Fwd: Love Your Liver

April 1, 2008

Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home.

Free Weekly Health Tip prepared for Cyndi

April 1st, 2008

The Sponsor:

Here are two of the many "love your liver" products available at Innovative Healing. Liver Support & Detoxification, (60 caps for $25.10 - take 1 twice daily), and Healthy Liver Tonic---in 1, 4 and 8 oz sizes. To order or for more information contact Leah 828-645-7224 or email: leah.

Your Tip:

Love Your Liver

Spring is arriving in the mountains of western North Carolina. As the new shoots slowly surface out of the earth, the mountain people here know that this is the season of spring tonics, a time to clean the body of the heavier residues of winter eating. An herbalist once told me to eat something wild every day (which I don't do often enough), so in the spring I love to go into my yard and pick dandelion leaves, chickweed, and wild mustards to add to my salad for a quick daily "liver tonic."

Your liver may call for help in the following ways:

1) unexplained nausea with or without vomiting

2) unexplained headaches, including migraines

3) skin eruptions of all types

4) hormonal imbalances of all types

5) chronic constipation, sometimes manifesting as "bowel breath"

6) lack of appetite in the morning

Here are10 ways to love your liver:

1. Eat when you're hungry; stop when you're full; eat slowly and chew your food until it's become liquid.

2. Eat only organically grown foods to reduce the number of chemicals your liver has to eliminate.

3. Eat foods that support liver function: artichokes, oatmeal, garlic, cabbage, rosemary, turmeric, ginger, beets, green foods, and orange foods.

4. Eat herbs that support liver function: milk thistle is a primary liver herb, along with dandelion root, burdock root, schizandra, yellow dock, and gentian. You can just grind a sprinkle a teaspoon of milk thistle seeds into your cereal or grains.

5. Drink more water - divide your body weight by 2, and that equals the number of ounces to drink daily; i.e. a 150 pound person would need at least 75 ounces of water or just over two quarts.

6. Increase your bowel movements to at least two per day (are you 2-a-weekers listening?) by eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

7. Engage in gentle activity like walking or hiking or biking to improve circulation into and out of the liver.

8. Eliminate from your environment any smells or fumes that outgas from new carpets, newly painted walls, new fiber board furniture, magic markers, detergents, perfumes, hair spray, room fresheners, candles etc.

9. Recognize and deal with your anger which is the emotion associated with the liver. Anger turned inward creates depression.

10. And say grace before meals; eat in silence or with a minimal of talking which focuses on the positive aspects of your life and day.

Love your liver and your life will be healthier in many ways.

Tip Provided By:

Dr. Liz Lipski has a PhD and is board certified in clinical nutrition.

A 30-year practitioner, author, and the Director of Doctoral Studies at

Hawthorn University. She is founder of Innovative Healing Inc., author

of Digestive Wellness, Digestive Wellness for Children, and many other publications.