Our lovely Liver

Do you know how important your liver is? Or how about where it is located in your body?
In the past two weeks a handful of phone calls, messages and questions have come in asking for help with the liver.

The liver is second only to the skin for being the largest eliminating organ. It sits very snugly under our right rib cage and filters everything; allowing your body to absorb everything it needs to keep the body running.  If that isn't clear enough, than here is a list of some of its major duties:

• Metabolizes proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, thus providing energy and nutrients
• Stores fuel in the form of glycogen, which is especially important to you brain function, and can supply "quick energy"
• Metabolizes drugs (Prescription and over the counter) and breaks down alcohol
• Stores vitamins, minerals, and sugars
• Filters the blood and helps remove harmful chemicals and bacteria
• Creates bile, which breaks down fats
• Regulates the body's ability to clot
• Governs the transport of fat stores
• Helps assimilate and store fat-soluble vitamins (A,E,D,K); stores iron
• Stores extra blood, which can be quickly released when needed
• Crates serum proteins, which maintain fluid balance and acts as carriers for hormones like estrogen and other substances
• Helps maintain electrolyte and water balance
• Creates immune substances, such as gamma Globulin
• Regulates levels of sexual hormones: manufactures estrogen, testosterone, and breaks down and eliminates excess sexual hormones

Maybe it is that Spring is finally in the air.  If you have found your self asking these questions , or feeling the need to love your liver, it may just be time to do some Spring cleaning, starting with a great Liver Flush.

One of my instructors I had while I was in school  training to become a  Master Herbalist, was Christopher Hobbs and the following is from his book Natural Therapy For Your Liver.

The Liver Flush

1) Mix any freshly squeezed citrus juices to make 1 cup of liquid.  Orange and grapefruit juices are good, but always mix in some lemon or lime.  The final mix should have a tart taste-the more sour, the more cleansing and activating.  This mixture can be watered down to taste with spring or distilled water.

2)  Add 1-2 cloves of freshly squeezed garlic, plus a small amount of fresh ginger juice, which you can obtain by grating ginger on a cheese or vegetable grater and then pressing the resulting fibers in a garlic press.

3)  Mix in 1 TBSP of high-quality olive oil, blend , and drink

4)  Follow the liver flush with 2 cups of cleansing herbal tea.

5)  Drink the liver flush in the morning, and do not eat any other food for one hour.

To do a liver flush you should prepare this drink every morning for 10 days, usually once in the Spring and once in the Fall.  If this causes any mild nausea or an upset stomach, try an encapsulated liver formula which can be found in any health food store or one I have used in my practice is Dr Christopher's Liver Gall bladder Formula. This formula contains herbs that tone, cleanse and will help you love your liver: Barberry root , Wild yam root, Cramp bark, Fennel seed, Ginger root, Catnip leaf and flower and Peppermint leaf.