Unfortunately, we are all living in a toxic environment,
being constantly exposed to chemical-laden foods. Therefore, toxicity is almost
impossible to avoid, which means that our digestive system and liver can easily
become overwhelmed. We are all designed to continuously and naturally remove
toxins from the body.
Toxins can be divided into two categories: water-soluble and
fat-soluble. Water-soluble toxins are easily flushed out of the body via the
blood and kidneys.
On the other hand, the fat-soluble toxins are more
challenging to be eliminated. However, the human body is designed to
continuously and naturally remove toxins. These fat-soluble toxins include
pesticides, preservatives, food additives, heavy metals, pollutants, plastics
and other environmental chemicals. They need to become water-soluble in order
the body to be able to eliminate them entirely.
The liver is crucial in this process. Nevertheless, if the
function of the digestive and detox pathways is functioning optimal, the
situation gets worse. Namely, these toxins find their way from the liver to the
blood, fat cells, and brain, where they can store for years.
It is believed, however, that in the case of a balanced
digestion, stress levels and detoxification pathways, the storage of these
harmful toxins and chemicals in our bodies can be prevented.
To be more specific, when we digest a meal, the nutritional
and toxic fats are shuffled through the stomach into the small intestine where
bile secreted from the liver and gallbladder emulsifies them. There are
millions of small villi and lacteals in the small intestine, which are little
finger-like “grasses,” or mucus membranes.
They sweep the gut and help the absorption of nutritional
fats and send the toxic fats on to the liver for processing. If this
detoxification pathway is damaged, the body will not remove toxic fats, but
will store them instead.
Moreover, the very beginning of the body’s lymphatic system
is called the Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue (GALT), and it surrounds the
entire intestinal tract. It is here, in fact, that lacteals help absorb and
process both nutritional and toxic fats.
It is extremely important that the ¼ inch on the inside of
the gut wall has those villi and lacteals functioning well. Also, the ¼ inch on
the outside of the gut (which is that lymph tissue) must not be congested.
Then, the lymphatic system around the gut will bring all the
absorbed fats back to the liver, which will use the good fats in order to make
cholesterol, cell membranes, hormones, brain cells and skin. The liver
processes them and marks them for elimination. In the case of a congested
lymphatic system, this natural process of using good fats and eliminating bad
fats can be severely harmed.
The
following are the symptoms of a congested GALT affecting the lymphatic system:
– Bloating
– Breast swelling and tenderness during the menstrual cycle
– Holding extra weight around your belly
– Hypersensitivities
– Skin irritations or itching
– Joint stiffness
– Swollen hands and feet
– Elimination concerns
– Occasional headaches
The intestinal villi (grass-like mucus membranes) can be
damaged by numerous factors, such as diet and stress, which can compromise the
function of the bowels.
The intestinal villi can even dry out in the case of
excessive stress, and lead to occasional constipation. A history of
constipation can dry out these villi and force them to produce reactive mucus.
When the mucus is excessive, the stools could appear normal
(1-3 regular bowel movements a day), but you could still be bloated, unhealthy
or carrying extra belly weight.
If the mucus is even more excessive, the stools can become
more frequent, looser and diarrhea-like. However, note that in the case of
mucus in your stool, you should immediately address the issue. It signifies
that the villi become congested and bogged down in the excess mucus.
In this case, the process of breaking down of toxins is
blocked by the delivery of good fats, excretion of toxic fats, the normal
immune response, and the health of the intestinal skin. Normally, the
neutralization of toxins absorbed into the lymph is performed by
immune-boosting white blood cells in over 500+ lymph nodes in the lymphatic
system.
Yet, if the mucus is excessive, it may not happen and the
toxins are directed back to the liver.
In order to prevent the toxins from defaulting back to the
liver, a delicate balance of the mucus membranes of the intestinal tract should
be achieved, they should not be too dry or too wet. The intestinal villi may
also be compromised by some other factors, including stress, worry, processed
food, coffee, soft drinks, food additives, and hyperacidity.
Moreover, the optimal bile flow from the liver is extremely
important for our health, as the bile gobbles up fats and acts as the great
immune system responder in the digestive tract.
It will gobble up heavy metals, parasites, pesticides, bad
bacteria, and numerous other chemicals that can harm our body. In the case of
plenty of fiber in the diet, the heavily loaded bile will be taken to the
toilet.
On the contrary, if the diet is deficient in fiber, up to
94% of the bile gets reabsorbed back to the liver to be recycled, along with
its toxins. Therefore, the liver can become overwhelmed as it is not expecting
the return of these toxic fat cells.
Consequently, the liver can become congested over time and
the bile can turn thick and sludgy, making it more difficult to break down the
fat-soluble toxins, as it will be unable to buffer the stomach acids that start
to enter the small intestine.
The acid irritates the villi, and leads to a production of
more congestive, reactive mucus. This can also block the flow of pancreatic
enzymes into the small intestine, and since the pancreas shares the common bile
duct with the gallbladder, and when the flow is blocked or sluggish, the
digestive process can be compromised.
Congestion
of the liver
In the case of a congestion of the biliary tubes in the
liver with thick bile and toxins, the liver pushes the fat-soluble toxins into
the blood stream, and they find their way into the fat cells where they can
store for many years, leading to degeneration and oxidation (free radical
damage).
All parts of the body, including the brain, can be the
target of these toxins. It is becoming more common for the toxins to become
neurotoxins and deposit in the fatty tissues of the brain, causing cognitive
problems and a host of health imbalances.
Eliminate
fat to Discard Toxins
One of the main focuses in Ayurveda is to convince the body
to burn fat, and not primarily for weight loss. Namely, fat metabolism is the
body’s detox fuel and it is essential to flush these fat cells in order to
remove toxins. As soon as the nervous system can function without stress, the
body will naturally burn fat.
Hence, you can burn excess fat in a number of ways, but it
is important to incorporate some major changes in your lifestyle. Bu it is
important to learn that the integrity of the digestive system, lymph and bile
flow is the most important factor in the fat-burning and detox process.
Inability
to Absorb Good Fats and Food Allergies
At times, one cannot break down and absorb good fats since
the villi and lymph around the gut are congested. As a result, so many of us
are diagnosed with wheat, dairy and soy allergies. Namely, these foods are
heavy, harder to digest, and are high-mucus-content foods.
The gluten can irritate the intestinal wall and stimulate
the production of even more reactive mucus if there is already excessive mucus
in the gut, and the gluten was not properly broken down in the stomach and
upper small intestine.
Thus, it can severely compromise the ability of the
intestinal wall to act as a health barrier for the body. It is not that
difficult to have to reduce or even eliminate these foods for some period of
time, but it is extremely hard to eliminate wheat and dairy products completely
for the rest of your life.
Conclusion
If you experience occasional constipation or loose stools,
see mucus in your stools, it may be a symptom that your detoxification and
assimilation pathways are compromised, so you will need to avoid certain foods,
or eat certain foods to maintain regular elimination.
Furthermore, if you feel that a heavy or high-fat content
meal just sits in your stomach or you get nauseous or experience pain after
that meal, it is a sign that your bile flow is compromised and you are likely
storing toxic fats.
Therefore, in order to address these issues, you need to
follow certain rules and accept certain suggestions in order to help your body
system combat these harmful influences.
Ayurveda maintains that you need to support the health of
the skin of the intestinal tract, flush the lymph, and de-stagnate the bile and
liver in the case of this kind of problems. There are many suggested ways to
aid your body and cleanse it from toxins and other harmful chemicals that we
are constantly exposed to.
Namely, there are certain foods that are extremely
beneficial in cleansing your liver and restore its proper function, including
garlic, grapefruit, beets, carrots, green tea, green leafy vegetables, apples,
olive oil, avocados, alternative grains, cruciferous vegetables, lemons, limes,
walnuts, cabbage and turmeric.
This is one of the most effective ways to cleanse your liver
and bile and restore their proper function:
Liver
and gall bladder cleansing recipe
Ingredients:
– 1 big grapefruit, or 3 lemons
– 4 tablespoons of Epsom Salts
– ½ Cup of Virgin Olive Oil
– Apple juice or malic acid supplements (optional)
Directions:
It is important, that you eat as many apples, or drink as
much apple juice as you can for 4-5 days before your cleansing treatment. Also,
you can take malic acid supplements. In the last 2 days, drink 8 oz of apple
juice every 2-3 hours. In this way, you will ensure the success of the
cleansing procedure.
After this, on the first day of your cleansing procedure,
eat a light breakfast with no fat. Thus, you will enable the bile in your liver
to accumulate, putting pressure in your liver. This pressure will eliminate
more stones in your liver.
1. At 2:00 PM, the same day, mix 4 tablespoons of Epsom
salts in 3 cups of water, and pour the mixture in a jar. Store the jar in the
fridge to cool. Do not drink or consume any foods after 2 PM.
2. At 6:00 PM, drink 3/4 cup of the previously prepared
mixture. Its taste may be unpleasant for you, so you can add 1/8 tablespoons of
powdered Vitamin C to improve the flavor.
3. At 8 PM, drink another 3/4 cup of this mixture. Get all
your errands done, and prepare for the liver flush. It is extremely important
to note that you shouldn’t do anything after doing a liver cleanse, just lying
down and sleeping.
4. At 9:45 PM, pour 1/2 cup of virgin olive oil into a jar.
Squeeze the entire grapefruit into the mix, removing the pulp with a fork, or
chopsticks. You should have 1/2 to 3/4 cups of grapefruit juice mixed with the
virgin olive oil the jar. Close the jar, and shake it very hard until it is all
liquid.
5. At 10 PM, drink this mixture. Try to consume the whole
mixture in 5 minutes.
After this, lay down in your bed. Lay on your right side,
with your right knee up towards your chin for 20 or so minutes. Stay still, and
do not move at all, if possible. Try to sleep.
The next morning, when you wake up, drink a third dose of
your 3/4 cup Epsom salts, and you can go to sleep again after that. Drink the
last dose of the mixture with Epsom salts two hours later. Only after 2 more
hours can you eat anything, but do not eat solid fruits just yet. You can start
with liquids, and move slowly to fruit.
This cleansing detox procedure is extremely effective.
Remember, you are the only one responsible for your own health, so help your
body when in need!
Source: Womansvibe