BY LAURA WOODWARD, RN & MINDY JARVIS
The seasons are changing and many of us are committed to spring cleaning; clearing the clutter in and around our homes and our environments. It’s a refreshing time of year, when simple actions can make us feel mentally and physically better as we simplify, organize, redesign, and cleanse the world around us, leading to a feeling of accomplishment with a fresh start that enhances our vitality and improves our lives.
However, the spring-cleaning process does not have to be limited to your home and work space, but can also be applied internally, to your body. This year, take spring cleaning to the next level and take steps that help clear your mind and internally cleanse your body.
Like your car, your body also needs a good detailing now and then, which is best done internally through your liver. Purification and detoxification of your liver is a perfect way to support the body’s natural internal process to reclaim equilibrium for both your body and your mind. The reason this is important is because the biochemistry in your body is negatively affected by multiple factors including:
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Poor diet
• Hormone imbalances
• Disease and/or illnesses
• Poor sleep quality
• Environmental toxins
• Lack of exercise
• Medications
Many of us experience at least one if not many of these factors which can create an overall toxic burden on your liver – leaving your mind and body sluggish, and spent.
Your liver has four main functions that actually lead to your body’s ability or inability to keep you in optimal health and clear headedness:
Filtration – sifting harmful substances from the blood, helping to prevent the buildup of toxins in the body, which can damage tissues and organs.
Digestion – production of bile, a substance that helps to break down fats in the small intestine. Aiding in the digestion and absorption of fats.
Metabolism/Detoxification (interconnected) – The liver’s ability to break down and remove toxins, drugs, and other substances from the body. This involves a complex series of chemical reactions that convert these substances into forms that can be excreted from the body.
Protein Synthesis – the production of proteins needed for various functions in the body. This includes proteins involved in blood clotting, immune system function, and transporting substances throughout the body, including the brain.
When your liver is undergoing toxicity and unable to function properly there can be noxious consequences. Jaundice, infection and swelling are a few ramifications of an impaired liver, but an impaired liver can also induce less obviously related consequences such as:
• Fatigue, cognitive issues, and mood sensitives
• Digestive issues
• Skin problems
• Increased susceptibility to infections
• Increased risk of nutrient deficiencies
Cleansing your liver can make a world of difference and remember, you only get one. So how do you go about freshening up and invigorating that liver of yours? It’s simple, you must focus on the essentials:
• A healthy balanced diet
• Exercise
• Proper hydration
Our fast-paced world often limits our abilities to maintain a healthy diet, exercise and proper hydration, so supplementing your diet with a micronutrient is key in getting your liver spick and span.
The goal of micronutrient supplementation is to aid in detoxification. Micronutrients such as Vitamins A, C, E, K, B1, B6, b-carotene, biotin, and glutathione most notably improve detoxification when consumed correctly, as long as you have good gut health. If you do not have good gut health, consider IV nutritional therapy, which rapidly and directly delivers nutrients to your body on a cellular level and is a great alternative for individuals with compromised digestive function or malabsorption disorders.
With that said, the facilitation of loving your liver doesn’t just end with eating the right foods and supplementing your diet, it embodies healthy habits and some easy lifestyle changes. In order for you and your liver to harmoniously thrive, we would like to suggest committing to a few simple habits that can easily be adopted:
• Mindful alcohol consumption
• Avoid smoking
• Limit processed and refined foods
• Integrate movement and physical exercise into your daily routine
• Wash produce to remove any pesticides, harmful chemicals and contaminations
Spring cleaning your mind and body internally is an essential step towards achieving overall mind and body wellness.
If you’re not sure about your gut’s ability to support micronutrient supplementation or if you would like a jump start on spring cleaning your body with getting your liver what it needs immediately through iV nutritional therapy, reach out to iV Nutrition of Wash Park. Our Clinicians would be more than happy to schedule a health consultation and provide support with either oral or iv micronutrient supplementation. Contact WashPark@iVNutrition.com / 720-259-4404 with any questions or to set up a health consultation with Clinic Directors Laura Woodward or Dylan Davis at iV Nutrition of Wash Park.