Weighing between 3.17 and 3.66 pounds (lb), or between 1.44 and 1.66 kilograms (kg), your liver is the largest solid organ in your body (mine too!) and performs over 500 functions including being a key detoxifier.
So your liver works hard every day. But sometimes it gives us signs that it may need some support.
Here are some indications that you may need to give your liver some lovin’.
Do you wake up at night?
If you wake up consistently between 1:00am and 3:00am, your liver may be asking for some support. While we sleep, the liver becomes more active and works on cleansing and detoxification. Waking up around this “liver time” can signal that the liver is exhibiting signs of toxicity and needs some detoxing. Many times this happens from eating either too much sugar in the evening or animal protein.
Eye problems
Conjunctivitis, lots of mucus, itching, macular degeneration, dry eyes, and cataracts may indicate liver weakness. Another physical clue is a vertical line between the eyebrows.
Angry emotions
If the liver is congested and being forced to work too hard, it becomes “hot,” causing excessive anger and irritation.
Hormonal imbalances
PMS, hot flashes, and pre-menopausal symptoms are increased due to a congested liver.
Skin Problems
Eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, skin rashes, acne and dry skin are clues.
Constipation
This condition can often be caused by a congested and toxic liver or even stressed adrenals. The colon should still be addressed, but it is often not the root cause.
10 Steps that Support a Healthy Liver
- Eliminate toxins from your diet and your life as best you can.
- Drink pure (filtered) water throughout the day.
- Drink your lemon water first thing every morning.
- Eat dark greens, preferably raw, every day (e.g. “green juice”, a big or green salad). Eat lots of celery (a good source of plant sodium that helps support the adrenals), watercress, broccoli, kale, cucumber, spinach, romaine, fresh herbs like basil and cilantro, and sour green apples.
- If not vegan or vegetarian, eat animal protein between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. It can be stressful for the liver to eat the animal protein later in the day or evening, especially if you are showing signs of liver stress.
- Remember, you need protein to support and detoxify the liver. In addition to protein naturally found in meats, good complete protein sources can be found in beans, nuts and seeds such as hemp seeds and chia seeds.
- Eat dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime.
- Make sure the colon is supported and clean. When toxins remain in the colon, they are sent back to the liver. The liver then sends them right back down to the colon in the bile. To help permanently eliminate these toxins from the body, add extra fiber, probiotics, and filtered water.
- Sweat! Saunas and exercise are a good way to sweat.
- Assist your lymphatic system – Use a body brush every day to stimulate your lymphatic system and help move lymphatic fluids. You can also lymphasize, which is a way to stimulate lymphatic drainage, ridding your body of toxins, wastes, trapped protein, bacteria, and viruses. What do you need to do? Jump on a mini-trampoline — this is called rebounding. This creates an ideal condition for cleaning the cells. The vertical acceleration and deceleration help the cells squeeze out waste.
References:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/305075.php
https://www.medicinenet.com/liver_anatomy_and_function/article.htm
