Holiday Liver TLC

Dr. Kasia Kines, Nutritionist, CEO and founder of EBV Educational Institute
Virtual clinic serving the US and globally
[email protected]

This time of the year is the hardest on the liver – we eat the richest foods, we eat late in the evening, we add extra fatty foods as well as alcohol to our festivities… So this is the perfect time to remind you to LOVE YOUR LIVER and give your liver a little TLC.

What does liver do? Many vital things!

• Stores glycogen (fuel for the body), which is made from sugars. When required, glycogen is broken down into glucose, which is then released into the bloodstream.
• Helps to process fats and proteins from digested food.
• Makes proteins that are essential for blood to clot (clotting factors).
• Helps to process and/or remove alcohol, many types of medicines, toxins and poisons from the body.
• Makes bile, the soap-like substance, which passes from the liver to the gut down the bile duct. Bile breaks down the fats in food so that they can be absorbed from the bowel.

Did you know that…..

1. Liver will regrow if part is removed (do not try it with your finger….). Think about how profound this it.
2. Liver has to clear all toxins, including things we do not think about: for example, any medication, over the counter medication, smoke of any kind, chemicals in clothes we wear, heavy metals from clothes dryer, fluoride from your toothpaste, chlorine in your shower – the more toxins go in, the more burdened the liver is.
3. Liver enzymes are the markers of liver toxicity- that is why your doctor retests your blood every 3 months if you are on medications (food for thought).
4. Filter your water, or you will become a filter, specifically, your liver will.
5. Any time you have a meal without organic ingredients (such as a simple act of eating out in a restaurant), your liver will have to work overtime to clear traces of pesticides, herbicides, human growth hormones, antibiotics, arsenic, and more. Organics does matter! 
6. Liver regenerates and repairs in the middle of the night. If you are on town partying, eating and drinking late into the night, your liver will not be able to do its job that night. Get a good night’s sleep!
7. We only have only THREE ways to eliminate toxins, with liver support:

• Stools (you only form a stool if you eat foods high in fiber),
• Sweat (this is where physical activity and sauna come into play),
• Urine (drink filtered water),
• That is it!!!!!
• Do you have 2 BMs a day, drink enough water for your urine to be very pale and do you break a sweat regularly?What key nutrients are absolutely essential to support liver and detoxification:

Key nutrients you may not know about…

1. B vitamins (activated aka methylated)
2. Glutathione: an internal antioxidant made by a body that is healthy and well nourished; supplementation with precursors is needed for most of us: selenium, milk thistle, and N-Acetyl Cysteine are perfect examples of liver support. If you take medications, you should consider supplementing daily. Here is my all time favorite liver support
3. Fiber. The less fiber in your diet and the fewer the bowel movements, the more toxic load you are allowing. If you are not willing or able to adjust your diet at this time, please consider daily supplementation with a high quality fiber supplement that also contains probiotics, prebiotics, and l-glutamine, giving you a gently boost. Here is my recommendation.
4. Detox-in-a-Box? Do you need help but are not ready for our Detox Program or lifestyle change yet?  Try this one-week kit with herbs, fiber, probiotics, prebiotics, and liver supportive herbs as well as glutathione precursors to give you a cleaning sweeping!  This product is safe enough to use 4 times a year along with your oil change!

Key foods you may not be eating….

• High sulfur containing foods like garlic, legumes, onions, and eggs
• Good sources of water-soluble fibers such as pears, oat bran, apples, and beans
• Cabbage family vegetables especially broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, white and red radish, kale, watercress, horseradish, kohlrabi, etc.
• Artichokes (aka jerusalem artichokes), beets, carrots, dandelion
• Many herbs and spices like turmeric, cinnamon, licorice, and also milk thistle that i already mentioned

Beverages you may not know about….

• Red beet mixed with carrot (1/2 cup) once a day.
• Dandelion root tea: steep 1 teaspoon in 1 pint boiling water for 20 minutes. Take once a day.
• Dandy Blend – a powder instant-coffee-like substitute that contains dandelion root as well as prebiotics and is gluten and caffeine free; it is a great hit with our patients. Drink liberally. It is delicious in its own right.

In short: LOVE YOUR LIVER!!!!

Dr. Kasia Kines, Nutritionist, CEO and founder of EBV Educational Institute
Virtual clinic serving the US and globally
[email protected]