Top 4 Ways To Improve Liver Function

Wednesday, November 12, 2014 by: Derek Henry

(NaturalNews) Living in a world that has toxins at every turn has left our liver function in a hot mess. Everyday touches with toxins in our food, air, water, personal care, and household products has slowly but surely created a burden on this hard working organ that has compromised our ability to detoxify properly on a day-to-day basis.

In order to reverse those consequences and optimize your liver function going forward, keep these 4 factors in mind.

Incorporate proper foods and eating habits

To safely begin detoxifying the liver, you don't want to run out and get the ingredients for the master cleanse or buy a potent herbal liver detoxification kit. Rather, you want to focus first on your diet and proper eating habits first.

You need to rest your digestive tract by eating smaller and lighter meals that are nutrient dense and easily assimilated and always stopping when you feel around 80% full. Some good options that fit this bill are low sugar smoothies, juices, salads, soups, and fermented foods like sauerkraut and coconut kefir. Stay as raw and low sugar as possible so as to rest your liver function and provide it with the necessary enzymes to properly do its job of detoxification.

Eliminate foods, products, and daily habits that hurt your liver

On the flip side, you need to eliminate or largely avoid foods and habits that will slow down or compromise liver function. This includes eating fats from animal meat, butter, dairy, and vegetable oils. Refined flour products, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine will also weaken the liver, primarily due to digestive distress and excessive sugar/starch handling that is required. Avoiding any foods that are GMO is also incredibly important.

Also, do your best to avoid chemicals in your food supply by making cleaner choices, and purify your water and air appropriately. Take note of personal care and household products that contain unrecognizable ingredients and substitute them with natural products.

Finally, realize that any prescriptions or medications are especially damaging to the liver and will always compromise its function. Lack of sleep and negative thoughts also contribute to its decline, so improving your sleep patterns and mindset are a must.

Consume liver detoxifying foods and herbs

To crank up your liver detoxification a bit more, focus on foods and herbs that are noted as being especially cleansing to the liver, including:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Beets
• Garlic
• Onions
• Walnuts
• Avocados
• Apples
• Grapefruit
• Leafy green vegetables
• Sauerkraut
• Coconut kefir

Popular herbs that are well known to clean up liver function include:

• Milk thistle
• Dandelion
• Burdock root
• Artichoke
• Turmeric

Consuming these foods and herbs on a consistent basis will help support, detoxify, and nourish your liver so that it can become healthy again and remove toxins on a day-to-day basis.

Improve your digestion

The gastrointestinal tract serves as the first line of defense once toxins have entered the body. If it becomes compromised, it allows disease causing agents to take root, often to the point that they break through the intestinal membrane and get into the bloodstream.

Once the bowels have become toxic, the rest of the body will soon follow. If the intestines keep on letting toxins through, the liver will bear most of the burden of eliminating these toxins by filtering and rendering these substances harmless and excreting them out of the body through the urine and stool. This is why improving your digestion is critical, to ensure there is not an excessive and consistent stream of toxins for your liver to deal with, or it will eventually become severely compromised.

If you're looking for an easy detox plan, see the first source below. To learn more about the extent of your liver damage, visit Signs of Liver Damage. To clean up your digestive system, check out Top 5 Plant Based Foods That Improve Digestion.

Sources:

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.comhttp://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.healingthebody.cahttp://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.healingthebody.ca

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://truthwiki.org/Turmeric

http://truthwiki.org/Garlic

http://truthwiki.org/ginger

http://truthwiki.org/Vitamin_D

http://truthwiki.org/Oregano

About the author:
Derek Henry, B.Kin, is a highly revered holistic health coach and world renowned natural health blogger and educator who created Healing the Body to help people understand the fundamental principles to exceptional health so they can overcome their own health challenges.

In this pursuit he created proven protocols and guides in the Ultimate Reset personal coaching program, the THRIVE online holistic health program, and his very popular Wellness Transformation

E-Guide.http://www.naturalnews.com/047612_liver_detox_detoxifying_foods_gastrointestinal_tract.html?utm_content=buffer44996&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

8 Beet Benefits: Aphrodisiac, Brain Booster & More

Written by Randy Fritz from Real Food Life.com

A single serving of beets can boost your energy and lower your blood pressure. Eating beets long-term can help you fight cancer, reduce arthritic pain, and lose weight, as well as assisting in a number of other health areas.

Many people don’t like beets or consider it only a special occasion dish, but we think this powerfood should be on your plate every day.

8 Healthy Reasons to Eat Beets:

1.  Weight Loss
Beets taste sweet, but a cup of cooked beet contains only 60 calories and is full of fiber. This is a perfect food for weight management.

The sugars in beets are smart carbs, since they come in a natural whole food form.  Unlike white sugar, the beet calories come with a lot of nutrients and phytochemicals.

2.  Brain and Energy Boost
Beets are high in natural nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is known to expand the walls of blood vessels so you can enjoy more oxygen, more nutrients, and more energy.

Studies have shown nitric oxide to increase the efficiency of the mitochondria (your energy powerhouses). The results of these studies were impressive.

• A single small serving (70 ml) of beetroot juice reduced resting blood pressure by 2%.
• A single small serving increased the length of time professional divers could hold their breath by 11%.
• Cyclists who drank a single larger serving (500 ml) of beetroot juice were able to ride up to 20% longer.

3.  Nature’s Viagra
One of the first known uses of beets was by the ancient Romans, who used them medicinally as an aphrodisiac. Many plants have been considered an aphrodisiac by some culture at some time, but in this case it may be more than just wishful thinking.

As noted above, beets can increase blood flow due to their nitrates. Increased blood flow to the genital areas is one of the mechanisms Viagra and other pharmaceuticals create their effects.  Beets also contain high amounts of boron, which is directly related to the production of human sex hormones.

4.  Super Antioxidant for a Long, Healthy, Pain-Free Life
Antioxidants help to reverse the daily accumulated wear and tear on the body, known as aging. Beets are a very good source of commonly known antioxidants like vitamin C and manganese, but it is their lesser-known antioxidants which give them their true value.

The blood-red color of beets comes from a powerful group of antioxidants called betalains. There are hundreds of studies on the positive health benefits of betalains.  A short summary of the results shows that they help in the areas of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and inflammation. If you go to Google Scholar and type in ‘betalains,’ you will see 3790 scholarly references on this subject.

5.  Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
The inflammatory response is a natural function of the body which saves our lives when it responds to the acute stresses in our lives, like bacterial infection and injury. Due to the constant stress in our modern lives, however, this inflammation becomes chronic. It is as though our body is constantly in a battle. Inflammation has been linked to a number of symptoms and diseases including:

Wrinkles

Susceptibility to infections

Cancer

Arthritis

Bronchitis

Chronic pain

Diabetes

High blood pressure

Osteoporosis

Heart disease

Candidiasis

The blood-red betalains in beets have been shown to reduce chronic inflammation.

6.  Cancer Prevention
Preliminary tests suggest that beetroot ingestion can be one of the useful means to prevent lung and skin cancer. Other studies have shown that beet juice inhibits the formation of cancer-causing compounds called nitrosamines.

7.  Cell Detoxification and Cleansing
The antioxidants in beets have been shown to support what is called phase 2 cleansing.  In phase 2 cleansing, unwanted toxic substances are chemically combined with a small nutrient group. This combination neutralizes the toxin and makes them sufficiently water-soluble so they can be excreted through the urine.

This is therefore deep cleansing on a cellular level, that may have long term health benefits.

8.  Improved Mental Health
The betalains in beets has been used in certain treatments of depression. It also contains tryptophan, which relaxes the mind and creates a sense of well-being, similar to chocolate. Enjoy!

Concerns:
Beet greens are one of the many high-nutrient foods that contain measurable amounts of oxalates. Individuals with known or suspected kidney or gallbladder problems are recommended not to eat these high-oxalate foods. This is a much-disputed subject, however. (See Oxalic Acid Controversy.)

Some individuals are concerned when their urine and stool turn red after consumption.  This condition, called beeturia, is not considered harmful and occurs in 10-14% of the population. Individuals with iron metabolism problems are more likely to experience this situation.

Suggestions:

• Raw beetroot juice is one of the most powerful ways you can consume it. It is rather intense by itself, though, and tastes much better mixed with other vegetables. We have thus included a great juice mixture recipe below.
• The nutrients in beets are more susceptible to degradation from long cooking times than other foods, so if you are cooking it, the ideal time would be 15 minutes steaming, maximum.
• Beetroot tops and stems contain much of the same benefits as the root, but with the additional nutrients and phytochemicals associated with green leaf vegetables.

“For pink pee, eat a beet! Children are notorious for refusing to eat their fruits and vegetables, but what child can resist the allure of orange, pink, and even green pee?” — Pee Funny by Benjamin Picard

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/8-beet-benefits-aphrodisiac-brain-booster.html

The Best Ways To Reduce Cellulite Naturally

Cellulite is a common problem for many women. Although people who are overweight have a higher risk of getting cellulite, our weight is not the only factor. People of all ages and sizes are plagued with an orange-peel-like skin. 

Hormones, genetics, toxin build-up, and lifestyle seem to play an important role. The problem lays in an imbalance in the connective tissue and our body’s fat. There are many cellulite-reducing treatments on the market which come with a high price tag, don’t give the desired result they promise, and are loaded with exotic chemicals that can do more harm than good to your skin.

Luckily there are some cheap and effective natural ways to reduce cellulite and help your body improve its shape for the next bikini season:

 

1.      Eat Clean Alkaline Diet, and Avoid Processed Foods

Fresh fruits and vegetables are a great way to alkalize your body and get rid of acidic toxins and cellulite. Our western diet is high in protein, sugar and processed foods, all leaving acid-residues in your body. Alkaline forming food sources, like fresh fruits and vegetables, neutralize those acids.
If we don’t meet these needs or are unable to eliminate these build-ups, our body creates extra fat cells to store the acids and make sure the pH of our blood doesn’t change. Eating fresh produce will not only help you to reduce fat cell formation, it fights cellulite and slows the aging process of your body as well.
Dehydration is one of the other culprits of cellulite. Make sure to drink plenty of water to keep your skin smooth, supple, and hydrated. Go easy on coffee and caffeinated teas to avoid more acids and dehydrating effects. Swap refined salt for Celtic or Himalayan Salt, they won’t dehydrate your body or add more toxins to it. If you are interested in detoxifying your body, you can find more useful information in the e-book The Detox Guide. This guide will teach you how to use detox to cleanse and energize your body naturally and safely.

2.      Dry Brush Your Skin Daily

Dry brush your skin daily, make long sweeps towards your heart to eliminate toxins. Dry brushing works wonders on treating cellulite, but you have to give it some time, like all anti-cellulite remedies by the way. Dry brushing stimulates lymph and blood circulation, and aids your body to break down its fatty deposits that cause the dimpled appearance of cellulite.
Cheap, effective, and done in 5 minutes. Dry brushing is not only beneficial to reduce cellulite, it will tighten your skin, get rid of death skin cells, and improve cell renewal.

3.      Massage

Massage stimulates the lymphatic system and aids your body to eliminate toxins and fight cellulite. Massage stimulates, firms, and softens your skin. It restores imbalances and can be very effective when combined with cellulite fighting essential oils like, juniper, fennel, grapefruit, rosemary, and sage.
Choose for a hydrating carrier or base oil like jojoba, sweet almond or coconut oil. Add 20-30 drops of essential oil to ½ cup carrier oil and massage the affected areas for 10 to 15 minutes a day. For a better effect you could regularly use a deep tissue foam roller. If you are interested to learn more about essential oils you can find useful information in the e-book Magical Aromatherapy. This book will help you to discover the power of essential oils and the most effective ways to use them.

4.      Coffee Scrub

A coffee scrub is another very effective way to reduce the appearance of cellulite. It stimulates lymph and blood flow, and the caffeine has a firming effect on your skin.
Make a paste with ¼ cup coffee grinds, 3 tablespoons carrier oil (jojoba, coconut, or sweet almond), and 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Give your skin a good massage and cleanse, and rinse off with warm water. Use 2 to 3 times a week.

5.      Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Not all fats are created equally. Consuming the wrong kind of fat may lead to imbalances. Studies show that consuming enough omega-3 fatty acids will help your body to restore its balance and reduce cellulite. Read here more about the amazing health benefits of omega-3 fish oil.

6.      Epsom Salt Detox Bath

A bath is not only relaxing, but if you add the right kind of ingredients it helps your body to get rid of toxin build-up in your skin. Great to soothe irritation, boost magnesium levels, and eliminate cellulite-causing toxins.
Fill up your tub with warm water. While the water is running, dissolve ¼ cup Celtic or Himalayan salt, ¼ cup Epsom salt, and ¼ cup baking soda in one quart of boiling water. Pour the salt mixture and 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar into your tub, and add 10 to 20 drops of your favourite essential oil. Soak for at least 20 minutes. Read here more about the most extraordinary uses for Epsom salt.

7.      Exercise Routine

Weight training can tone the muscles under your skin and cause it to look more tight and firm. This can greatly reduce the appearance of cellulite. Many women have cellulite around the thighs and buttocks, so perform exercises that are meant to tone these areas. For building muscle it’s better to lift heavier weights fewer times, rather than doing a lot of repetitions with lighter weights. It is best to combine weight training with cardio exercises that get your heart pumping, as it leads to the production of lean muscle mass, which will cause your thighs and buttocks to look smoother over time, so get on the bike or the treadmill.
And don’t forget to drink enough water and hydrate your body through the day. Cellulite is a problem that won’t be cured overnight, so don’t give up too soon. Some of these methods can take a few weeks before seeing clear and visible results.

 

http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/reduce-cellulite-naturally/

                                                                                                   

Do You Have Trouble Losing Weight??? This Could Be The Reason...

Yes, Your Fat Is Toxic

By Michael Colgan, Ph.D.

Sadly the situation is the same in Australia.

From the annual reports of the American Lung Association, the North American urban environment is now the most toxic it’s been in history, puffing clouds of toxins more deadly than even during the Industrial Revolution (1). Most of the industrial chemicals and pesticides that have created this disaster are lipophilic, meaning they mix easily with fat—your fat (2).

To avoid acute poisoning, your body removes the toxins from your bloodstream and stores them in your body fat. As the burden of toxins increases, it causes the body’s defence systems to makes more and more fat cells to store them (2-4). Without any change in food intake, you grow fat as a goose.

Read more:

http://www.isagenixhealth.net/yes-your-fat-is-toxic/

Why Choose a Nutritional Cleanse?

This is a great article comparing a cleansing program to a juice fast. Check out the 4 points listed at the bottom of the article which refer to what to look for in a cleansing program.

When it comes to diets and juice fasts, there are numerous fads that claim to help people lose weight quickly. Unfortunately, many of these dieting trends do not deliver the results you’re really looking for. A study conducted by the researchers of British Medical Journal suggests that people who consumed fruit in the form of juices actually increased their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by eight percent, while those who consumed their fruit whole lowered their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by two percent.
Why the dramatic difference? The reason juicing is not a preferred path toward health and weight loss is because the process actually removes the fibrous pulp when extracting the nutrients and water from vegetables and fruit – and the pulp is where the real magic happens: antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and more. When you take away this enriching fibre, you’re missing out on all of the health benefits, vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables. Not only does juicing leave behind the fibrous pulp, but it also leaves the sugar content, making the healthy juicing option not as healthy after all.

The problem with juice fasts
Juice fasts that last more than a few days can cause the muscles in the body to breakdown due to insufficient protein intake. If you are planning to lose weight and reduce calories, getting extra protein is imperative. Without proper protein, muscle is lost with the fat. If calories during a juice fast are continuously low, you may stimulate fat metabolism. However, with that breakdown of fat, you want to make sure you can successfully combat the released toxins with certain nutrients designed to help your body detoxify.

A solution that works
If you want to adopt a healthy diet and enjoy the benefits of fruit nutrients and detoxification without the high sugar intake or without losing out on necessary fibres and protein, look for a nutritional cleanse that nourishes your body, helping you to safely lose weight. Finding a cleanse program that works for you – without spiking your blood sugar – is a nutritional cleanse that supplies ample amounts of protein to ensure you are building muscle while losing weight.

What to look for in a nutritional cleanse program:

1. A cleanse that is backed by clinical research: Make sure you choose a leading, healthy cleanse that ensures more healthy weight loss, more healthy fat loss, and improved cardiovascular health. Any other solutions are not worth your time and effort. A cleanse backed by researchers ensures a reliable, safe, and convenient way to lose weight.
2. Keep it natural: To cleanse, nourish, and replenish the body, it is important to get rid of toxins naturally. Look for cleanses that do not have artificial colors or flavors. I recommend a cleanse for life that includes a synergistic blend of natural, cleansing herbs and botanicals to nourish the body’s systems and boost metabolism and energy levels. I also recommend preservative-free, environmentally-friendly packaging for cleanse products.
3. Perfect for the “on-the-go” lifestyle: Look for a cleanse that provides options for a busy lifestyle, especially if you have found in the past that other cleanses or diets are not convenient or take up too much of your time to sustain. The Cleanse for Life I recommend offers a natural fruit flavor portable powder alternative to the liquid formula, making it easy to choose a version to fit your lifestyle and there is no refrigeration needed.
4. Jam-packed with all the “good stuff:” Make sure you are on-board with a cleanse that works for you and a cleanse that contains all of the important nutrients, antioxidants, ionic minerals, natural plants, teas, and gentle cleansing herbs. I can help you find a nutritional cleanse that nourishes and supports the body’s most important functions and immune system. Contact me for details on a nutritional cleanse program that delivers what you need to lose weight, kill fat, and gain energy – the healthy way!

http://www.business2community.com/health-wellness/choose-nutritional-cleanse-0790348#!A3XM0

Boosting Your Enzyme Reserves

Enzymes are extremely vital to human well-being. They play a critical role in digestion and nutrient assimilation, in immune response, cognitive acceleration, and cellular detoxification among other things. These systems battle for enzymes to utilize within our body.

Enzymes are some of the most important structures in the body. They are long-chain proteins that take on specific shapes and act like a key to unique locks throughout the body. Their job is to carry out very specific functions throughout the body.

When the amino acid bonds within an enzyme are damaged, the enzyme collapses and can no longer do its particular job. This denaturing process may be caused by any of the following:

• Fluoride
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Free radical damage
• Irradiation
• Canning
• Food processing
• Heating above 118 F (cooking)

When enzymes are damaged, they are no longer able to carry out their unique processes and they become another foreign protein in the body. These foreign proteins are recognized by the immune system as a possible hazardous invader. The body may then trigger an immune response and create inflammation.

All processed and heavily cooked foods contain an abundance of denatured enzymes. These are highly allergenic in the body and create a massive assault on the body. These processed and irritated foods also depend upon good enzymes from the body for digestion. So these foods, in essence, steal enzymes from our system.

Create an enzyme surplus in your body

To create an enzyme surplus in your body, you will want to incorporate a diet high in raw and living foods. The optimal nutrition plan should be at least 75-80 percent raw and living foods with 20-25 percent high quality cooked foods.

Healthy, cooked foods would include brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes and cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous veggies are great to steam as boiling will steal valuable water-soluble nutrients. Steaming these veggies breaks down the outer cellulose wall that is challenging for the digestive system to metabolize. This actually makes the food more bioavailable.

Organic and grass-fed animal products are to be cooked in a medium-rare fashion. This will break down the thicker proteins but keep much of the powerful nutrition still intact. Fresh squeezed lemon and apple cider vinegar should be added to any cooked food and especially to meat in either a pre/post cooked marinade or just before serving. Lemon and apple cider vinegar provide organic acids, enzymes, probiotics and anti-oxidants that help to pre-digest the cooked meal and neutralize any free radical formation.

To boost enzymatic potential, it is essential to soak and sprout all grains, seeds, nuts and legumes. The practice of soaking, fermenting and sprouting breaks down challenging proteins and activates key enzymes that improve the bioavailability of the nutrients. Sprouted legumes, seeds and nuts are basically a pre-digested food that has unlocked its full potential of enzymes and nutrients.

The fermentation process unlocks huge nutrient potential within the seed. Sprouted foods have five to ten times higher B vitamins, double the vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, calcium and iron content of its pre-soaked and sprouted counterpart. The enzymes will also make the protein much more bioavailable for consumption.

Incorporating fermented foods and drinks is another great way to boost enzyme load. Great fermented drinks include coconut kefir, raw whey, fermented berry and grape drinks, kombucha, amasai, goat milk kefir, etc. Sauerkraut, kimchi, and fermented veggies are also great resources for enzymes.

Intermittent fasting and incorporating fermented drinks are especially important parts to creating an enzyme surplus. Fasting for periods of 16-48 hours each week or month allows the body to catch up in its enzyme processing.

Sources for this article include:
http://ezinearticles.com
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/034277_fasting_longevity.html
http://www.naturalnews.com

About the author:
Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care. For more information go to www.drjockers.com To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to www.maximizedliving.com Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance phone consultations to help you beat disease and reach your health goals.

http://www.naturalnews.com/037607_enzymes_digestion_nutrient_assimilation.html