Liver Health

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Category: Health & Fitness

Published on Sunday, 15 July 2012 15:44

Written by Raminder Gill

A healthy liver is the most important element when it comes to losing weight. If your liver isn’t doing its job properly you will not burn fat.  You may drop water weight, but your fat cells won’t disappear. One of your livers jobs is to convert

stored fat into energy the body uses.  And if your liver is not functioning at 100% then fat burning will not occur effectively and makes it impossible to lose weight!

In this day and age we are exposed to various levels of stresses on the liver i.e. the air we breathe, foods we eat, medications we take, alcohol we consume.  So we are already pushing our liver to the limits when it comes to detoxification.  So simply, if our liver is not being taken care of, these toxins will enter our blood stream and will be stored in fat cells where toxins are harmless, and then you get fat.  The problem arises when you try to burn off those stored fat. Your body is very reluctant to burn this fat because this would release the toxins back into the blood stream.  So your body is fighting against itself. 

You liver also produces a litre of bile a day.  Bile is very important for metabolism of fats. It is excreted and takes any fat that is stored in your liver.  If you liver produces insufficient or poor quality bile, you can’t metabolize fats and you probably will be constipated.  So how do you tell if you have a dysfunction liver. If you have trouble losing weight especially around your middle and you are always tired with little energy, the chances are good that the problem lies with your liver. 

If your diet consists mostly of butter, sugar, too much alcohol, junk food then you can be almost certain your liver is dysfunctional. Booze the main player in this category. Everyone knows that alcohol damages the liver I personally wish it didn’t but it does. 

Alcohol is poisonous to the body that’s why it makes us drunk. That’s why we say someone who’s drunk is intoxicated. It’s the liver’s job to break those toxins down; if you drink too much alcohol it puts the liver under enormous strain. While dealing with large amounts alcohol the liver cannot also cope with its other jobs such as burning fat.  Even if you don’t drink alcohol and have a high fat diet, you are taxing the liver just as hard as someone who drinks. 

So what’s the solution? How do you get your liver back into the fat metabolism, fat burning, toxin zapping, dieters best friend it should be. 

There are 2 steps to be taken. The first is to eliminate as many toxins as possible from you diet as possible and secondly making sure are liver gets all the nutrients it needs 

Food and drink  

Beetroot is a great detoxifier and blood purifier and helps strengthen the liver. 

Broccoli is a very powerful liver detox food and also contains important cancer preventing nutrients 

Garlic has a great number of health benefits and is a great cleanser and detoxifier of the liver.

Tomatoes are good for an inflamed liver and contain large amounts of the anti-oxidants, beta carotene, lycopene, Vitamins C and E, and Zinc

Turmeric is a bile simulator and all round liver tonic.  

Dandelion root is a great liver tonic and bile simulator.  You can buy at any health store.  (Sold in any health stores) 

Milk thistle is a very important in protection the liver from alcohol damage. Help the liver repair itself and simulates bile production.

Milk thistle is the best around supplement to take for your liver especially if you drink alcohol. (Sold in any health stores) 

Today’s foods lack essential vitamins and minerals. So taking a good quality natural multi vitamin and mineral supplement could be a smart move. 

I hope I have convinced you that the health of your liver is of utmost importance with losing your weight.  So, clean up your diet, lower the alcohol, maybe take a look  at your medications (I am not a professional, so ask your doctor is this medication masking or fixing your current problem)  and of course….get out and exercise!