Lets talk about the Liver...

Recently I read that eating an avocado a day for 30 days could completely repair a damaged liver... Personally I am a huge fan of the humble avo and don't doubt it's fantastic for your health. Im not sure if the repaired liver claim is true for all people all of the time if its the only thing you do... But it certainly sounds worth a try!
Speaking of the liver, I'm choosing it as the healing topic of my "lets talk about" post, discussing what its main functions are, the emotional reasons that can contribute to liver related illness and the Physical, Dietary, Emotional and Energetic ways to encourage healing of liver conditions...

The liver is the largest organ of the body & is primarily responsible for:
Bile production & excretion. Excretion of cholesterol, hormones & drugs. Metabolism of fats, proteins & carbs. Storage of vitamins, minerals & glycogen. Blood detoxification & purification. The liver has many functions in conjunction with other organs and bodily functions, however, these are the main ones.

The most common liver conditions are: 
Cirrhosis. Hepatitis.  Fatty Liver. Jaundice. Hemochromatosis.

The main symptoms of  liver disease include:  
Yellowish tinge to skin & eyes. Abdominal pain & or swelling. Constant felling of itchy skin. dark colouration of urine. Pale, bloody or tar coloured stools. Chronic fatigue. Nausea and or loss of appetite. Irritability.

Emotional / Mental factors that are said to contribute to liver disease:
Irrational levels of frustration, irritability, anger fear & guilt. An unconscious need to self sabotage. Inner conflicts & difficulty making decisions. Fault finding, blame, victim mentality and a resistance to taking self responsibility. Dismissive of other's advice. struggles with forgiveness and releasing past stuff. Harbours resentments. Difficulty trusting and surrendering.


Affirmation for the Mental / Emotional aspects ~ By Louise. L. Hay: 

"Love & peace & joy are what i know". 
"I choose to live through the open space in my heart. I look for love & find it everywhere". 


Dietary Recommendations:
Remove alcohol, sugar, preservatives, colours & simple carbohydrates from your diet - Entirely - For a minimum of 8 weeks. I would advise only rare introductions of these foods on special occasions in the future if you are prone to liver problems. Think life style change, more than temporary diet.  You need your liver, its worth the sacrifices!
Now here is where i get a little controversial... in my opinion, gained from my research,  eating fat does NOT cause fatty liver or bad cholesterol. an overconsumption of Sugar contributes to fatty liver & high cholesterol. From my research, I believe in the studies that state, the liver actually produces internal cholesterol to protect itself from the damage sugar causes the body. Hence, cut out the sugar and your liver will decrease the amount of bad cholesterol it produces. here is a link to further info: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/everything-you-know-about-cholesterol-wrong-pt
Foods to include:

This is a personal remedy from my great nana who lived to be 103 (letter from the queen & all) she enjoyed bacon & eggs often, cream in her coffee and a few glasses of wine every night... But she did this one thing every day and told me personally, it was the secret to her good health & longevity ~ Lemon juice in lukewarm water every morning, first thing before food. her testimony "it flushes everything right out, good as new" Do it.  Seriously, this woman was amazing!
 Eat an avocado a day.  Add lots of "green smoothies" I am a fan of spirulina. if you add it, in my opinion, you need little else. Garlic, Garlic, yes, more garlic. Its good stuff.
1 tsp of Aloe Vera powder & 1 tsp of Ground turmeric, daily, for 3 months. This is an ayurvedic remedy for improving liver function (and easing pms, bonus). Milk thistle tea daily & Drink plenty of purified water at room temp.


Physical Treatments for Healing the Liver.
Acupuncture & Lymphatic Drainage Massage. Regular walking.
The following detox yoga routine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yka6KP9WTM


Chakra associated with the Liver: 

The SOLAR PLEXUS Chakra rules the Liver.
The solar plexus is our personal power centre. The chakra that relates to our self esteem, self respect and inner strength.
 To open & balance your Solar PLexus energy work with the colour yellow, the gemstone citrine & essential oils of Bergamot, vetiver & juniper.
Here is a link to a youtube clip from my favorite "Chakra lady" on how to activate your Solar PLexus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx-n4wWWYao




And my number 1 tip for healing... walk in nature barefoot for 30 minutes a day !!
BeWell,
Rachael ;)