Strengthening Your Liver: Liver Health and Successful Weight Loss
14 Aug
Many people work out regularly but still find it difficult to lose weight. If this has been your experience, it may benefit you to focus on liver health. The liver is the second largest human organ and plays a major role in the body’s digestion and detoxification. An organ responsible for about 500 bodily functions, the liver is essential for life. When the liver is not functioning properly, it can begin to store fat throughout the body, making weight loss impossible.
The liver makes bile, an enzyme that digests lipids (fats), and filters toxins out of the blood. When we consume too many toxins such as alcohol and processed sugars, our livers become overwhelmed and are not able to properly perform either task. If the liver cannot produce enough enzymes to digest the amount of lipids entering the body, the lipids are changed to fat which is stored throughout the body in places such as the butt and abdomen.
Other problems associated with decreased liver function include water retention, failure to regulate levels of glucose, blood pressure increase, and hormone imbalance. All of these problems make it impossible to adequately lose weight. If you are working out regularly but still struggling with weight loss, you may find it helpful to incorporate a diet that improves liver function.
Here are some helpful diet tips for improving liver health:
1. Drink 8-12 glasses of water daily
This is not a myth; drinking lots of water will actually increase weight loss. Water cleanses your liver so that it can produce the proper digestive enzymes which will in turn speed up your metabolism. If you don’t want to count your glasses of water do what I do and try for two clear coloured urinations a day.
2. Stay away from artificial sweeteners
There are several products on the market that promote using artificial sweeteners as a means of losing weight. However, artificial sweeteners are actually toxic to the liver. Like most things, consuming small amounts of these sugar substitutes is not dangerous, but putting too much in your body can greatly impair your ability to lose weight.
3. Eat less processed foods
This is fairly basic. The less processed foods you eat, the healthier you will be. Fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables, are easier for the body to digest and provide more nutrients which will keep your body operating efficiently.
4. Perform a detox
A detox can be very helpful in eliminating toxins from the body. I completed a month-long detox and found that I felt both healthier and more energetic when it was over. However, it’s very important to do research and find a quality detox program.
5. Healing power of herbs
Some herbs can help give your liver a helping hand. Dandelion and Milk Thistle can be a good start. Also the Chinese herb Dong Quai has been successfully used as a liver tonic.
If you cannot seem to lose weight, try introducing a few of these suggestions for improving liver health, they may be able to jump start your weight loss program.




