Originally published March 18 2013
Five reasons your liver is begging you to detox
by J. D. Heyes
(NaturalNews) Years of poor dietary habits and an influx in the use and ingestion of an increasing amount of harmful chemicals have left tens of millions of people with far too many toxins in their body, a phenomenon which can be especially harmful to the liver.
The good news is there are ways to essentially "detoxify" your liver, and in doing so, greatly enhance your overall health, as well as the functioning capacity of the liver itself.
According to Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, "the liver regulates most chemical levels in the blood and excretes a product called bile, which helps to break down fats, preparing them for further digestion and absorption." But when your body is consistently exposed to harmful chemicals and substances, the liver takes a beating and, quite frankly, is unable to perform at peak capacity.
A liver cleanse is one of the best ways to lose weight. Cosmetic and physical reasons aside, slimming down to your body's peak weight is always a good thing, in terms of health, and a liver detox is a great way to cut the extra pounds.
"Many people are unaware that the liver is highly instrumental in the breakdown of fat. In every respect, the liver is just as essential to weight loss as are the intestines and the stomach," says the Global Healing Center. "The liver produces bile, which is used by the digestive system in the breakdown of fat. When you cleanse your liver, you help it promote the production of bile, which will in turn assist your body in metabolizing fats. If you are serious about losing weight, then a liver cleanse should definitely be placed at the top of your priority list."
Liver stones - keep them at bay. These appear in your liver where there is too much cholesterol in the body. The cholesterol then causes bile to harden into crystalline stones that can then create blockages, thus inhibiting the liver's ability to rid the body itself of toxins and return nutrients to the body.
Liver detoxification can rid your body of up to 300 of these "stones" at one time.
As the liver goes, so goes your body. Detoxifying your liver will essentially detoxify your entire body, so it makes sense that in order to detoxify your body, it is best to begin with the organ that is actually responsible for body detoxification.
"The liver is the gateway to the body and in this chemical age its detoxification systems are easily overloaded," says LiverDoctor.com.
Liver detox will give you an energy boost. Purifying your liver will do for you what other people drink coffee or other unhealthy "energy" drinks for - give you a boost of vigor to make you more mentally alert and productive throughout your day.
"The liver is an organ of transmutation. By this, we mean that it changes one substance into another," says Global Healing Center. "Liver cleansing will restore this proper supply of nutrients to the body and noticeably increase your energy for exercise and daily activities."
Do you want to look - and feel - younger? Removing toxins from the body's ultimate toxin filter will cause your skin to look brighter, healthier and more resilient, as the liver's renewed ability to break down fat will assist you in toning up and feeling better than you have in years.
Okay, so, liver detox: How to do it? Here's one way, using unsweetened cranberry juice, orange juice, water and a few other ingredients:
-- Combine one cup of unsweetened cranberry juice with seven cups of water, bring to a gentle boil, then remove from heat.
-- In a tea ball (or tied-off coffee filter) add 1/2 tsp of ginger, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg and one tsp of cinnamon in the cranberry/water mixture for 15 minutes, then remove.
-- Add 3/4 cup of orange juice and 1/4 cup of lemon juice to mixture and stir, then stick it in the refrigerator.
-- Make sure you weigh yourself before and after your detox.
-- When you wake up, drink one cup of the cranberry mixture. Then alternate the next hour with a full cup of water. Then drink a cup of the cranberry mixture the next hour and water the next hour and so on until you finish the mixture.
Sources:
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com
http://www.liverdoctor.com/liver/the-liver-and-detoxification
http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2012/04/16/5-foods-toxic-to-the-liver
http://www.lpch.org
http://www.ehow.com/how_5248646_lose-one-day-liver-detox.html
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