Consider your liver as a big filter for your blood.  I tell my patients that it’s like a sieve that the kids use to pour sand into and that catches all of the big particles like rocks and sticks and leaves while the sand pours out the bottom.  Think of your liver as that sieve: it cleans out all of the chemicals from the food, hormones that need breaking down, medications, etc. 

In Chinese Medicine, they say that, when the liver is congested (too many ‘rocks and leaves’), the blood begins to run ‘hot’.  This is what can lead to inflammation and pain.  From the inflammation and pain, several different ‘health challenges’ can occur: skin irritation, which can be anything from an itchy patch  to Psoriasis, Eczema, and Dermatitis.  Inflammation can also lead to joint pain, arthritis, generalized achiness and muscle pain, allergies, menstrual symptoms and headaches. 

From a physiological point of view, when the liver becomes ‘congested’, the bile, which is produced by the liver, that is used for breaking down fats can become thick and sluggish, which can lead to gallstones.  If too many gallstones accumulate, one of the medical solutions is to cut it out. 

So, here are some of the foods you can use to help support your liver function:

• Beets: steamed or raw
• Carrots: steamed
• Daikon Radish
• Yogi Tea: first thing in the morning, cold, plain
• Water
• Master Cleanse
• Liver Flush
• Milk Thistle

On the other side, the foods that really clog up the function of the liver are the following: fried foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol. 

I know you’ve all heard this a million times but, I have to say it one more time: limit your intake of these things.  They are really hard on our bodies when we choose unhealthy foods and drinks throughout the day.

My Challenge to you: When you are ready, take 10 days and pick 2 of the above mentioned foods and eat or drink them everyday.  Remember, anytime you do any sort of cleansing, drink lots of water and stay away from fatty foods, sugar, and caffeine.