in the belly. This kind of fat causes inflammation all over the body.
Two: Problems sleeping
Problems with the liver can cause us to experience insomnia or constant disturbances during our sleep. Our liver processes hormones that regulate our wake and sleep cycle. This also includes our levels of both cortisol and melatonin. Too much cortisol makes us wired up when we’re supposed to be winding down for sleep. Don’t treat daytime fatigue (from sleep deprivation) with caffeine or sugar infusions, either. This will continue to affect your sleep over a long period. It’s essential to get to the root cause of the problem at hand.
Three: Digestive problems
This is probably a substantial telltale sign. Do you experience a lot of gas, irritable bowel or diarrhea? Poor liver function slows the release of bile, leading to the growth of harmful gut bacteria. This inflammation can form itself into IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
Four: Extreme tiredness
If the liver is under pressure, it may fail to regulate your blood sugar. That can lead to even more cravings and sugar addiction. This is the never-ending cycle of tiredness, being wired at night and the usual slow down of energy when the sugar high wears off.
These are the most common symptoms most of us can experience. Sometimes we can be active and lead a genuinely healthy lifestyle, but environmental toxins can get the better of us. Therefore, it’s a great idea to think about helping the liver along the pathway towards regeneration.
What to avoid
One: Limit or avoid alcohol benders Two: Drink only filtered water and eat organic produce whenever possible. If you are worried about affordability, choose to eat organic varieties of smaller items (the most toxic), such as berries. Three: Use glass instead of plastic. Avoid plastic as much as possible, especially reheating plastic containers with food in it. That’s asking for liver trouble in itself.
Four: Keep a watchful eye on your medications and check to see if they damage the liver long term — these range from pain killers and, of course, antibiotics. Do you think a liver cleansing program is necessary? Well, our liver is excellent at detoxing itself quite efficiently. The problem lies when we fill it with the awful stuff regularly, without giving it a break. Although it’s unnecessary to go on a complete cleanse, it may help you feel a lot better and reset your digestion and ignite your energy levels. I did a liver detox many years ago, and although it was very challenging, I did find that I could digest my food a lot better and experienced less GI challenges. That and getting leaner was my biggest wins from this cleanse. The honeymoon period tends to wear off. Therefore, it’s a better alternative to eat healthy regularly and do your best to avoid toxins.
Speak to your health practitioner or naturopath for more information. I hope this is helpful for you. Take care of your insides, and they will look after you.