Whats New!
PREVENTION
Nutrition / Exercise / Mindfulness / Prevention
Fortunately for us, the liver is one organ that can regenerate itself, and “heal” itself. The amazing liver is responsible for so many actions in the body, here are a few of the most important ones:
- Detoxification of potentially toxic chemicals from both inside and outside of the body including drugs, alcohol, chemicals, and toxins from intestinal microbes.
- Storage of sugar as 'glycogen' and regulation of blood sugar levels.
- Production of bile which aids in the digestion of fats.
- Regulation of some hormones.
- Neutralization of 'free-radicals' by antioxidants. Free radicals are highly reactive oxygen molecules that can damage tissues.
- Storage of vitamins A, D and B12.
As you can see, it is very important for your long term health and longevity that your liver is functioning well. There are many ways to prevent a decline in liver function, which can eventually lead to liver disease. There are some fundamental concepts like a healthy diet, exercise and a mindfulness practice that are discussed elsewhere in this newsletter. To add to those basic guidelines, it is important to promote the function of your liver through strong antioxidants and herbs that are stimulating to the liver. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is the most well-known herbal medicine for liver protection. It acts as an antioxidant and helps lower ‘bad’ cholesterol. Milk thistle is a potent anti-inflammatory, helps boost the immune system and, best of all, aids the liver’s regenerating mechanisms. Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinalis) is also widely known to improve liver function when taken in adequate amounts in the long term. It basically functions to increase the secretion of bile, thus aiding digestion and tonification of the liver. The leaves may also be used and/or eaten raw or cooked but are mostly used as a kidney tonic and diuretic.
Another especially useful tool for liver health while we age is the use of fruit anthocyanins. They act as powerful antioxidants and help promote the second phase of chemical detoxification in the liver. Present in very high concentrations in blueberry, elderberry, raspberry and pomegranate, fruit anthocyanins are great for the liver as well as the heart and circulatory system.
As long as you continue to treat your liver right, by whatever methods you choose, or by following our recommendations and/or detox plan, your liver will not fail you. You may be able to control most of your surroundings, and things you consume and choose to put on your body; however, there will likely always be some “spring cleaning” that needs to be done. Think of your liver like a pool filter…I wouldn’t want to swim in a pool where the filter has not been cleaned in over a year, would you?
For references please email info@naturavitanv.com
The key word with regard to exercise and detoxification is: SWEATING! If you are truly drinking enough water each day to be adequately hydrated, then you can induce a sweat while you exercise. Sweating opens the pores of the skin to open an elimination pathway for toxins that can be released through the skin. This is a relatively under-recognized benefit of exercise – the sweating aspect not only cools the body, but also detoxifies the body of toxins! During an intense detoxification program (see Detox section of http://naturavitanv.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=82)
a sauna may be used instead of exercise to induce sweating, so as not to overstress the body by working out during the program.
Another detoxification benefit of exercise is the movement of lymph fluid that becomes much more efficient while exercising. Lymph fluid not only contains immune cells, but also fat soluble toxins and metabolic by-products, that need to be incorporated into the circulatory system and then eliminated through the liver. When the lymph fluid remains sluggish, the lymph nodes become clogged which diminishes their filtering ability. This will increase the amounts of metabolic waste in the body, thus increasing toxicity and the potential for disease. By increasing the circulation of lymph fluid through exercise of the muscles, it enables a cleansing of the lymph tissue and a flushing of the body tissues. Your blood and lymphatic fluids also distribute essential nutrients to your cells, so optimizing their ability to flow freely is PARAMOUNT to overall health maintenance.
Finally, and perhaps most important for long term health, is the benefit exercise has on weight reduction. Many detoxification metabolites get stored in the fat cells of the body, especially when ones come along that the liver does not know how to deal with. Reducing body fat will release the stored toxins and, along with the proper detoxifying nutrients, allow the body to eliminate them permanently. Furthermore, less fat allows your body to process dietary sugars better; thus reducing the probability of developing adult onset diabetes as well as promoting heart health. After all, fatty tissue actually clogs the arteries, increases blood pressure, and can put additional strain on the heart. Yes, it’s true, there is yet another in an ever growing list of reasons that every person MUST exercise. Your body and ALL its components were designed for movement; without it, nothing works right and disease is sure to manifest in one form or another. Get out there, start slow and be gentle with yourself, but keep working on it and you WILL get the results you are looking for. Pretty soon, you will feel (literally) like you can’t live without it.
For references please email info@naturavitanv.com
The world we live in today is full of toxins. Herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, heavy metals, solvents and industrial waste are regularly released into the atmosphere. We come into contact with them or their residues on a daily basis by simply inhaling, eating and even sleeping. With so much exposure throughout our lives, the toxins eventually build up in our bodies. Some of us choose to minimize our exposure by using high quality air and water purifiers, eating organic foods, and by using natural products in our homes, gardens and on our skin. However, no matter how hard we try, there is always some exposure and build up in the body that can act as an obstacle to optimum health. So to reverse the adverse effects of exposure, Natura Vita recommends a 2 to 3 week special detoxification diet at least once a year. We think of it as “spring cleaning for the body”.
A yearly detox is a difficult but necessary process in our toxic world. There are many radical processes out there that may or may not be safe and effective. At Natura Vita we have put together a detox program that allows your liver to efficiently cleanse itself without depriving you of essential energy and nutrients. While the liver is constantly detoxifying our bodies, this special diet and regimen is designed to flush the liver of any residual that may be building up over the course of a year, so it can function better all year long.
The entire 15 day process is mapped out for you including meal plans and recipes. We recommend Thorne Mediclear which is a rice protein based meal replacement powder that contains vitamins and herbs known to enhance liver detoxification. Some important vitamins for liver detoxification include thiamine, riboflavin, choline, NAC, Magnesium, MSM and Glutathione, all of which are present in clinically relevant amounts in Thorne MediClear powder. We also recommend our own Detoxify Herbal Tea Blend, a great tasting mix of licorice, Siberian ginseng, roasted dandelion, burdock and ginger. The tea is especially important to insure that whatever toxins are being flushed out of the liver are disposed of through the proper channels of elimination.
The liver is quite the remarkable organ as we hope you now can see. Want to hear the best part? It only takes two weeks out of every year to keep it functioning well for the other 50. A small price to pay for long-term liver health!
For references please email info@naturavitanv.com
Spring is here, and with spring comes “Spring Cleaning”, not just of your “house”, your body, but also your mind. Cleansing and purifying the mind is an essential part of any detoxification program. The goal of a detoxification is to clear out the toxic, sluggish, heavy, or otherwise undesirable elements and to replace them with clean, fresh, positive changes. The same is true of a mindfulness detoxification program. The goal is to replace negative thoughts, and harmful weights from your mind – replacing them with a clean slate of positive wholesome thoughts and uplifting ideas.
The first part of cleansing the mind involves release of the OLD, and emptying the mind of all thoughts and worries. The way to do this is to enter the present moment through meditation, yoga, and relaxation exercises. When you are in the present moment, you can clear your head of all the thoughts that enter, reviewing things that happened in the past, or pondering what might happen in the future. Those energies become irrelevant as you focus on the present moment, breathing and centering the mind. This takes a tremendous amount of willpower, acceptance and practice to do! Perfection of a clear mind is not the pinnacle – the real power is in the attempt and the choice to begin to release thoughts that no longer serve you and that weigh you down. (this is why they call it a meditation PRACTICE!)
This may take a period of weeks to get to a place where you feel more at peace, and less encumbered by constant bombardment of thoughts about past or future events. Once you begin to feel the change this brings, then you can start to add in the positive element of change. By meditating and thinking of things that you enjoy, of goals for your life and qualities you wish to express. After clearing your mind, you can create a list of things and people that you are grateful for – this establishes a level of gratitude and love. Meditating on a word, such as PEACE, or JOY, or FORGIVENESS, or whatever concept is speaking to you, that you are actively calling it into your presence, and bringing it into your life in a mindful, present way through meditation and clear thought. In this way, you are purifying your mind, and renewing it into a new state of being, where you can feel more free, light and consciously create a fresh mind through detoxification of thoughts!
Mindfulness is essential to detoxification and can always accelerate the process of cleansing the body to release the negative energies in body & mind. Not only will this mindfulness practice benefit your mental clarity and peacefulness, it will also benefit the body through calming of the stress response, improved breathing, improved immunity, reduced muscle tension, improved digestion, and overall wellbeing. The physical benefits of mindfulness practice are many: enhanced cognition and brain longevity, improved lipid profiles, reduced oxidative stress, decreased pain, and lowered blood pressure. To begin the journey toward inner peace, visit YogaSpa Tahoe (located upstairs from High Altitude Fitness) or email drkemby@naturavitanv.com for information on upcoming meditation and breathwork classes.
For references please email info@naturavitanv.com
