Your liver is a powerhouse when it comes to detoxification and maintaining a healthy metabolism. A well-functioning liver can help you maintain a healthy weight and energy level. However, with an unhealthy liver, toxins and body fat quickly accumulate, affecting overall health and well-being.
Unfortunately, your liver is under constant attack from various sources such as food additives, household chemicals, environmental pollutants, prescription drugs, alcohol, water chlorination, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals that enter your body through what you eat, drink, or breathe. Any compromise in liver detoxification can lead to toxin buildup and potential weight gain.
When in failure, your liver cannot filter the blood, leading to a buildup of pressure in the arteries supplying it. This can result in edema, along with weight gain from fluid retention. Excessive alcohol consumption is a common cause of this condition.
Support Your Liver
Here are some ways to support your liver:
1. Milk Thistle (Silymarin): This herb helps protect liver cell walls from being damaged by toxic substances that need to be detoxified.
2. Selenium and α-lipoic acid: These nutrients help support the function of the liver’s enzymes.
3. Liver-friendly foods: Consuming onions, garlic, artichoke, beets, burdock, and leafy green vegetables provide nutrients that help the liver operate effectively.
4. Avoid grapefruit: Although it offers many health benefits, grapefruit contains natural chemicals that can negatively impact the liver’s enzyme activity.
The Bile System
Since the liver acts like a vacuum, its bile system, which acts as its filter bag, must be emptied from time to time. The bile system helps eliminate fat-soluble toxic waste while boosting the digestion of fats in the intestines.
You can cleanse the bile system periodically with a simple protocol. This process is suitable for everyone, but it is essential to schedule it for a day when you can stay at home and rest.
Here is a step-by-step guide to cleanse your bile system:
- Noon: Stop eating all solid food.
- 6:30 p.m.: Stop drinking all fluids.
- 7:00 p.m.: Drink one-quarter cup of olive oil followed immediately by one or two tablespoonfuls of lemon juice. Lie down and relax for 15 minutes. Repeat this step.
- 7:15 p.m.: Repeat the same dosage (one-quarter cup olive oil and one or two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice). Continue repeating every 15 minutes until you’ve consumed the entire pint (two cups) of olive oil. If any lemon juice is left, drink it all.
- Hours later: Once you’ve finished the olive oil and lemon juice, lie on your right side and go to sleep for the night. You can expect to have an urge for a bowel movement at around 2 a.m. — or perhaps not until the morning.
Note: If you experience nausea or vomiting sensations, add peppermint oil to the olive oil or chase it with a small amount of V8 or pineapple juice. Try stretching the duration between doses to 30 minutes if needed.
All the green you see in your stool is bile that you have effectively evacuated. Some stones may also be present, depending on what was removed from your gallbladder.
Cleansing your bile system is an essential step in improving your liver’s efficiency, helping you take control of your weight and overall health. Taking care of your liver is crucial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and staying in great shape.
