The latest heatwave to hit our shores may have left you feeling a little on the sluggish side, with a ‘fuzzy’ head. Sound about right?
That will no doubt be partly due to the high temperatures. But, if you’ve been staying cool with plenty of chilled wine and ice-cold beer, while fuelling yourself with BBQ’s, then it’s extremely likely that your liver is under a bit of pressure.
The human liver processes 3 pints of blood per minute and is absolutely fundamental to good health. It’s exceptionally good at regenerating itself, but does need a bit of TLC to remain efficient.
Here’s a sobering thought
Not one cell in your liver today will be there in 90 days time. You will have completely rebuilt it! The liver has considerable influence over the quality of fluids circulating around the body, delivering nutrients and removing waste, made even more important today when we consider the toxins we’re exposed to.
In our daily lives we are bombarded by toxins which the body has to deal with to maintain good health. With optimum nutritional and lifestyle choices, the liver retains its integrity, efficiency and neutralises all of those toxins. We're oblivious to the hard work which is going on in there!
If our diet is insufficient however, and we are subject to stress, tiredness and take in substances such as alcohol, damaged fats and drugs, the liver’s functions become deficient and we feel the consequences. Sluggishness and that ‘fuzzy’ feeling are distinct symptoms of an overworked liver.
So, how can we shift the sluggishness?
Diet is important
This won’t be news to you, but what you put in your body plays a key role here. A diet rich in organic, unrefined and unprocessed foods is perfect. In particular, as much raw and ripe fruits and vegetables as you can comfortably consume on a daily basis. The guideline is to try to eat 20% of your total daily intake as raw foods!
We need at least four pints of plain bottled or filtered water a day too. And as a lack of water is the primary trigger of daytime fatigue, it’s really important to drink up. Go easy on the booze, however!
And finally, eliminate all margarines and other health spreads too, despite what the clever advertising says. Instead, choose organic cow’s butter, but use it sparingly.
Get some help with supplements
There are a few options to support the liver. Here are our top picks:
1x Multi Vitamin and Mineral tablet
Twice daily (am and pm) for one month.
A broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients that support liver function.
1x Multi Antioxidant with Co-Q10 tablet
Twice daily (am and pm) for one month.
Contains a range of ingredients to support detoxification as well as Co-Q10 which is a particularly useful antioxidant for the liver. The inclusion of Zinc is especially useful for drinkers, who need a zinc dependent enzyme in the liver to detoxify.
2x Milk Thistle
Daily.
Milk Thistle is a herb renowned for its liver protecting properties.
1x heaped teaspoon of Probiotic E500
Daily until finished (about 2 weeks).
Probiotic living in the gut are vital to general function and well-being. They are extremely useful in liver detoxification to help combat harmful bacteria too.
So, the message is clear – go ahead and enjoy the BBQ’s, wine and beer. But remember, your liver works really hard, so be kind to it!