Is Liver Toxicity Preventing Your Weight Loss?

One of the most overlooked underlying causes of weight loss resistance is a liver that is over burdened with toxins. Bringing health and balance back to the liver is often the missing key to sustained weight loss. Read on to find out how the liver causes unwanted weight gain, how to know if your liver is toxic and what to do about it! 

A seldom discussed yet extremely important aspect of weight loss is liver function. The liver is the chief operator of detoxification in the body. In our modern day society, many of our foods are laden with hidden toxins and void of nutrients. Many fad diets cause the liver to work overtime in an attempt to keep up with the high fat and nutritionally void foods and weight loss gimmicks. This eventually causes the person to gain more weight in the end as the demand on the liver is too high.  Throughout this process, the liver literally becomes more and more sluggish in function and eventually becomes "fatty". Once a liver has reached the fatty stage, the function is extremely impaired and weight loss becomes an impossibility. The liver's job of detoxifying blood and metabolizing fat is compromised and the metabolism greatly slows. 

Symptoms of a poorly functioning liver may include:

• Low energy
• Indigestion, bloating, constipation, gas or diarrhea
• Foggy thinking
• Weight gain
• Stiff, aching, weak muscles
• Altered cholesterol levels
• Blood sugar abnormalities
• Sleep disturbances
• Easy bruising
• Brittle bones
• Fluid retention
• Kidney problems
• Slow wound healing
• Action Steps for Optimal Liver Health

1. Start the day with ½ lemon squeezed into 1 cup of warm water.

2. Consume half your body weight in ounces of filtered water  daily.

3. Increase fiber consumption to 35 grams per day to assist in the elimination of fat soluble toxins. Choose high fiber foods such as ground flax seeds, psyllium, apple pectin, rice bran, beet fiber, oat fiber, chia seeds and sun fiber.

4. Consume liver cleansing foods such as beets, bitter greens, apples, lemons, garlic, onions, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards and cauliflower.

5. Use liver cleansing herbs such as Dandelion root, Milk Thistle, Barberry, Peppermint, Wildyam

6. Drink liver detoxifying tea with dandelion root, nettle root, red clover, licorice root, burdock root and cleavers.

7. Support the digestion with probiotics and digestive enzymes. 

8. Avoid toxic foods such as sugar, processed foods, refined carbohydrates, pesticides, hydrogenated fats and artificial sugars.

9. Avoid smoking, alcohol, caffeine, pop and energy drinks.

10. Exercise regularly.

Be Well,
Dr. Cobi