Detox your liver

Do you need to detox your liver?  What does that even mean and why would you even need to do that?  Let’s dive into the reasons…

Why detox?

We know that the liver is our bodies’ filtration system.  Just like a water pitcher with a carbon filter to filter out certain things, our bodies also filter out toxins.  Our bodies are amazing yet we don’t treat them with all the respect that they need or deserve.

Bad diets

We live in a world where food is plentiful.  And, major corporations have figured out how to produce (i.e. process) foods that people have become addicted to.  Sugar, corn products and carbohydrates are big money makers for these corporations so it stands to reason that these companies are going to find ways to make ‘foods’ they know people will like, such as:

• Pop / Soda
• Potato chips
• Donuts / Cupcakes / Desserts / Cookies
• Frozen dinners
• Deli meats
• Packaged lunches
• Flavored drinks
• Fancy coffees (AKA flavored)
• Food that isn’t really food

All this means is that our livers’ need to filter out the bad stuff – the stuff that isn’t really food.  It may look like food but the make-up of the ‘food’ really isn’t food.

If you have a treat now and then, that’s one thing.  But, when you continually eat a bad diet, your liver needs to work overtime to filter this out.  Your liver eventually gets tired.  This messes with your hormones and as we’ve seen, can lead to estrogen dominance…as well as a whole host of other hormonal issues.

Toxic sources

There are a few toxic sources that our livers have to deal with.  Have you heard of any of these?

• Parabens
• BPA’s (think plastics)
• Glycol (check your deodorants)
• Triclosan (check your dish soap)

They come from:

Shampoo / Soaps / Lotions

Yes, shampoo!  Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on your shampoo / conditioner bottle?  I never used to.  There are so many chemicals in our shampoos and we’re putting this (and rubbing it into) our heads.  It’s a common endocrine disruptor.  And, it’s the same with soaps and lotions.  All of this is being rubbed into our skin – meaning, it’s being absorbed into our bodies requiring our livers to eliminate those chemicals.

The biggest problems are parabens, preservatives, phthalates, fragrances, oxybenzone (look at your sunscreen) and toluene (found in nail polish).

House cleaning items

There’s barely a natural substance in our household cleaning products.  Those potent smells, colors and preservatives are needed so that you think it’s doing a good job cleaning but some of the worst chemicals like propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol are lurking inside.

These chemicals are known to cause unusually heavy bleeding and even fertility problems.  In addition, they contain xenoestrogen.  Xenoestrogens work like the estrogen in our bodies and cause all kinds of problems for your natural ones.  The problem is that these xenoestrogens are generally labeled as ‘fragrance’.  What the heck!?  Are you convinced yet that you need to detox your liver?  If not, read on…

Products for our vaginas

Yep, toxins are in these too – from maxi pads to tampons to wipes!  Sadly, there are fragrances, pesticides, and bleach – among other things.  Of particular concern are tampons which sit inside your vagina for hours at a time.  I haven’t yet made the change to all organic tampons but will be doing that in my next tampon run.

Eating / Drinking

Have you ever really thought about what you are putting INTO your body and where the foods came from?  Were there pesticides sprayed on those salads you are eating?  What about that apple or peach?  Do you have any unexplained health problems like infertility?  Well, if you do, you’d better start looking at where your food is coming from.  Plus, it’s also linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Did you know there’s chlorine and fluoride in the water supply?  If you don’t use a filter to filter out the water you are drinking and cooking with, you should start now.  Otherwise, it can cause problems to your nervous system and organs.

Conclusion – It’s time to Detox your liver

So, if you’ve never thought about Detoxing your liver, you should.  Your liver does a lot for you so you should detox your liver now!  Start by reading labels and only choosing products that don’t contain these toxic chemicals.  Initially, it takes a little bit more time but once you start recognizing the culprits, you will more quickly find and be able to eliminate these items from your life so you can detox your liver.

Watch what you are eating – read food labels and know where your products come from.  And, if you don’t have a water filtration system, go get one – or if you’ve neglected changing out your filter on your refrigerator water line, go order one NOW!