Our Liver: The Star Organ of our Body

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Our liver is by the most important metabolic and detoxification organ in our body. It helps to metabolize all the fats, carbohydrates and proteins we eat. This breakdown of compounds we ingest, gives us our energy, our vitamins and minerals needed by our cells.

Since the liver breaks down everything we ingest it produces a lot of free radicals; which are byproducts of this metabolic process. So the liver needs us to supply a sufficient amount of protective anti-oxidant compounds to neutralize these toxic chemicals. These include hormones, drugs, alcohol, pesticides, carcinogens and other poisons which then need to be excreted.

What does our Liver do for us?

  1. It breaks down all the toxins from the blood that we inhale, eat, drink or use on our body.
  2. It produces bile, which helps us digest our food and cholesterol which helps our cells function, our muscles work and keep hormones in balance.
  3. The liver extracts, converts and stores all our vitamins, minerals, and sugars and releases it when our body is in need of it.
  4. Liver filters up to 2 quarts of blood a minute, when it is in good working order. If your liver is in overload you need to detox all those toxins.

Signs of liver problems:

  1. Fatigue, brain fog, abdominal pain and fatty liver disease
  2. Flu like symptoms, possible hepatitis A,B, or C
  3. A substance build-up of bilirubin, a byproduct of the liver filtering system when it is not working. It can cause yellowing of the skin and eyes.

What to do to help your Liver Function Better:

  1. Eat Healthy
  2. Be active daily
  3. Consume Vitamin E; it is associated with 51% lower risk of liver cancer. Eat almonds, olive oil, spinach, avocados.
  4. Be mindful of amount of drugs taken since the liver has to try to eliminate them. Milk thistle is a great liver cleanser.
  5. Keep inflammation and blood congestion reduced in the liver by using herbs that will keep the bile and blood flowing thru liver vessels. For example, dandelion root, turmeric, and burdock root are a few herbs that will lower the heat and dampness per TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).

Other helpful suggestions for the liver include the high anti-oxidants compounds. There are many foods considered to be high super anti-oxidant foods. Look also at the ORAC score (oxygen radical absorbance capacity), the higher the level the higher in anti-oxidants and the most effective at neutralizing free radicals.

Here is a partial list:

Cinnamon, red beans, blueberry, cranberry, artichokes, blackberry, raspberry, apple, pecans, almonds, cherry, strawberry, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, onions, garlic, all greens (spinach, kale, collards), pomegranate, peppers, citrus fruit, cacao, red wine, green herbs (cilantro, basil, parsley, sage), red and orange veggies like sweet potato and squash.

Organic foods do contain higher levels of anthocyanin’s and flavonoids, both very potent anti-oxidants! When you can afford them, buy organic instead of conventional! You do not want all those conventional sprayed pesticide chemicals in your body, and it’s extra work for the liver to detox these!

Keep your liver, your star organ working properly and it will help prevent you from disease, boost your immune system and keep circulating healthy blood.

References:

www.healingkitchen.com

The Green Pharmacy Guide to Healing Foods by James Duke, PhD

The One Earth Herbal Source Book by Alan Keith Tillotson

www.julianWhitaker.com

www.naturalnews.com

www.science.news.com

 

Cindy Burrows, B.S., M.T., Herbalist , is a  Natural Health Consultant  helping individuals start health programs to improve their life, wellness and happiness. Cindy is a speaker, writer and entrepreneur of several businesses. Contact her at [email protected]

Cindy Burrows
Cynthia Burrows, M.T. CWC, Herbalist

Cynthia Burrows, from Austin, Texas, owns Cindy Burrows, Natural Health Consultant; assisting individuals with health issues they would like to change. She will set up a program giving choices of foods, herbs, teas and homeopathic suggestions. Cindy is past owner of Nature’s Healing Herbs, an Herbal, Green Tea, and Tincture product line, and a rare product line of Green Tea Foods. She has certificates for Herbalist at East West School of Herbology, and as Wellness Consultant with the Wellness Forum in Ohio.

Cindy is also a Medical Technologist, with a B.S. degree from Mansfield University in Mansfield Pa., she has been in healthcare for over 30 years. In 2005, she started using a new device founded in Europe, Quantum Biofeedback, “an energy rebalancing of the body”, by using our bodies electricity or frequency waves it can detect stress points in the body, she has added this to her consulting practice. She now has her Certification as a Biofeedback Specialist. She helps her clients by working with the synergy of herbs, food, homeopathy, and aromatherapy within her practice. She is a speaker, writer, and teacher. Cindy has been interviewed on TV; about the benefits of Green Tea and has been on radio about her small business tour to Ecuador.

Cindy has been an herbalist for over 20 years and has spent 6 years learning through the East West School of Herbology with Michael Tierra. She has studied Western, Chinese and Ayurvedic Herbs with a strong emphasis on nutrition. Along with many other continued studies of alternative and complementary medicine. She is a Certified Wellness Consultant, through a special program, The Wellness Forum, which has its nutrition program, now part of the curriculum at Ohio State University, providing educational seminars and workshops designed to impart relevant nutrition information to individuals to take control of their own health. These programs give healthier options and choices that can impact your longevity and quality of life. Cindy has been a speaker to many groups and has conducted many of her own classes on food and healthy life style programs.

Cindy has been involved with a hands-on healing program for the past 4 years and offers energy healing, through donation only, to anyone who needs her services.

She is Co-president of the Austin Herb Society and a member of the American Herbalist Guild. Cynthia has been a board member on many programs in the past including; La Sertoma, Arthritis Foundation, Toastmasters International, National Association of Female Executives, Handicapped Equestrian Learning Program, Entrepreneurs Association, and Austin Integrated Health Care Program.

Cindy also loves nature, animals, reading, blending teas, juices, etc.; likes to hike, and work with plants and, of course, cooking., mostly vegetarian.
Cindy has an adventurous streak.
She has organized and taken tours with business and artists groups to Big Bend, Texas, New Mexico, USA, and Ecuador, South America.