Tag: Liver

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Cleaning Up A Toxic Liver

Herbs and limes; cleaning up a toxic liver.

Our bodies have to deal with a near constant influx of toxins including pesticides, chemicals, pollutants in our air and water, chemicals in our food, heavy metals, mold, and much more. The liver has many important jobs, and one of them is filtering through these toxins each day, but due to the staggering amount of chemicals the average person encounters each day (which can range from hundreds to thousands of different chemicals), the liver often ends up overworked and dysfunctional. The liver is such an important organ that is necessary for many vital functions in the body, so it’s important to keep it as healthy as we can. Let’s discuss what the liver does, and some things we can do to help clean up a toxic liver.

Jobs of the Liver

The liver is responsible for over 500 tasks like producing bile, filtering blood, producing cholesterol, storing glucose, and many others. Keeping your liver healthy is crucial to overall health, and sluggish livers are a common problem today. We encounter many different chemicals every day in our air, water, food, medications, beauty products, plastics, etc. Our bodies are constantly working to filter through these chemicals to minimize the harm done, but our livers and other organs can’t always keep up. Many people also do not eat correctly and lack vitamins and minerals essential for proper liver function, add this to the toxic load we’re carrying, and it’s a wonder our livers are functioning at all.

Glutathione

Glutathione is an antioxidant that the body is supposed to produce in cells, but production may not be optimal due to genetic mutations and/or environmental factors. We also produce less glutathione as we age, so supplementation is often recommended, especially for older individuals. Glutathione has many functions and benefits, including potentially reducing damage in liver cells, supporting a healthy nervous system, and improving insulin resistance and fat-burning especially in older people. One of the main benefits of glutathione is that it can help reduce oxidative stress, which greatly influences aging, certain chronic conditions, and autoimmune conditions. In autoimmune conditions, the mitochondria of the cells are often damages, and gluathione may help protect the mitochondria from further damage. Supplementing with glutathione may help aid in cleaning up a toxic liver, as well as many other potential benefits.

Symptoms of a Sluggish Liver

When the liver is not working quite as well as it should be, it is often referred to as sluggish. This doesn’t mean it is diseased, just that it is not functioning at the level it should be. Some of the symptoms of a sluggish liver may include:

  • Dark circles under the eyes
  • Waking up at 2am-3am for no apparent reason
  • Fatigue
  • Acne and/or rashes
  • Moodiness
  • Headaches
  • Brain fog

This is not an exhaustive list as symptoms can manifest differently in each person, but it is good to be aware of these common ones.

What Can You Do?

The good news is that we can do a lot to promote healthy liver function, but consistency is important. Reducing your exposure to toxins as much as possible is a great first step. Try to avoid synthetic household cleaning products, aerosol products like hairspray and air freshener, and opt for natural products whenever possible. You can also supplement with vitamins, minerals, and herbs that can help promote healthy liver function. Liver Support & Detox and Vital Detox are great products for liver health, and can aid in both phase 1 and phase 2 liver detoxification. Limiting alcohol intake is also important because excessive drinking can cause liver damage and may contribute to some forms of liver disease.

Cleaning up a toxic liver means you should focus on eating a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, high-quality meats, and healthy fats like coconut oil and avocados. You should also make sure the food you eat is organic because pesticides are a major source of toxins, and make sure you are drinking clean, filtered water to avoid the chemicals, heavy metals and other harmful substances found in tap water. Exercising regularly may also help improve liver function, and limiting alcohol intake may decrease your risk for certain forms of liver disease. Your liver is a very important organ and it has a lot of responsibilities, so take good care of it!

You can listen to our Happy Liver Makes a Happy Life podcast episode here. You can also listen on our YouTube channel here.

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Happy Liver Makes a Happy Life

Microphone and computer; hanging on to anxiety and stress

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The average American encounters so many different environental toxins each day. Some experts estimate that we are exposed to hundreds of different chemicals every day, and some experts believe it could be as high as tens of thousands of differenct chemicals. They can be found in our air, food, water, cosmetics, soaps, cleaners, clothes, etc., and can cause a myriad of health issues over time. Our liver has many functions in the body, but one of its most important functions is the filtering of toxins. The liver works constantly along with other organs like the kidneys to rid our body of the different toxins we consume. However, if the liver is not functioning properly, its ability to filter things can be inhibited, this is why it’s so important to support the liver. In this week’s show we’ll discuss some things you can do to help support the liver, and why a happy liver makes a happy life.

Products Mentioned in Today’s Show

Reduced L-Glutathione – Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant and detoxifying compound consisting of three amino acids: cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine.† Produced in the liver, glutathione assists with detoxifying xenobiotics and heavy metals, neutralizes hydrogen peroxide, maintains the integrity of blood cells, and helps transport amino acids across cell membranes.† It aids in the breakdown of oxidized fats and is necessary for carbohydrate metabolism.† Glutathione is also involved in metabolizing insulin and regulating blood glucose levels.† This hypoallergenic formulation has been specifically designed using the active, reduced form of glutathione for maximum benefit.

Liver Detox & Support – This formula contains nutrients known to enhance intracellular levels of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD)—crucial antioxidants that protect hepatocytes and help detoxify everyday foreign substances.† The balance of supportive nutrients makes this product suitable to help strengthen the liver against everyday challenges to liver function.†

N-Acetyl Cysteine – This derivative of the amino acid cysteine is often used as the preferred substrate for intracellular glutathione synthesis. It also assists detoxification, provides cellular antioxidant protection, and is much safer than cysteine.†

You can also listen to Happy Liver Makes a Happy Life on our YouTube channel here.

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Signs Your Liver Might Be Toxic

Microphone and computer; early warning signs of a thyroid problem.

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The average person can be exposed to hundred or thousands of different chemicals each day though our air, water, food, cleaning products, make up, lotion, medications, etc. The liver is largely responsible for filtering through most of these chemicals, as well as the other many bodily processes the liver plays a role in. Having to filter through the large amounts of chemicals each day can be hard on the liver, and over time it may no longer function optimally. In this week’s episode, we’ll go over some signs that your liver might be toxic, and discuss some things you can do to help support the health of your liver.

Products Mentioned in This Week’s Show

Liver Support – Help support liver health and your body’s vital detoxification processes with Liver Support, a combination of nutrients and herbs designed to support the liver’s role in these processes.* Liver Support combines milk thistle extract with a unique herb-enzyme blend to create a balanced botanical formula for the support of healthy liver function.* N-acetyl-cysteine, methionine and other nutrients are included to support the production of glutathione, a potent free radical scavenger that also plays a critical role in maintaining the body’s normal elimination pathways.*

Vital Detox – This formulation is rich in chlorophylls from Chlorella and contains a unique broccoli extract with glucosinolates. The chlorophylls in Chlorella form tight molecular complexes with a wide variety of everyday toxic chemical compounds, reducing their absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. A high-strength enzyme blend also breaks down dietary antigens and may support assimilation of beneficial constituents of Chlorella.† Glucosinolate compounds in broccoli are powerful inducers of natural phase 2 detoxification processes in the liver. Most substances detoxified by the liver are released into the bile for excretion through the intestinal tract. Chlorella helps trap these toxins to reduce reabsorption.†

EZ Relax – We’ve teamed nature’s greatest stress management ingredients to create a uniquely effective combination. Formulated with Ashwagandha, valerian extract, L-theanine, and GABA.

You can also listen to Signs Your Liver Might Be Toxic on our YouTube channel here.

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What to Know About Cholesterol

Pomegranate seeds shaped like a heart; what to know about cholesterol.

Saturated fat and cholesterol have been demonized for many years, leading to the rise in low-fat diets that cut out egg yolks, meat, and healthy oils like coconut and olive oil. However, over the last several years there has been a resurgence in high-fat diets like keto, and many people have begun wondering if fat and cholesterol are really as bad as some experts had claimed them to be. There are many things that influence cholesterol levels in each person, and there are some steps you can take to help keep them balanced. Let’s discuss what you need to know about cholesterol and what you can do to help your levels stay balanced.

What Is It?

Cholesterol is a substance found in the body and some foods that is similar to fat. It is necessary for healthy brain and nerve function, and the production of vitamin D, hormones, and bile. The liver, brain, and intestines all produce most of the cholesterol you need, and cholesterol from your diet has been to shown to have little to no effect on total cholesterol levels in the blood. However, unhealthy fats like trans fats and vegetable oils, and a sedentary lifestyle have been linked to higher LDL or “bad” cholesterol. High LDL levels have been linked to inflammation, heart disease, arterial damage, and increased risk of stroke.

Possible Solutions

Cholesterol is necessary for many things in the body like hormone production and healthy digestion, so having a cholesterol level that is too low could potentially have negative effects on your health. Ideally you want a healthy ratio of HDL “good” to LDL “bad”, along with a healthy triglyceride level. Eating more healthy fats and greatly decreasing starchy, high-carb foods is a great start. Avoiding bad fats like vegetable oils (canola, vegetable, and corn) and trans fats which can be found in fried foods, margarine and shortening is also important. You can replace these fats with healthier ones like cold-pressed, unrefined olive oil and coconut oil.

There is also emerging research showing that exercise can help your body move LDL cholesterol to the liver where it can be converted into bile for digestion, which may decrease blood LDL levels, in addition to all the other benefits exercise can bring. There are also some supplements that can help support healthy cholesterol levels like Bergamot and Meta-Balance. Meta-Balance is a unique product because it contains a fiber that binds to fat so it can be excreted with minimal absorption. Supplementing with a fish oil like Omega Supreme is another good way to get in more healthy fats.

It can be hard to add more fat into your diet after hearing that it’s unhealthy for so many years, but healthy fats are essential to many functions in the body, and you shouldn’t be scared of them. So, look into the keto diet, or just work on adding in a little more healthy fat into your diet each day, and be more active throughout the week.

You can listen to our Is Cholesterol Your Friend or Enemy? podcast episode here. You can also listen on our YouTube channel here.

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Toxins and Disease

You’ve probably heard the term “toxins” many times. It’s often used as a general term to describe things that may be harmful to your body, but how much damage can they actually do? They can actually do extensive damage to your body depending on what the toxin is, how much of it you’re exposed to and how often, and your genetic makeup that may make you more sensitive to certain toxins and health conditions. Let’s take a more in-depth look at how toxins can damage and alter organs and bodily functions.

What are Toxins?

The word “toxins” is used to refer to many different substances that are known or suspected to be harmful to human health. This includes known and suspected carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, mold, most chemicals, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, heavy metals, pesticides, and countless other substances. Everyone also has what is called a “toxic load” or “toxic burden” which refers to the amount of toxins your body is currently dealing with, and everyone’s toxic burden is a little different. If you work around chemicals every day in a factory or hair salon, your toxic burden will likely be higher than the average person’s due to the chemicals you are around every day. Chronic exposure to chemicals and other toxins is often the most dangerous because they can accumulate in your body, and your body doesn’t get a chance to get them out when it is continually being exposed.

Dangers of Toxins

The dangers of toxins should not be overlooked. Toxins can wreak havoc on different parts of your body, and have been found to contribute to the development of many serious health issues such as heart disease, autoimmune disorders, neurological disorders, and certain types of cancers. Daily exposure to toxins is essentially a slow, gradual poisoning of the body, which is one reason why many symptoms worsen over time, and often don’t develop into full-blown diseases until later in life. However, symptoms are often noticeable beginning in the teenage years and even younger.

One common issue we see in our patients is hormonal imbalances. Issues like low testosterone, low progesterone, high estrogen, and low DHEA are incredibly common problems. Toxins play a role in these imbalances by mimicking hormones like estrogen which can lead to estrogen dominance, or blocking hormone receptors in the body which can contribute to thyroid problems and other health issues. Certain toxins can also damage DNA and organs and bodily systems like the liver, heart, kidneys, and digestive system. Some of these organs play a large role in the body’s detoxification systems, and when they are damaged it can make it even harder for your body to rid itself of these toxins.

What Can I Do?

There are many ways to reduce your toxic burden, but it takes time and consistency. The first step is reducing the amount of toxins you are exposed to as much as possible. This means drinking filtered water, switching to all-natural cosmetics, soaps, and household cleaning products, and cutting out processed, chemical-laden food and replacing it with whole, organic foods. The next step is to work on building the nutrients in your body back up so the body has what it needs to detoxify efficiently. Eating plenty of organic fruits and vegetables, eating good fats like coconut oil and olive oil, and drinking plenty of filtered water every day is a great way to do this. You should also add in a high-quality multivitamin, fish oil supplement, and probiotic. Once you have “built” enough, you can try some detox protocols like a candida cleanse or heavy metals cleanse.

A few products we recommend are:

  • Lipotropic Detox – Contains taurine, choline, milk thistle extract, and other ingredients that may help improve liver function and detoxification.
  • HM Complex – Contains selenium, chlorella, alpha lipoic acid, and several other ingredients that may help to bind up and reduce heavy metals in the body.
  • Para-Shield – Contains Pau’ D’Arco, black walnut , garlic extract, and other ingredients that may help reduce parasites and candida in the body.
  • NAC – Stands for N-acetyl-cysteine and may help increase the body’s production of glutathione which is a very powerful antioxidant.

So, switch to all-natural products wherever possible, cut out processed foods, eat more organic fruits and vegetables, and consider starting a supplement regimen, especially if you do not eat a varied diet. There are many things you can do to reduce your toxic burden and help your body detoxify, but it will take time. It probably took years for those toxins to build up in your body, so it won’t be fixed overnight, but each little choice adds up.

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When Should You Detox?

Detoxing is a popular topic with detox drinks, foods, and supplements being found in almost every health food store, but how important is it? Detoxing is actually very important, but many people don’t know when or how they should detox. We encounter hundreds to thousands of different chemicals every day in our air, food, water, beauty products, and workplaces, and helping your body rid itself of those chemicals can make a big difference.

Toxic Burden

Toxic burden refers to the amount of toxins your body is currently dealing with, and everyone’s burden is different. Certain professions that expose you to chemicals – like welding and cosmetology – can increase your toxic burden, as well as the kinds of beauty and cleaning products you use, the water you drink, and the food you eat. Decreasing your toxic burden can make a big difference in your overall health and the way you feel. Start by eating only organic produce to reduce pesticide consumption, and switching to all natural products whenever possible. Switch to natural makeup, soap, and cleaning products by making some things yourself with natural ingredients, and/or buying from a company that’s committed to non-toxic products. Decreasing your toxic burden can benefit your entire body, but it can especially ease the burden on your liver.

Liver Function

The liver plays a role in over 500 critical functions in the body. One of its main functions is to filter the blood and rid it of drugs, alcohol, and other toxins. Keeping your liver healthy and functioning at optimal levels is critical for proper detoxification, but many people have a sluggish liver and most don’t realize it. A sluggish liver usually doesn’t have noticeable symptoms until liver function becomes severely impaired, this is why routine blood work is important because it allows you to see your liver enzyme levels which can show a sluggish liver before symptoms become apparent.

Detoxing

Detoxing is very important, but it needs to be done the right way so you can reap the most benefits. People often need to fix deficiencies like anemia before beginning a detox. You should also take some time to increase your nutrient intake through vitamin and mineral supplements, and organic whole foods before attempting a detox. You want your body to be nourished and strong enough to effectively handle it, especially if it’s an intensive detox protocol.

Most detox protocols usually last from a few days to a few weeks, but some people view it as a way of life. They eat detoxifying foods every day, and may take supplements designed for a mild detox daily. In general, you should complete one to three detoxes per year, with some people needing more or less. Someone who is exposed to more chemicals than the average person may need more per year, or may do better with a mild daily detox. Regardless of the detox you choose to do, you should eat plenty of organic produce, and good quality meats and fats every day.

How to Know You Need to Detox

Fortunately there are some easy ways to know if you need to detox. The most common signs that you need to detox include:

Fatigue and Brain Fog: Low physical and mental energy means something isn’t right. It may be something simple like sleep deprivation, or it could be a sluggish liver. Try getting more sleep and if the problem doesn’t improve, then a detox may improve your energy levels.

Allergies and Digestive Issues: Leaky Gut Syndrome is very common and often overlooked, but it can contribute to the development of several health issues including allergies and autoimmune disorders. If you have frequent heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, or food or seasonal allergies, you should look into a detox protocol that focuses on gut health.

Hormonal Issues and Stress: The liver plays a critical role in hormone regulation by producing certain hormones, and binding up excess estrogen for excretion. When the liver is not functioning properly, these functions may be reduced, leading to hormonal imbalances and elevated stress levels.

Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia: Mood disorders are often due to a hormonal imbalance, a gut microbiome imbalance, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and/or a high toxic burden. Detoxing may help some of these issues by reducing the toxic burden and helping to balance hormones.

Supplements

There are some supplements you can take to help your body detox, especially your liver. We listed the supplements designed for liver detoxification because the liver is so important and almost always needs to be detoxed.

PhytoCore – Contains dandelion root extract, milk thistle seed extract, and other ingredients that may increase the liver’s ability to detoxify. These ingredients work together to aid the liver during Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification.

Core Support – Powder designed to help the liver with Phase 2 detoxification. It contains magnesium, rice protein, taurine, l-glutamine, green tea leaf extract, and many other ingredients that may help heal the gut, and help the liver detoxify. Available in French Vanilla or Chocolate.

Detoxing may help you achieve your health goals, but you should listen to your body. Do not do more than your body can handle, and give your body time to get the nutrients it needs to handle a detox. You should also eat only organic produce, and switch to all-natural products whenever possible. Change is possible, but it’s up to you!

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Brain Fog, Anxiety and Memory

Brain fog, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and poor memory are all common problems today. Almost everyone is dealing with at least one of these issues, and many deal with more than one, but why are they so common? You may be surprised to know that most of these issues don’t originate in our minds, but are often due to stress, sleep deprivation, a sluggish liver, and inflammation. These issues often clear up when their root causes are addressed, so let’s dive into the causes and some potential natural remedies.

Causes

Brain fog, anxiety, depression, fatigue, poor memory, difficulty concentrating, and several other similar issues are usually traced back to the same few root problems. Not getting enough sleep is one of the most common causes, as sleep deprivation can lead to a number of short-term and long-term effects. (We have an article that discusses the effects of sleep deprivation more in-depth here.) Not getting enough sleep can cause brain fog, fatigue, impaired cognitive function including poor memory and difficulty concentrating, irritability, and anxiety. These problems often get worse as the sleep deprivation continues.

Stress is also a possible cause of these issues, likely due to elevated cortisol levels. Cortisol is also known as the “stress hormone” and is responsible for the fight-or-flight response. When cortisol levels are too high they can caues anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, depression, and can lead to adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue refers to a condition in which cortisol levels were elevated for a long period of time, and the adrenal glands “burned-out” and cortisol bottomed out. This can lead to fatigue, depression, anxiety, brain fog, muscle weakness, and other issues. You can check your cortisol levels by getting blood work done, and see if your levels are where they should be.

Another common cause of brain fog and other issues is inflammation. Inflammation is a very common problem today, with many experts beginning to believe that inflammation is at the root of almost every chronic disorder. However, not all inflammation is bad, inflammation also occurs when their is a wound or infection that needs to be healed. The body could not properly heal itself without an immune response (inflammation), but chronic inflammation can be dangerous. Chronic, uncontrolled inflammation wreaks havoc on our bodies and affects all of our organs, our mood, and our cognitive function. There are many things that can contribute to inflammation, with our toxic burden and nutritional deficiencies likely being the biggest contributors. Toxic burden refers to the amount of toxins our bodies deal with on a daily basis, and everyone’s “burden” is different.

Things that can contribute to a toxic burden include air and water pollution, pesticides, plastic usage (more on that here), a diet high in inflammatory foods like processed foods and factory-farmed meat and dairy, chemical exposure from working in chemical plants, welding, etc., and soap and beauty products that contain chemicals. Many people also have nutritional deficiencies, which can make it difficult for your body to get toxins out and fight inflammation. Add chronic stress and sleep deprivation to this, and you’ve got a recipe for brain fog, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and many other issues.

Solutions

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help reduce brain fog, anxiety, depression, etc., but the root causes must be dealt with. The problems will not fully go away until the cause is addressed, so let’s look at what we can do. First, we always recommend that you get blood work done, because it can reveal problems that need to be fixed, many of which have no symptoms. With blood work you can check your cortisol levels, liver enzymes, iron levels, homocysteine, C-Reactive Protein, potassium and calcium levels, vitamin D, and much more. This can make it much easier to know what supplements you do and don’t need.

Whether you get blood work done or not, everyone has inflammation that needs to be dealt with. We encounter toxins every day, so reducing your exposure as much as possible, and giving your body the right nutrients to help it detoxify is critical to our health. You should start by switching to natural products whenever possible. Just take a look at the ingredient label of your deoderant or shampoo and notice how many chemicals are in it, one or more of which is likely an endocrine (hormone) disruptor, carcinogen, or suspected carcinogen. Generally if you can’t pronounce it or you don’t recognize it, you shouldn’t consume it or put it on your skin. Try switching to natural deoderant, shampoo and conditioner, shaving cream/soap, makeup, household cleaners, laundry detergent, and lotion. There are many companies that have begun producing natural alternatives that don’t contain carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.

Getting enough sleep is another important step towards reducing brain fog and anxiety, and improving memory. Adequate sleep is crucial to our health, but many people struggle with insomnia and other sleep disorders. Blood work can help to identify the root cause of your insomnia, but it may be as simple as reducing stress. Stress and adrenal fatigue can keep you from falling asleep, so practicing stress-reducing techniques and taking a supplement to balance cortisol levels may help reduce insomnia. You can also try a natural sleep-aid like Kavinace.

Giving your liver some help is another great thing to do to combat the issues we’ve been discussing. The liver is responsible for over 300 different functions, so a sluggish liver can have a huge impact on your health and how you feel. Eating a diet high in organic (pesticides burden the liver and add to the toxic burden) fruits and vegetables and grass-fed meat helps provide the nutrients your liver needs to function optimally. Also, milk thistle, turmeric, artichoke leaf, dandelion root, taurine, choline, vitamin B12, etc. are all good for helping the liver detoxify and function more efficiently. We’ll discuss some specific supplements you can take below.

Supplements

Best-Rest Formula – Contains melatonin, GABA, l-theanine, chamomile extract, and several other ingredients that may help promote relaxation and sleep.

Adrenal Response Complete Care – Contains vitamin C, ashwagandha, holy basil leaf extract, and several other ingredients that may help combat adrenal fatigue and stress.

Daily Stress Formula – Contains vitamin B12, l-tyrosine, bacopa monnieri extract, chamomile extract, and many other ingredients that may help you relax and deal with daily stress.

Traumeric – Contains turmeric extract, bromelain, quercetin, and a few other ingredients that may help combat inflammation. Traumeric may also work well for joint pain.

Core Support – Powder that contains magnesium, rice protein, taurine, l-glutamine, green tea leaf extract, and many other ingredients that may help heal the gut and help the liver detoxify. May also help increase energy and alertness. Available in French Vanilla and Chocolate.

Membrin – Contains gingko biloba leaf extract, vinpocetine, and huperzine alkaloids which may help improve blood flow to the brain, and improve cognitive function and memory.

Brain fog, anxiety, depression, poor memory, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and other issues can be difficult to deal with, and they can have a big impact on your quality of life. We want to help you get better! Look into getting blood work done, add in lots of good fats, grass-fed meats, and organic fruits and vegetables to your diet, reduce your toxic burden by switching to natural products whenever possible, and try taking some of the supplements listed above. It’s often the little decisions and changes you make every day that make the biggest difference.

You can listen to our podcast episodes here. You can also listen on our YouTube channel here.