The Liver deserves to be loved. Our Live-er is the portal of biochemical transformation that makes life possible. You may have heard the Liver described as a "detox" organ. This is, in my opinion, an erroneous summary of the liver's functions that does not honor its true capacities and is more a concept grown out of the ideological roots of Punishment and Reward (more on that later) and employed as a marketing tagline. Let's talk about what the Liver does do, and ways in which we can nourish and support this wonderful organ.

How The Liver Works

The liver is essentially an agent of transformation. A lot still remains to be known by the scientific-medical world about the functions of the liver, but what we do know so far is very fascinating. The liver is thought to have Three Phases of biotransformation.

The first phase consists of a system of enzymes that breakdown the substances that the liver processes. This includes our own hormones, constituents in plants we eat, fats from foods, as well as whatever other hangers-on might enter into our body, like steroids, chemicals, molds, pesticides, and other environmental substances.

Once the substances are broken down at the molecular level, Phase two of biotransformation engages in a synthesizing dance, in which compounds are conjugated via various enzymes attaching small chemical molecules to the substances mentioned earlier in order to make them viable for the metabolic processes of our bodies.

Phase Three then takes place, and a complex process of discernment accords each transformed compound to a certain pathway, either absorbing it for nutrition or binding it with bile to eventually end up in our waste.

In addition to this cycle, the liver also produces bile, which is then passed on to the gall bladder to be released into the small intestine to aid in digesting fats and other substances.

What can go wrong with the liver?

There are a few ways that the liver can struggle to achieve its functions, and thus create uncomfortable symptoms in our body in an attempt to get us to notice and take care.

The most basic issue that causes digestive upset is low production of bile, which can create a sense of uncomfortable fullness, bloating, and pain. Another is inflammation of the liver due to an overwhelm of inflammatory substances like alcohol and other poisons.

The liver can also be overwhelmed with foreign, unusable substances that the body cannot use, causing the enzymes to reach their capacity for transforming these substances into waste. This creates a re-cycling of un-metabolized compounds that can over time render the liver too busy to address re-configuring harmful substances and our hormones and can cause a myriad of issues regarding inability to process alcohol or other harsh substances, skin eruptions, general metabolism, mood regulation, and menstruation pain or disruptions. This is the phenomenon that most people refer to when they suggest "de-toxing".

de-toxing and the punishment mindset

I recommend we reconsider this way of speaking about our bodies, as the liver is never dirty, and neither are our bodies. They are overwhelmed. Abuse of certain substances can cause cell damage at the genetic level, causing fibrosis and cirrhosis, but even these can be healed if the person is willing to address it early on.

I find that often when people speak about de-toxing it is in a punitive sense, in that they have somehow eaten in a "bad" way, and thus need to be "cleansed" in order to restore rightness to their body.

Oftentimes, the next word out of our mouths when we start talking about de-toxing and cleansing is purge. The need to purge is a psychological story, not a physiological phenomenon unless you have literally consumed poison and need to quickly vomit it out to save your life. It is an extreme measure, and any use of purging other than this type of situation is a type of dis-ordered eating, and is actually ineffectual. You cannot "purge" a hamburger you ate three days ago.

I invite you to deeply question the current trend of making health synonymous with punishment for "being bad" with your food choices, especially when spirituality is mixed up one's feelings of needing to "de-tox" in order to be more pure. In my opinion and personal experience, vomiting or harsh fasting diets do not build long term health, though they will create a temporary high that can be confused with creating a solid foundation of health in your body.

How To Maintain A Healthy Liver

So, how do we build an maintain healthy livers? Through nourishment, which is gentle, effective, and ultimately based in building a loving relationship with our body. It is an approach qualified by offering ourselves unconditional care from a place of gratitude. We follow what feels good on the deepest levels of ourselves not out of reward for good behaviour or a desire to escape uncomfortable feelings, but simply because it brings joy to our existence. This type of nourishment is radical, and I invite you to love your liver and offer a few simple ways you can engage in this movement.

7 Ways to Love Your Liver:

1. Notice how you feel when you eat certain foods, especially fried, greasy, or highly processed meals.
Most guides to healthy eating skip straight towards "avoid" and skip the all important step of noticing without judgement. Our body, at the physical, spiritual, and emotional level, deeply desires to be noticed by our consciousness.

Try slowing down your mealtimes, and infusing a little more reverence for the fact that eating gives you life. Add a little ritual to your meal, like beginning it with a prayer, song, or silent moment.

Notice how you feel when you eat certain things. Does it feel exciting? Welcome? Nourishing? Heavy? Uncomfortable? Upsetting? Notice your emotions and thoughts around eating. Are they nervous? Relishing? Frustrated? Content? Scared? Joyful?

It is no secret that over time, choosing highly processed foods will create discomfort in your body, and make your liver's job harder. But before you jump to guilt and shame, just try noticing how your body feels without judgement. Only from this place can you begin to choose more nourishing foods with a sense of care and excitement.

2. Have bitters before your meal
This is one of the easiest ways to improve your digestion and liver function. Giving your body something bitter before eating is the equivalent of giving your liver and other digestive organs a heads up to start secreting those necessary digestive juices.

You can do this by eating a bitter wild green salad, like dandelion, garlic mustard, or mustard greens. Even just a few leaves will do the trick. Ayurvedic traditions gift us the use of carminatve seeds before eating like fenugreek, dill, or caraway. You can chew a small spoonful of these seeds before your meal.

You can also take a spoonful of an herb infused into apple cider vinegar, bonus points if the herb infused in the vinegar is a liver-loving bitter like dandelion, chicory, dill seed, ground ivy, motherwort or yellow dock. Culinary herbs can also be infused into vinegar and can make a great start to your meal. Better yet, why not make a delicious salad with some wild greens dressed with herb vinegar to start your meal?

You can also make or purchase bitter tinctures, and take a dropperful in water before mealtimes. Artichoke leaf tincture is one of my favorite bitter tinctures, and many herbalists make bitter blends available for purchase or inspiration.

3. Eat your Greens -- especially Brassicas!
Any plant in the Brassicaceae Family (commonly known as the Cabbage or Mustard Family) when eaten on a regular basis will help your liver accomplish its amazing transformational quest with ease. This includes the obvious, cabbages and mustard greens, as well as broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, radishes, watercress, cauliflower, arugula, bok choy, turnips, collard greens, and kohlrabi, just to name a few.

These plants, when eaten in a way that breaks down the cell wall thoroughly (cooking or at least marinating in oil or lemon), help stimulate the enzymes necessary for both Phase one and Phase two of biotransformation, as well as providing specific nutrients needed to complete the transformation of substances our bodies cannot use into waste.

If you are experiencing chronic gas pains, IBS, or are re-starting digestion after a surgery or illness, it may be best to choose other ways to nourish your liver besides eating Brassicas while you wait for your digestive processes become more robust.

4. Move Your Energy -- Get Emotional and Active
When engaging with the energetics of the liver, I have known it to experience problems when we are not creating space and time in our lives to move our emotions through physical activity. Things like repressed anger and chronic stressful story-making can "block" the liver on an energetic level, and making movements to express these energies in a tangible way can lower the amount of cortisol cycling through our bodies and promote general flow and transformation.

When we refuse to transform our experiences by holding grudges, never admitting we are angry, or engaging in martyr/victim stories, we stress our bodies. Try engaging your body in movement, such as wild dance, intuitive stretching, running/jogging, hiking, or simply laying in the ground and kicking your legs until whatever comes up naturally transforms and passes.

For those with physical limitations, engaging in free-flow journaling or meditations in which you invite whatever feelings you need to flow to well up can be just as effective.

5. Cook with Burdock Root
Burdock is a deep, strong medicine that is best used over a long period of time. Burdock can free up and release deep stagnation and liver overwhelm, and is a great ally in the kitchen. Also known as Gobo Root, Burdock can be pickled, infused into vinegar, or put into soups, stews, beans, and grains to add a medicinal element to foods you already eat regularly. One of the most effective liver herbs, consider inviting Burdock into your home and body if you haven't already.

6. Prioritize Organic Meats and Dairy Foods
If eating all organic foods is something that seems beyond your reach for financial reasons, take heart. Pesticides that remain on plants are mostly water-soluble, and thus are not as readily metabolized into the body's cells. The are usually dealt with by the liver and passed on through our pee.

Hormones and pesticides in meat and dairy, however, are fat soluble, and therefore will be broken down by the liver and metabolized into your cells more readily. Therefore, consider arranging your grocery budget to prioritize eating organic Meat, Dairy, and Eggs to help your liver navigate your metabolic process with ease.

7. Engage in a Practice of Deep Relaxation
What I mean by "engage in a practice" is simply to do something deeply relaxing on a regular basis. Schedule something into your life that puts you into that state of total release and relaxation. Stressful events or thoughts deplete our liver's ability to function by lowering the amount of building blocks available to create new compounds as well as producing an abundance of hormones that the liver may choose to process later, creating a feedback loop of undealt with cortisol that can harm the adrenals.

I always feel that telling folks who are stressed that their stress is hurting their bodies is bound to create more stress, however I invite you to re-frame this message into an awakening invitation to give your body and mind the break that it deserves. Obvious ways to deeply relax are meditation, exercise, lovemaking with self or another, and immersing in hot water. Other easy ideas are laying in the dark listening to relaxing music, going for a slow nature walk, sitting near a body of water, watching an ASMR video, or just simply napping.

Loving on your Liver is a great way to tell your body "thank you" for all the hard work it does, and can help you build your health in way that will last a lifetime. Let me know any clarifications you need on this article or how you have Loved on your Liver lately in the comments below.

In Love,
Susan Marie

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The book Herbal ABC's by Sharon Marie Tilgner was heavily referenced for this article.

Please note that I am not a certified medical professional, and that this information is provided for educational purposes only and is to be taken at your discretion. You are responsible for any foods or substances you choose to use, and if in doubt should consult your certified health professional of choice.