What does your liver do for you?

While your liver performs hundreds of tasks, here is a summary:

• Produces bile for fat digestion

• Converts excess glucose to glycogen and fat for storage

• Provides immunity against infection

• Regulates blood clotting

• Metabolises macronutrients

• Stores and activates micronutrients

• Excretes wastes such as metabolic end products, contaminants, microorganisms, pollutants, food additives, pesticides, drugs and alcohol
  

A healthy liver is vital for just about everything to do with health.

If your liver is not well you may notice:

• Moodiness or irritability

• Excessive sweating

• Trouble digesting fats or chronic indigestion

• Bitter taste in your mouth

• Headaches

• Poor skin tone

• Yellow-coated tongue

• Trouble losing weight
  

What you can do to love your liver

• Eat whole foods prepared from fresh, preferably locally grown produce, preferably organic.

• Keep sugar and starches very low overall and give preference to starches from root crops and produce such as taro, pumpkin and parsnips.

• Avoid rancid foods, especially rancid fats and oils.

• Avoid food colourings, stabilisers, emulsifiers, flavour-enhancers and preservatives - basically any additives that are not obviously foods.

• Avoid snacking between meals. Have 2-3 wholesome meals per day and little between.

• Practice delayed eating: wait until you feel hungry then eat.

• Bearing the last recommendation in mind, eat at the same times each day, within reason.

• Do this now and then: How to make a health-promoting Citrus Peel drink