Welcome to our April '98 edition of the AHS Journal. This month we are focusing on the topic of the liver, and the importance it plays in our overall health and wellbeing. Most of us probably remember how mom used to have us help clean the house for the proverbial Spring-cleaning. We should apply the same attention to our livers and take some steps toward a good liver cleanse for Spring, as well.

Last month I introduced you to Dr. Mark Force, D.C., by giving you some background on how we met, and the importance he has had on my life, and the lives of many people I know. This month he has contributed a piece on the importance of giving your liver some attention during the change of season.

I am also pleased to introduce you to Dr. Sandra Cabot, M.D., who has contributed a piece on the liver and the role it plays in burning fat and general health.

Dr. Cabot is a native of Australia and a well-known media doctor and author of the 6 books including "The Liver Cleansing Diet, Love Your Liver and Live Longer". She began combining drug therapy with naturopathic medicine and nutrition more than 20 years ago to help patients with weight problems, liver dysfunction and hormonal imbalances. Dr. Cabot is sometimes known as the "flying doctor" because she frequently flies her own twin engine plane to many of Australia's rural communities to hold health forums.

I had read her book "The Liver Cleansing Diet" about six months ago, and had the opportunity to meet her here in Scottsdale where she has based her U.S. operations. She was speaking at a local venue on the subject of liver health issues, and since we currently sell her book and a product she formulated, I thought it appropriate to listen to her and finally meet her.

After her presentation, and my having the chance to talk with her, I left there with one impression that stands above the rest. Yes, she was extremely knowledgeable in her field. And yes, she was very good at speaking to the masses in laymen's terms so we mere mortals could understand her. And yes, she was very patient with answering questions at the end. And yes, she has this adorable Australian accent. But my strongest impression was that she is a superb testimonial to the lifestyle of which she speaks.

Since my mother raised a gentleman, it would be inappropriate for me to try and guess her age. But I will say she makes a fine example of how taking care of yourself and keeping your liver healthy goes a long way toward the appearance of your body. I could not help but wonder how many people in the audience took notice and thought to themselves, "If I follow the principles she is describing, perhaps I could be trimmer, too."

If you would like more information on the liver and our Liver Cleanse product, have a look at the Frequently Asked Questions page for Liver Cleanse by clicking here.

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A common problem in the Spring is a need to balance the liver and gall bladder meridians. The acupuncturists of China have long recognized that the body must change and rebalance itself in relation to the seasons.

If, due to stress of various types, you are unable to reset your system appropriate to each season, disease of some kind will result. This gives weight to the recommendation I have made for some time to come in and get treated, tuned up, and balanced every three months (season).

Spring is the season of the wood element in Chinese acupuncture. It is the time that spring forth with new growth and it is the season that most stresses the gall bladder and liver meridians (both of the wood element) to function well. Many symptoms in the Spring relate to imbalance of the wood element.

What follows are a list of signs and symptoms commonly associated with liver dysfunction. They are: Muddy complexion with spots (especially along the jaw line), venous congestion (seen as bulging veins on face and neck), skin rashes, acne, jaundice, pasty skin, broken veins, broken capillaries, boils, arthritis, light colored stools, tendency to constipation, gas and bloating, indigestion with high fat or fried foods, can't tolerate raw onions or garlic, swollen abdomen or ankles, hemorrhoids, hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, and toxic headaches.

If there is a lack of chi (energy) in the liver, there is a tendency to worry, insecurity, depression, negativity, and constant fatigue.

If there is too much chi in the liver, there is a tendency to tension, anger, yelling, blaming others, resentment, and holding on to past slights by others.

The factors that lead to liver problems are overuse of refined foods (especially white flour, sugar, and margarine, alcohol and/or drug abuse, exposure to environmental pollutants and/or pesticides. A history of hepatitis, mononucleosis, or other infections affecting the liver is important to consider.

Herbal and homeopathic regimens to cleanse and rebuild the health of the liver are wonderful for the health of your liver and you will love the results. Most people notice feeling more energy and sense of well being; digestion and elimination work better; there tends to be greater mental clarity; joints and muscles feel stronger and more flexible; energy is more even.

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Do you suffer from:

An inability to lose weight?
Abdominal bloating?
Poor digestion or bowel problems?
Excessive body heat or odor?
High cholesterol?
Fluid retention?
High blood pressure?
Sugar cravings?
Bad breath or coated tongue?
Foggy brain?
Mood swings?
Allergies?
Frequent fatigue?
Headaches?

If you answered yes to three or more of these problems, you liver may need some attention.

The liver is a forgotten organ that we only think about if and when it becomes diseased. But it is an integral component to our wellbeing, and is burdened and relied on more than ever due to environmental factors that include potentially toxic substances such as insecticides, artificial colors and sweeteners, genetically engineered foods, antibiotics and hormones.

Let's look at 3 important functions of the liver, any of which you may be experiencing some difficulty, especially if you are overweight, tired and have an overburdened immune system.

1. The first function is regulation of fat metabolism.
2. The second function is cleansing and detoxification.
3. The third function is energy production for the body.

Regulation of Fat Metabolism -

The liver is involved in controlling your cholesterol levels and produces the good type of cholesterol known as HDL, which helps to keep your blood vessels clean and free from plaque. You cannot have healthy blood vessels if your liver is not regulating fat metabolism efficiently. Liver dysfunction can lead to unhealthy blood vessels, which contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes. These diseases are the leading causes of death in both sexes in affluent societies. If you suffer with cardiovascular problems I urge you to improve your liver function with a good liver tonic.

The liver is the major fat burning organ in your body and can pump fat out of your body into the gut via the secretion of bile. Thus, a healthy liver is your greatest weapon against excessive weight gain and obesity.

I see many obese people who cannot lose weight with regular low calorie diets and exercise and in virtually all of these cases there is an underlying liver problem where the liver has stopped burning fat and instead has turned into a fat storer. This is a paradox as here we have the organ that is supposed to keep you slim and it has become choked with excess fat itself. This is the condition of "fatty liver" and is very common, especially in those of the android body type.

I have found in my own clinical practice and by talking to my radiological colleagues, that "fatty liver" affects 60% of people over the age of 50, and it is not uncommon in much younger obese people. I have also seen it in quite a few children.

Fatty liver can sometimes be diagnosed by an ultrasound scan and blood tests, but in milder cases it is evident only by the inability to lose weight or excess weight gain for no apparent reason. It is not possible to lose weight and regain good health unless the excess fat is removed from the liver first. The most efficient way of doing this is with a proper liver-conscious diet and a liver cleansing supplement program. In my book "The Liver Cleansing Diet", I provide recipes designed to support the liver, and a simple 8 week menu plan to follow.

I have found that regular low calorie diets do not work as easily because they do not provide the right food combinations to improve the liver function. In cases of obesity due to fatty liver, it is not so much a problem of how much you eat, but rather are you eating the correct foods and food combinations to remove fat from the liver and improve liver function. You will find it very difficult to lose weight unless you first cleanse the liver and remove the excess fat that is choking your liver cells and disabling the mitochondrial factories within the liver cells.

Cleansing and Detoxification -

The liver cells have enzymatic pathways to breakdown and excrete substances that would otherwise be poisonous. It removes from the blood stream both internally produced and ingested toxins. It excretes via the bile many toxic waste products into the gut for elimination from the body. The liver also produces immune boosting substances and removes unwanted microorganisms from the blood stream.

Yes, you could say that the liver is the cleansing filter of your blood stream, so how important is that, and yet we never give it a second thought. It's a pity that we don't, because, that would provide a solution for millions of people suffering with an overburdened immune system resulting in chronic fatigue, frequent infections, allergies, asthma, mysterious skin rashes, food sensitivities and autoimmune diseases.

These things are steadily increasing in younger people and the major reason is that our immune systems are overloaded. By keeping your bloodstream clean and healthy, the liver takes the load off the immune system and it is vital to follow a liver cleansing diet in such cases. It is also important to take a good liver tonic, such as LivaTone, and immune enhancing supplements.

Energy Production for the Body -

The liver can produce quick energy for emergencies, or in between meals, by releasing glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream. The liver also produces the long-term energy your body requires because it converts food energy into the metabolic nutrients your cells require to function. The liver is the powerhouse and furnace of your body and generates the heat required to keep your body warm while you wander around this cold planet. If your liver is working too hard you may frequently feel overheated and hot and bothered. Conversely if your liver is not producing sufficient energy you may suffer with chronic fatigue syndrome.

It is interesting that traditional Chinese doctors and naturopaths always assess the liver and yet modern day specialized medicine usually fails to see the liver's role in many diseases. In other words it is not integrative and so concentrates too easily on suppressing the symptoms of imbalance with drugs. For example, a patient with allergies and auto-immune disease is treated with immuno-suppressant drugs and/or bronchodilators, which may be necessary, but the problem keeps recurring, and indeed often gets worse, because nobody thinks about improving liver function to take the load off the overburdened immune system.

I urge you to consider these critical roles that your liver plays on your general health. We all can use an occasional liver cleanse even if you do not experience any of the symptoms mentioned.

The liver cleansing plan discussed in my book was tested over a two-year period, on more than 1,500 patients. The diet improved or alleviated many of their health problems, and they gradually lost weight.

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