The liver. It’s like the Cinderella of your entire system. It’s your body’s largest internal organ and has hundreds of functions, filtering toxins and foreign substances from the bloodstream, breaking them down, and excreting them. But it doesn’t have a Fairy Godmother or cute little mice to help when the going gets tough. It’s working 24/7, with little rest, and zero respect.
Can you tell I’m living with a princess-obsessed four year old? But I digress.
Some of these toxins are produced within, including excess hormones and neurotransmitters, but the majority come from external sources – the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the stuff we put on our skin.
When your liver becomes overworked as a result of stress or excessive exposure to toxins, your entire system can be thrown off balance, and your health can be severely compromised.
How you ask?
Key nutrient deficiencies, that’s how.
Since the liver is also responsible for producing bile, another form of detoxification that is metabolically necessary for the breakdown and assimilation of fats and proteins from your food, if it’s not firing on all cylinders, your body is unable to cleanse itself and absorb nutrients, which is a recipe for disaster, leading to some of the following ailments that you might otherwise have chalked up to “part of life”. Not so much, my friends.
** Please note that this post may contain affiliate links which means that I can receive a small payment if you make a purchase through my links.
1. Digestive problems
Constipation, belly bloat, and ongoing indigestion all relate to liver stress. The liver is supposed to release bile that helps to break down food and lubricate the intestines. In weak or stressed livers, this process is compromised.
2. Aches and pains
The liver helps to purify and produce new blood. When it’s out of balance, sufficient amounts of healthy blood may not be reaching tendons, muscles, and tissues, leading to reduced flexibility and tension in those areas, as well as arthritis.
3. Fatigue
Because the liver is responsible for storing excess glucose for energy usage later, if stressed, this function is compromised. Not to mention, the build up of toxins that occur as from the liver not removing waste efficiently can bog down other organs and bodily processes. It’s like when you have too many windows open on your computer. How does it run? S-L-O-W…
4. Mood swings
Since our bodies and minds are connected, when the liver becomes stagnant, so do our emotions. Feelings of depression, anger, irritability, and impatience are common with liver stress. Liver stress can cause difficulty in making decisions, poor judgement, and brain fog.
But wait, there’s more!
In addition to the above buzz killers, the following have been linked to a stressed out liver:
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Bad breath
- Sugar cravings
- Fibromyalgia
- Fluid retention
- Headaches
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Erratic blood sugar
- Hormone imbalance
- Compromised immune system
- Skin rashes or breakouts
Do any of these sound familiar?
The good news is that it is all reversible with a good old-fashioned vay-cay for Cinderelly. A vacation that includes time away from its usual workload, spa treatments, and delicious, healing food.
Can I get an amen?
“If the liver is impaired from constructing even one of the thousands of enzyme systems the body requires, there is an impairment in overall body function and a resultant greater metabolic stress on the individual.”
So here are seven important foods you may want to begin incorporating into your diet in order to maintain a healthy liver. Click here to find out how to repair your liver.
If you’re looking for a detox for your liver, here are 5 Effective Tips For a Spring Detox to Rejuvenate Your Liver.
Have you ever given your liver a vacation? I’d LOVE to hear! Please leave a comment!
Dig these tips? Sign up for updates…it’s FREE! Sign me up!
Kristen Boucher is a registered nurse, healthy living junkie, health & wellness coach, real foodie, full-time working wife to an amazing husband, cloth-diapering crunchy mama of two beautiful girls, creator of The Superwoman Slim Down: A Real Food Detox & Cleanse for Real Women, Lose Weight, Feel Great: 8 Weeks to a New You, and Founder of MIX | Wellness Solutions For A Balanced Life, where she inspires busy women to eliminate the overwhelm to lose weight, kick cravings, stress less, and cook delicious, healthy, and family-friendly meals so they can gain confidence, double their energy, and save money without crazy diets, countless hours at the gym, or quitting their day job. Kristen can be found pushing the envelope at www.mixwellness.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
Are you struggling to lose weight and keep it off?
Are you feeling run down and are struggling with ever increasing health problems?
Green Thickies new 7 Day Detox will help you drop a dress size, improve your skin, your energy will soar and you are going to be so in control and proud of yourself.
You won't go hungry on this diet ... And better yet - it actually requires minimal time in the kitchen.
Get results like this...
Hi Katherine,I just wanted to tell you I completed the 7 day detox and I feel so great.
I have lost 6lbs, do not feel like I need more my morning coffee, the flushing of my facial skin from rosacea has dramatically reduced and I am so excited to wake up each morning and make a green thickie for breakfast!!
I am a stay at-home, homeschooling momma of 3 littles and at times so busy I would forget to feed myself!
I would go most of the day without eating and then snack on random things.
I gained 60 pounds the last 6 years during pregnancy.
I have lost 30lbs but recently plateaued and have felt so frustrated.
I’ve tried everything from paleo and keto to the point where I didn’t know what to eat or how much and felt like even eating fruit was bad for me which thankfully it’s not!
What a game changer for me. Thank you for sharing a simple but effective program.
I’m so excited to continue another week with this plan! Thankful Stephanie
Use this special voucher to get $10 off: WEBSITE (Add discount code WEBSITE at the checkout)
Click here to get started
- How To Use Bananas For Sleep (Bedtime Banana Elixir Recipe) - January 14, 2022
- Why You Can’t Eat Your 5 A Day (And The EASY SOLUTION) - November 29, 2021
- 10 Second Banana Ice Cream Recipe (Using Only Bananas) - November 1, 2020
Evangelina Ganska says
You brighten my day reading your short articles, you’re such a wonderful writer!