Healthy Liver: Keep your liver healthy and fatty free (Healthy Living) - Softcover

Beer, Dr Cris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1925017575 ISBN 13: 9781925017571

Publisher: Rockpool Publishing, 2016

Synopsis

Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body and its role in your general wellbeing cannot be overlooked. A healthy liver performs an amazing 500 different functions, from breaking down fat to extracting vitamins, storing energy and fighting infection. Yet, due to our modern lifestyles and environment, our livers can really take a hit. The time to take action is now and Healthy Liver contains all the tools and information you need to heal and restore this essential organ.
 
With case studies, an easy-to-follow diagnosis questionnaire and a simple 7-day Detox plan, this book is your authoritative guide to ultimate liver health.
 

About this title

About the Author

Dr Cris Beer is an expert in holistic medicine, as well as a registered medical doctor who has trained in nutritional and integrative medicine and health and fitness coaching. 

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Healthy Liver

By Cris Beer

Rockpool Publishing Pty Ltd

Copyright © 2016 Dr Cris Beer
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-925017-57-1

Contents

About Dr Cris Beer, 
Who Needs a Healthy Liver?, 
Intro to Liver Health, 
Know Your Liver, 
Liver Haters, 
Liver Lovers, 
Your Liver Detox Plan, 
7-Day Detox Meal Guide, 
Your Post-Party Detox, 
Interesting Liver Cases, 
Love Your Liver for Life, 
Easy Reference Guide, 
References, 

CHAPTER 1

WHO NEEDS A HEALTHY LIVER?

For the first few years that I worked as a general practitioner I had underestimated the liver's significant role in the general wellbeing of my patients. I had learnt that the liver was important from a physiological point of view and that it helped to keep us alive, but I hadn't fully considered how it keeps us feeling well on a day-to-day basis.

I had been taught how to detect liver-function abnormalities in blood testing and how to feel for an enlarged or tender liver – all signs of obvious and severe liver damage. But as for understanding liver damaged well before any obvious clinical signs begin to show, I was completely in the dark. I had seen severe liver damage from chronic alcoholism and from liver disease such as hepatitis, but the subtler symptoms and signs of liver impairment was something I was not adept at detecting. It wasn't until I started practising holistic medicine that I realised the big part the liver plays in a patient's ability to get well and stay well.

Many patients who present to my clinic are struggling to lose weight despite exercising regularly and eating relatively healthily. They often have fluid retention, hormone issues such as low libido, and generally feel tired and unwell. The answer for these patients is not to eat less and move more, as popular advice would suggest, but rather to investigate the deeper physiological issues in that patient's body. This physiological disturbance is often rooted in poor liver health, as a cause or consequence of the patient's lifestyle choices, genetics, infection and/or something known as environmental overload. These will be explained further in the section on 'Liver Haters' but for now let's look at who can benefit from having a healthy liver.

Who Benefits from a Healthy Liver?

This is really a rhetorical question because everyone can benefit from having a healthy liver! If you value your wellbeing and want to feel healthy and energetic then looking after your liver is key. In particular, the following issues may indicate compromised liver health:

[] Struggling to lose weight

[] Carrying weight around your mid-section

[] Feeling ti#c04a53 despite getting a good night's sleep (including those with chronic fatigue syndrome and/or fibromyalgia)

[] Feeling bloated

[] Unexplained itchy skin, especially at night

[] Dark circles under your eyes

[] Excess fluid, especially around your ankles

[] A coating on your tongue

[] Bruising easily

[] Having a poor immune system

[] Have blotchy skin

[] Frequent headaches

[] Gallbladder issues such as gallstones

[] High cholesterol levels or high blood pressure

[] Having been diagnosed with fatty liver

[] Having been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome

[] Liver function abnormalities detected in blood testing

[] Consistently drinking too much alcohol or binge drinking

[] Having taken regular pain-killer medications, anti-depressants or other mood stabilising medications, the oral contraceptive pill, hormone-replacement therapy, epilepsy medications, antibiotics, or cholesterol-lowering medications over a period of time

[] Having hepatitis or cirrhosis (infection-related or alcohol-related)

As you can see, many of us would fit into the category of needing a healthier liver based on some of the more common symptoms presented above. You may not even realise your liver is your key health issue as liver health can deteriorate gradually and almost unnoticeably at first. It is not until symptoms begin interfering with a person's quality of life that they seek help. Hopefully at this point liver deterioration can be addressed and health can return.

This was definitely my case in my mid-twenties when I found myself struggling with feeling constantly bloated and tired. Even though I was considered to have a normal body weight for my frame, I was struggling to lose a few extra kilograms around my mid-section. This was very frustrating as I was exercising five days a week and doing what I thought were 'all the right things'. I felt overwhelmed most of the time, irritated, and retained fluid, which I noticed particularly at the end of the day when my rings no longer seemed to fit on my fingers. I scratched my arms, palms and legs most nights with an unexplained itch that seemed to resolve in the daytime. I couldn't see any signs of eczema or dermatitis and moisturised regularly, just in case this itch was due to dry skin, but that did not seem to make any difference.

Despite having a relatively healthy diet and being a non-smoker and non-drinker, I had elevated cholesterol levels. I was referred by my local doctor to a heart specialist, who shrugged his shoulders and suggested that my cholesterol level was probably a result of genetics, rather than my lifestyle.

What I discovered, though, several years later, was that my liver was the issue. A combination of some poor lifestyle choices, a higher-dose oral contraceptive pill (that I had been on since I was 14, for acne), and some genetic susceptibilities, had overloaded my liver and elevated my bad cholesterol levels. Once these factors were addressed my cholesterol levels and my health returned to normal. I no longer felt tired or struggled to lose weight around my middle; I no longer felt irritated or scratched my skin at night (to my husband's relief!). I just wished I had realised that my liver health was my main issue beforehand – it would have saved me years of feeling terrible!

I'm sure my story is not unique – perhaps you are feeling exactly the same way. Tired, struggling with your weight and just simply not feeling great. The answer lies in addressing your liver health.

How Will This Book Help You?

What I learnt in my journey to improving my liver health, and ultimately my overall health and wellbeing, was that there are some key steps to follow in order to restore the liver to its original function. These steps are based on holistic health principles, with the best of both conventional and complementary wisdoms brought together. This book offers these steps in an easy-to-follow format so that each step is manageable and able to be implemented into busy lives. It is easy to feel overwhelmed in today's society with such an abundance of health information available at our fingertips and often we become paralysed, unable to act – not knowing which way to go. In this book I hope to help you on the path to gaining a healthy liver. The key to making change is one step at a time.

The first step is to understand where your health lies. This is sometimes difficult to quantify as the experience of health is relative for each person based on their previous experiences and expectations. This is also true of liver health, which is perhaps even more difficult to pinpoint given the liver is an organ often not immediately associated with the symptoms listed. To help you gauge where your liver health may stand, I have put together a questionnaire in the section, 'Know Your Liver'. From this questionnaire you will get a Liver Health Score. The higher the score the more likely your health issues stem from poor-liver health.

The section titled 'Your Liver Detox Plan' will then outline a specific plan to restore your liver to healthy working order. Your Liver Health Score will help determine which particular supportive strategies you may need to incorporate into Your Liver Detox as well as the recommended duration of the Detox. Each step of this Detox is laid out clearly so that you never need to feel overwhelmed or confused.

Once you have completed Your Liver Detox the goal is to maintain liver health. If you happen to splurge one weekend with way too much indulging, then follow the steps outlined in 'Your Post-Party Detox'. This will help you get back on track fast. Both Your Liver Detox and Your Post-Party Detox are summarised in the 'Easy Reference Guide' section of this book to print/take a photo of for future reference and as a reminder of what I have covered.

The final section of this book is a description of seven interesting liver cases that I have seen in clinical practice. The purpose of this section is to help consolidate what you have learnt and to know that you are not alone! By reading others' experiences we can learn something about our own liver health and feel comfortable to take positive steps forward.

So use Healthy Liver as your guide to walk you through those steps and discover what it feels like to have optimal liver health. The proof is in the results you experience. If you follow the advice in this book you will regain your health and vitality. You will feel years younger and have more energy than you have had in years.

Will the Detox Be Hard or Time Consuming to Follow?

The strategies suggested have been developed with the busy person in mind. They are easy to follow and not time consuming to implement. Each step is based on practical, sensible and proven strategies not intended to be burdensome or have severe restrictions or rules to follow. It is easier to make changes to your health and lifestyle if you have the support of family members or an accountability person, who can help you to stay focussed. Encouraging others to come along the journey with you to discover great liver health will also help you to stay motivated and allow you to share these health benefits with others.

Will It Take Long to Restore an Unhealthy Liver?

The time it takes to restore optimal liver function will depend on how damaged your liver is and for how long your liver health has been neglected. Be reassured, though, the liver is a remarkably hardy organ that is able to regenerate even in cases of significant damage. Your Liver Health Score will gauge how damaged your liver is, which will determine how long you need to do the Detox for.

Your Liver Detox incorporates a 7-Day Liver Detox Diet. This is designed to be achievable for most and allows individuals to relax a little with their Detox on the weekends. It can be repeated week after week, if desired, or as required, based on your Liver Health Score, to achieve optimal liver health. For minimal liver damage, seven days may be enough to restore liver health. This diet may be repeated several times throughout the year as a 'reset', for example, following Christmas – a time of indulgence with food and drink. There is no harm in following Your Liver Detox long-term as it is based on a balanced diet.

Can Anyone Do the Liver Detox?

The answer to this is yes. Your Liver Detox is a healthy, balanced approach to detoxing the liver and restoring liver health. It is not extreme or based on fad diets. You will still be able to work and function normally on this plan. In fact, you will find that you will be able to carry out your usual activities with more vigour and energy than previously.

I would recommend consulting your doctor first before undertaking Your Liver Detox if you suffer from diabetes or any other major chronic health condition such as hepatitis. This is to gauge response and to make sure medication dosages still apply. Keep in mind that Your Liver Detox does not replace medical treatment in the form of medications or other treatments as recommended by your local doctor. Saying that, many of my patients have found that the dosages of certain medications, such as cholesterol and diabetes medications, can be lowered once their liver health is restored. Always consult your doctor, first, however, before weaning off or changing any medications.

Pregnant and breast-feeding women can undertake the Detox with the exclusion of the recommended supportive supplements. The safety of these supplements during pregnancy and breast-feeding are unknown. It is also recommended that if you are pregnant or breast-feeding to consult your doctor or nutritionist first before undertaking the Detox as these are times when further nutritional intake is required. Your doctor or nutritionist can ensure that no deficiencies arise.

Children over the age of 12 may also undertake the Detox if their liver health is of concern. This is best done in consultation with your child's paediatrician or local doctor.

So, your journey to great liver health now begins. To start that journey let us first take a closer look at what the liver actually does so that we can understand what might be happening to our liver when we start to feel unwell.

CHAPTER 2

INTRO TO LIVER HEALTH

Your liver is essential. It has over 500 imperative functions to help keep your body healthy. However, its role in our general wellbeing can easily be overlooked. In order to get well and stay well, liver health needs to be addressed. In today's society our liver can really take a hit through our lifestyles and via general environment insults (as we will discuss further in the chapter on 'Liver Haters').

A healthy liver will complement other body systems that are functioning optimally, as the body works as a whole. How other organs impact on liver health and vice versa is touched on below and further discussed in the 'Your Liver Detox Plan' section. If your liver is healthy you will:

[] Feel energetic

[] Have clear eyes with no dark circles under your eyes

[] Have clear skin

[] Have a normal metabolism and healthy body weight for your frame

[] Have normal, healthy cholesterol levels in your blood

[] Not have any coating on your tongue

[] Have a healthy immune system

[] Not bruise easily

Where Is My Liver?

Most people have a vague idea where their liver is located. It is found on the upper right side of the abdomen, just below the diaphragm and underneath the ribs on that side. It is the largest internal organ and weighs around 1.5kg. It is boarded by the intestines, pancreas and stomach.

The liver receives a blood supply from the general circulation as well as directly from our digestive tract. Blood supply from our digestive tract carries food particles, medicines that we have ingested and micro-organisms (bugs found in our food and water supplies) that have been absorbed in the intestines to the liver. These substances are then sorted by at least one of the liver's amazing internal processes.

What Exactly Does My Liver Do?

Your liver is essentially your internal chemical – and nutrient – processing factory. It enables chemical reactions that rid the body of toxins and internal cellular waste products, and it processes food nutrients to help maintain a constant supply of these nutrients to our body's various organs and tissues.

Let's look a little further at some of the main functions of the liver so that we can understand what is happening to this organ when we start to feel unwell. The liver:

Rids the body of toxins such as medications, alcohol and other potentially harmful substances in our diet and environment. The liver does this in two stages (known as phase 1 and phase 2). These phases require the assistance of certain nutrients, vitamins and minerals found in our diet, which we will discuss further in the chapter titled 'Liver Lovers'.

The purpose of detoxification is to convert toxins into harmless substances able to be eliminated from the body (in faeces, urine or sweat) via various other organs as shown in the diagram below.

As we can see from this diagram there are four other organ systems that work together with the liver to detoxify the body – the gallbladder, our intestines, kidneys and our skin. These organs also need to be functioning optimally in order for the liver to do its job effectively. Ways to assist the function of these organs will be outlined further in the section 'Your Liver Detox Plan'.

Along with detoxification the liver also undertakes the following functions:

Produces bile (stored in the gallbladder, which is attached to the liver and emptied into the intestines) that is used to help break down dietary fats and absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K in our diet. The liver is able to store these vitamins for gradual use by the body as well as vitamin B12 and the minerals iron and copper.

Filters the blood and removes degraded blood cells as well as invading bacteria

Breaks down any unwanted or harmful hormones

Converts carbohydrates in the diet into glucose for instant energy and stores the excess glucose into glycogen (the stored form of glucose) so if blood sugar levels drop glycogen is converted back into glucose to restore blood sugar balance

Synthesises cholesterols and the production of lipoproteins, which transport cholesterol including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) throughout the body. Cholesterol is an essential component of our cell walls and is also used in hormone production.

Metabolises fat and helps to regulate body-fat stores. When energy levels are low, between meals and during exercise, the liver can convert fatty acids into an alternative energy supply known as ketones.

Produces body proteins, including hormones, from amino-acid building blocks. The liver is also able to convert the excess protein in amino acids into fat for storage. If extra energy is needed by your body, the liver will convert amino acids into glucose.

Regulates blood clotting to assist healing and prevent internal bleeding

Produces immune system cells used in fighting infections

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Healthy Liver by Cris Beer. Copyright © 2016 Dr Cris Beer. Excerpted by permission of Rockpool Publishing Pty Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Rockpool Publishing
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1925017575
• ISBN 13: 9781925017571
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160