Did you know that your liver is a key player in balancing your hormones?
Yes - your liver.
The liver is a fascinating organ that performs over 500 jobs, many of which are necessary to our survival. It takes a beating every day as it works diligently to protect us from daily toxin exposure while simultaneously conducting the symphony that is our hormones.
Your liver is one of your primary detoxification pathways. When it's functioning properly and efficiently, you're more apt to maintain a healthy weight, have sustainable energy and noticeably clearer skin, you’ll sleep through the night, and the naturally-occurring fluctuations of your hormones won’t send you on such a rollercoaster ride.
When the liver gets backed up, burdened, and toxic, it's no bueno. A poorly functioning liver simply cannot keep up with the toxins that are coming in. When this happens, our liver loses its ability to metabolize fat and in turn, stores the excess fat and toxins (such as harmful xenoestrogens) in fat cells.
Help is on the way!
You can reset your liver and get it back on track with help from the 3B’s - berries, bedtime & bowels.
BERRIES
Especially blueberries, are true superfoods. They're packed with polyphenols that help the liver do its critical work of detoxification. Blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries also qualify, but there’s something about blueberries that is extra special.
BEDTIME
Okay, babes, I know most of you won’t want to hear this but you gotta be in bed by 10 pm. Both Ayurveda and TCM view the hours between 10 pm - 3 am as a crucial timeframe for your liver to perform its functions and it'll knock these tasks out with greater ease if our energy isn’t being pulled elsewhere [think: burning the midnight oil for work, doomscrolling, purchasing new shoes online, and so on]. Remember, healthier rhythms = healthier hormones.
BOWELS
Excess hormones and other toxic funk gets excreted through the large intestine. This daily "funk dump" is necessary to keep our hormones from backing up and recirculating in our system. Your skin will also greatly benefit from regular elimination. We have a saying in Ayurveda:
"As the skin, so the blood; as the blood, so the liver".
Your liver (and your skin) needs you to have a bowel movement daily. If this is challenging, try adding 2 tsp ground flaxseed to your diet everyday, stay hydrated, and keep taking the Triphala.
👉 For a deeper dive on how you can learn to better love your liver, check out this article from Women's Health Network.
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