Our liver is the second largest organ in our bodies, next to the skin.
With over 500 functions, such as filtration of toxins from the blood, bile production, blood sugar regulation, and production and break down of hormones, to name a few, the liver is indeed one of the most vital organs in the body.
Without our liver functioning well, the rest of the systems in our bodies won’t be able to receive the proper nutrition that they need in order to function. Facts say that you can’t live a week without it, hence the importance of making sure that our liver stays happy and healthy.
To do that, here are 5 helpful ways to take good care of our liver.
1. Drink in moderation.
Alcohol consumption is okay, as long as it is consumed in moderation because the liver is only capable of processing and breaking down a small amount of alcohol every hour. When the liver is overworked, it can lead to inflammation and scarring or alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and liver cancer.
As recommended, men and women should drink no more than 14 units per week and with a minimum of two days rest.
Here’s a Moderate Drinking Made Easy Workbook to get you started.
2. Steer clear from toxins (medications, herbal supplements and chemicals).
Aside from alcohol, the certain medications, supplements and chemical toxins can also cause the liver to inflame and fail.
Many over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications could cause toxic liver disease, especially pain relievers. Try not to depend on pain medications. Follow dosing instructions and talk to a doctor or pharmacist often about the medicines you are taking.
Supplements and traditional medicines can also result in liver toxicity because these can contain heavy metals and unknown toxins. So before taking any of these, make sure to consult your physician or liver specialist.
Its also very important to limit direct contact with toxins from things such as pesticides, insecticides, certain cleaning products, etc. Make it a habit to always wash produce and read warning labels on whatever chemicals you use.
3. Protect yourself from Hepatitis A, B and C.
Hepatitis A, B and C are viral diseases of the liver. To protect yourself from acquiring them, vaccines, safe-sex, minimizing the chance of blood-to-blood contact and the risk of direct contact to other bodily fluids, are very important.
Also make sure to avoid sharing of toothbrushes, razors, and other personal care items as they can also transmit hepatitis B or C. Hepatitis A on the other hand, is spread through contact with contaminated food or water. Watch out for that especially when you are traveling.
4. Maintain a healthy weight.
Obesity is one of the major risk factors for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is is the build up of extra fat in liver cells that is not caused by alcohol, and causes the liver the swell and become damaged. With a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise, you can easily maintain your weight and avoid liver problems.
To easily monitor your health and store all your results in one place, here is a smart body scale that has FULL BODY COMPOSITION ANALYSIS. It can analyze your Weight, BMI, Body Fat, Visceral Fat, Muscle Mass, Bone Mass, Body Water, and more.
5. Stop smoking.
Well if you need another reason to quit smoking, then let me tell you that this vice can also cause liver cancer AND cirrhosis of the liver. Earlier, I mentioned about the prevention of toxins. Well, tobacco smoke also contain toxic chemicals that can cause inflammation, scarring and damage to the liver.
QuitGo Stop Smoking Aid
Aside from the liver, it is also imperative to give equal importance to our other organs in order to prolong and maintain the quality of our lives.
6. (Bonus!) Try the Wheat Belly diet
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is generally cause by consumption of wheat. Modern wheat, as documented by Dr. William Davis, is a completely different grain from the wheat we knew prior to 1969, when the Monsanto company developed a new form of wheat that was resistant to their propriety herbicide, RoundUp. Aside from the problems caused directly by that herbicide, the new wheat has shown to be much less nutritious than prior forms, and has introduced several new substances into our diet that did not exist prior to 1969. If you have a bloated belly, chances are that you can get rid of it completely in just a few month following the Wheat Belly Diet. This may the most important change you can make to your lifestyle!
