Topic: How A Liver Detox Diet Can Restore Your Health
steve1906
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posted
Your liver is your best friend and superhero. Knowing how to look after it is the key to your health. Liver dysfunction plays a part in most diseases.
Your liver is a multi-tasker performing over 500 functions which help keep your body in balance. The modern stressful lifestyle, alcohol, environmental chemicals, medicinal drugs, processed foods and fats can all damage your liver.
A liver detox can go a long way to help reduce symptoms of an overworked or damaged liver.
What does your liver do?
�Helps metabolize the fats, protein and carbohydrates from your diet. �Balances blood sugar by releasing glycogen when blood sugar is low. �Stores nutrients such as Vitamins A,D, E, K, B12 and the minerals iron and copper. �Filters your blood removing harmful viruses, bacteria, yeasts, and foreign substances. �Creates proteins needed for blood cells and the immune system. �Breaks down and detoxifies excess and old hormones to maintain balance. �Filters and breaks down unwanted compounds produced during metabolism. �Detoxifies chemical toxins by converting them into substances that the body can eliminate in the bile and urine. �Produces 1 quart of bile daily which enables you to digest fat, absorb the fat soluble vitamins and detox toxins. Without it, cholesterol levels rise and many digestive disorders can result.
Your liver relies on a number of nutrients to work efficiently. If you do not eat the right kinds of foods to provide the liver with everything it needs for the elimination of the extra toxins you are exposed to daily your health will suffer.
Some of the signs that your liver may be struggling are: �A slow digestive system �Inability to digest fats �Overweight �Slow or sluggish metabolism �Irritable bowel �Abdominal bloating �Food and chemical intolerance �Feeling moody, depressed �Foggy head �Fatigue �Frequent headaches �Unstable blood sugar levels and sugar cravings �Coated tongue and bad breath �Immune system problems �Dark circles under the eyes �Premenstrual tension
Liver Tests
Doctors often recommend a liver function blood test to see if your liver is damaged. It may show raised enzyme levels that could indicate a liver infection or alcoholic liver but it cannot tell you anything about your liver�s detox function.
There are however, specialized tests used by functional medicine or naturopathic doctors that can assess your liver�s detox capacity. Problems in the liver detox pathways can show up long before the standard liver function blood tests show any abnormalities.
A two step detox system
Your liver has 2 main detox pathways or routes called Phase 1 and Phase 2. In Phase 1 a complicated process of enzymes breaks down toxins into forms that can be either be safely eliminated by your body or can go through Phase
2 . Here they are attached to other molecules that escort them out of the body through kidneys or bile.
Excessive amounts of toxic chemicals such as pesticides can disrupt the enzymes system of Phase 1 by causing over activity of it. This will result in high levels of damaging free radicals being produced which damage the liver cells.
Substances that may cause over activity during phase one are caffeine, dioxin, saturated fats, organophosphorus pesticides, paint fumes, sulfonamides, exhaust fumes and drugs. In order to get rid of or reduce these free radicals, you need foods that contain a lot of antioxidants and phytochemicals.
The antioxidants Vitamin A, C, E, selenium and many different phytochemicals are found in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
A balancing act
There has to be a balance between the functions of Phase 1 liver detox and Phase 2 or a backlog of toxins can occur which also damage tissues. In some cases the chemical toxins modified by Phase 1 are more dangerous than the original if not dealt with by Phase 2. Researchers have discovered that your diet has a strong effect on liver detox and certain foods can help to balance Phase 1 and Phase 2.
How you can improve Liver Detox: �Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts kale and cauliflower. Eat a variety of orange, yellow, purple, and red colored fruits and vegetables.
�Asparagus, watermelon, broccoli are good sources of glutathione, an important substance involved in liver detox. Papayas and avocados help the body to produce glutathione. Other sources are Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale, bok choy, cress, mustard, horseradish, turnips, rutabagas (swede), kohlrabi, red beets.
�Include bitter foods like dandelion greens, mustard greens, bitter melon, Romaine lettuce and can help in cleansing the liver.
�Use dill, caraway seeds, tumeric, garlic and onions in cooking.
�Drink at 6 � 8 x 8 oz glasses of filtered water a day.
�Try the lemon liver detox drink every morning
�Omega-3 fats are very helpful. These fats are found in cold water fish such as wild salmon, sardines, and halibut. (avoid high mercury fish) Other sources are flaxseeds/oil, hemp seeds/oil, pumpkin seeds/oil and walnuts. Always make sure you buy very fresh nuts and seeds and store them in a cool place.
�Use cold pressed oils and do not use them for cooking. Only a little butter or coconut oil should be used for cooking. Cooking with olive oil is still controversial. If used then do not heat it to a high temperature.
�Avoid damaged fats such as hydrogenated fats found in many processed foods.
�Eat organically produced foods as much as possible to avoid toxic chemical residues.
�Avoid artificial flavorings and preservatives.
�Avoid excess saturated animal fat like fatty meat, sausages, bacon, salami, hot dogs, high fat dairy products like whole milk, ice cream and cheese.
�Alcohol is known to be a powerful toxin that will damage the liver.
�Take Silymarin (Milk thistle) a potent antioxidant that protects the liver by increasing its ability to detoxify numerous toxic substances, including pesticides and heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic). Help to regenerate liver cells.
�Take a good Multi Vitamin and Mineral supplement that contains specific nutrients and antioxidants that support liver detox. I recommend Body Health Complete+ Detox.
�Make sure your bowels move at least twice a day and do a colon cleanse if you have not done so already. Toxins from the bowel make the liver work harder and use up the nutrients that are needed to detox chemicals.
�Get some exercise. You liver depends on good circulation to function efficiently.
Proper functioning of the liver�s detox systems is very important for the prevention of cancer. Up to 90% of all cancers are thought to be due to the effects of environmental pollutants from food, water, and air, combined with deficiencies of the nutrients the body needs for detox and immune system function. High levels of exposure to cancer causing substances together with slow detoxification enzymes significantly increases susceptibility to cancer. Take care of your liver and it will take care of you.
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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Keebler
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- Fabulous post. I see this as the start of a good informational thread for liver health.
Steve, is there a link to that &/or author's name?
I'd love to know who wrote this so that we can find & read more from them (and to help satisfy copyright by giving the writer credit)? -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
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Excitotoxins; MSG; Aspartame; & "Natural" Flavors -
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canefan17
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Good stuff, thanks for this
Posts: 5394 | From Houston, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
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steve1906
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Member # 16206
posted
Hi Keebler, here's the site> http://thedetoxspecialist.com/blog/detox/how-liver-detox-diet-can-resore-your-health
It also has 5 very good articles on:
1- Will a Liver Cleansing Diet Help Correct a Fatty Liver?
2- How can hair mineral analysis help you detox and improve your health?
3- How Drugs Damage your Liver
4- How to Detox Environmental Estrogen to prevent Estrogen Dominance
5- Better Eating Tips For Your New Year Resolution
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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Keebler
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- Merci Beaucoup, Mon Cheri ! -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Razzle
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Great advice, if one does not have genomic variants that make doing these things impossible without first compensating nutritionally for the genomic variants.
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4166 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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tickled1
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Razzle,
Please tell us more about what needs to be done first if one has these genomic? variants as I do. Thanks in advance.
Posts: 2541 | From Northeast | Registered: Jan 2008
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Razzle
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posted
It will be different for everyone, because not everyone has the same genomic profile.
And not everyone has the specific genomic variants that causes a problem with these things (mostly, the cabbage family stuff because of the sulfur).
If you google "Yasko methylation protocol" you may find some information.
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4166 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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tickled1
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Thanks Razzle!
The whole sulfur things confuses me b/c what you said indicates it's bad but glutathione is good for the liver and I think it has sulfur?
Posts: 2541 | From Northeast | Registered: Jan 2008
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steve1906
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Tickled1, see if this helps with the Glutathione/ sulfur?
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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tickled1
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Thanks Steve! That was a huge help! My tests results also show I need NAC and basicly have NO amino acids. Since Glutathione is made from amino acids, no wonder I need glutathione.
So is sulfur bad for some people in this application?
So here's a question: If I'm going to do IV glutathione should I not take NAC?
Razzle, I'm gonna check out the Yasko Protocol. Thanks!
Posts: 2541 | From Northeast | Registered: Jan 2008
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steve1906
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I don't have the ans. for that, I would check with your doctor -
Glutathione is an endogenous antioxidant and has a wide role in many of the body's defenses. Treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been shown to increase levels of glutathione.
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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tickled1
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Any idea why my LLMD would say "at some point we'll get you making your own glutathione but for now do the infusions".
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steve1906
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9 Tips to Optimize your Glutathione Levels - don't wait for your LLMD...
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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tickled1
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Is it ok to get IV glutathione while on antibiotics?
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jackie51
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I did a version of the lemon drink this morning and it did make me feel a little better.
I used juice of a whole lemon, filtered water and 1 t. of MCT oil. A very small pinch of ginger powder (I don't have any fresh ginger in the house.) Used hand blender to mix.
Drank it down with no problem.
Thanks Steve for the reminder to keep our liver happy.
Posts: 1374 | From Crazy Town | Registered: Dec 2007
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steve1906
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Your welcome---you can also try adding these:
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste. Cayenne pepper is rich in magnesium, and enhances circulation.
- Add stevia powdered extract (KAL brand is the best tasting) for sweetness. Depending on taste, between 1/16 and 1/8 tsp.
- Throw in a few sprigs of fresh cilantro herb. Cilantro is renowned for its ability to help detoxify the body of heavy metals, especially mercury.
You might enjoy adding all three of these ingredients to your morning lemon drink:
Check out my post from today: Under Medical:
(WHOLE Body Cleanse in Just Ten Minutes - AND -lemon olive oil cleanse)
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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canefan17
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Why would fresh grapefruit juice make me sick?
Detoxing liver too fast?
Posts: 5394 | From Houston, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
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Keebler
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- I assume it's not a packaged juice, but squeezed yourself right before drinking?
If packaged, additives can be trouble. Check the label.
Also check the expiration date but know that could be voided if left out from fridge too long (after once open and the vacuum seal was broken).
An organic source is also important.
Citrus really irritates my stomach lining - and then I feel very nauseated and woozy.
Not everyone can enjoy citrus. I've never been able to do so, unless just a little, in the middle of a meal.
You may need some help with your stomach acid. HCI may be of interest (though I could never tolerate that).
Better the whole food vs. the juice, though. The juice could be just too concentrated. -
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canefan17
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Squeezed myself
Ya could be the citrus
Thought it might also have an impact on the liver.
Doesn't it do something to phase 1 pathways or p450?
Posts: 5394 | From Houston, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
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2roads
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up for the questions regarding canefan.
Thanks for the great reading on the liver steve, I printed it out to keep chipping away naturally at it.
2roads
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