Liver Cleansing: Toxins 

One of the best ways to lose weight is do a whole body detoxification program. Detoxification will help purify your liver and your liver is where much of your fat burning takes place. A sluggish liver will impair your ability to burn fat.  Other detoxification organs are your kidneys, lungs, and skin. 

First let’s talk about the detox dynamic-duo, the liver and gall bladder. The liver is your body’s primary detoxifier and all toxins pass through it at some point. There are two steps to liver cleansing – step one is to find the toxic compounds and tag them so that your body knows that they need to be removed. Step two is to grab the tagged molecules and get them out, either through the kidneys, or the bile – which goes through the gall bladder and into the intestines.

These processes need nutrients to work – it takes a lot of B-vitamins, minerals, and other compounds to tag these toxins and pull them out, which is why it’s so important to give your body the nutrition it needs to detox. We will talk more about the gallbladder in a future lesson – this can be a big barrier for many people. It also takes a lot of water to flush out these toxins, so don’t forget to drink your water!

It is important not to add to the problem by adding toxins to your system – remember pain killers and alcohol and tobacco products all add to the amount of toxins that your liver needs to take care of along with artificial sweeteners, preservatives, food colorings, and MSG. Toxins don’t always have to be chemical – some emotions are toxic, especially anger. In fact some liver diseases show up first with the symptom of anger.

There are many foods that are known to support liver function: dark leafy greens, especially those with a bitter flavor, stimulate liver function, as do beets and fresh lemon juice. That’s right – just adding a little lemon juice to your water can help your body to detox. And while we’re on the subject – water is absolutely key to this whole process – think of it as washing out your body – it’s really hard to wash if you don’t have enough water, so drink up!

Along with washing your body from the inside – all of these bad toxins have to go somewhere and a lot of them exit through your bowels – so if your bowels aren’t moving very quickly then you’re not getting rid of toxins. If you have a problem with constipation consider using high fiber foods, fiber supplements, or enemas at first to help your body get rid of junk. Always check with your doctor first to make sure these are safe options for you.

Don’t forget about the other ways your body detoxifies – especially your skin. When we sweat toxins are released as one more way for your body to heal itself. This means that your detox can be helped by using the sauna at your gym or by exercising in a warm environment in which sweating is encouraged. Another technique that has been used for centuries is called dry-skin brushing. This stimulates blood flow to the skin, lymphatic drainage (another detox pathway), and the fat tissue directly under the skin and helps your body to get rid of local toxic fat pockets that contribute to cellulite.

The final detoxifier? Breathe deeply. Your lungs get rid of carbon dioxide and some volatile toxins including alcohol (this is why breathalyzers work). Deep breathing stimulates your body’s detoxification pathways and also your immune system.

Losing weight naturally may be difficult if you have these toxins build up in your body. To ensure optimal natural weight loss follow a liver cleansing protocol — I guarantee you will be able to feel the difference! 

Action Step:
The best way to detoxify your body is to use a detoxification kit which addresses colon, liver, and gallbladder detoxification and cleansing. It is also crucial that you repair your GI tract from damage that has been caused by unhealthy lifestyle factors (food allergies, processed food, sugar, alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs, etc.)

By: Dr. Kendra Pearsall