Liver love

Researching the liver for my next Gut Health Meet Up on June 21st, I realised that I had almost forgotten just how much I love the liver.

If I were to write an ode to my liver, it would go something like ...

“Liver, liver how do I love thee, let me count the ways …” and then there would be about 500 ways I love the liver! This is because that is how many functions the liver performs for you daily to keep you well and vibrant.

It is little wonder that if your liver is struggling … you really know about it!

Where does the liver fit into my health picture?

This football-sized organ (the liver is our second largest organ next to the skin) is the powerhouse of the digestive system.

Anything consumed goes via the liver after digestion from the stomach and small intestines.

So, I am strict when it comes to your liver signs and your liver markers in pathology results. No, I don’t want your results to be just in range … I want your results to be optimal. The foods you are choosing and what else you are doing daily to really love your liver all add up.

This is not the tender kind of unconditional love I am talking about (although if your liver is struggling – you may have to start that way) no, I am talking tough love, hard love … to help your liver work at its best, so you feel your best.

Factoring liver love into meal prepping … do it daily!

Regardless of your style or approach when it comes to meal planning (the topic of last month’s blog), anyone can make it a daily practice to factor liver love into their meal preparation.

It is true that you don’t need to be going hardcore at loving your liver all year round. That is not necessary.

What it does mean is that something needs to be done, just for the liver, every single day.

Tasty herbal teas, flavoursome dips, refreshing salads, sensational side dishes, zesty homemade sauces full of wholesome liver-loving plant-based ingredients (read on for a list of top liver-loving foods below) – this is exactly what the liver requires!

This is the liver love campaign that is going to be a winner for you, and your liver, to help make the most vibrant version of you.

Early warning liver signs

Here are the top early signs your liver is trying to get your attention:

1. Poor appetite
2. Disturbed sleep patterns (especially liver time which is 1 am – 3 am)
3. Your memory isn’t the sharpest
4. Tired all the time
5. Itchy skin
6. Dry eyes or mouth
7. Sudden weight gain, or unexpected weight loss
8. Breasts become enlarged
9. Change in personality
10. Easily confused
11. Trouble focussing
12. More aches and pains than usual
13. Bloating
14. Getting the chills regularly

My goodness, that is a long list of everyday little niggles that point straight back to the liver not receiving enough loving attention.

Heavy-duty liver signs

Now, the heavy-duty and high-alert liver signs are:

1. Chronic fatigue and tiredness
2. Constant nausea
3. Pale stool (colour comes from bile so pale stool = not enough bile flow)
4. Yellow skin or eyes
5. Spider Naevi (spider shape arteries appear in clusters on the skin)
6. Easy Bruising
7. Reddened palms of the hands
8. Dark urine
9. Swollen abdomen, ankles, and legs

The ultimate multi-tasker inside your body

You see, your liver is responsible for:

1. Clearing out toxins
2. Processing medicines
3. Producing bile
4. Digesting fat
5. Storing glucose
6. Producing protein
7. Clotting your blood, and
8. Another only another 492 functions!

Luckily the liver is a forgiving organ. If you have been more abusive than loving of late, it will turn around and forgive you. The liver will even regenerate cells (up to a point) but ongoing and repeated abuse may lead to inflammation, scarring, and cirrhosis.

Without love, the liver will shrink and harden. These changes to structure impair its function.

The liver’s four major foes

Many things can harm the liver and impair its function, but its major damagers are:

1. Alcohol
2. Toxins
3. High-fat diet
4. Viral infections, such as hepatitis

How to build a vessel of love for the liver?

To keep yourself in the sweet spot with your liver, consume some of these goodies every single day:

- Beetroot (one of my favourite foods!)
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Rocket
- Fresh garlic
- Rosemary
- Artichoke
- Olive oil
- Parsley
- Chamomile
- Lemon juice
- Dandelion root (made either into a tea or a tasty caffeine-free coffee alternative)

This is where my ode to my liver concludes – with much gratitude to an organ that is tireless in its loving work for our beautiful exquisite bodies.

It gives so much and now it is time to give it some love back by factoring its favourite foods into your meals each day.