It’s been nearly a month since I’ve posted anything. My apologies, but I’ve just been extremely busy for the past month visiting different parts of Mexico and meeting so many incredible people. It really brings me a lot of joy to see people’s health and lives change for the better. It’s even more rewarding when I see people improve their perception of the world, and how that directly affects their ability to overcome chronic illness.
As I’ve thought about how many incredible people there are out there, my thoughts turn to those that serve as police officers, fireman or in the military. One of the most nerve racking experiences has to be when there is a bomb threat that needs to be neutralized. It’s not something that just anybody can handle. Highly trained and skilled people are called into those situations to quickly disarm a bomb. A slow response or mishandling of the bomb can lead to disastrous results.
When we think about the body there is an organ that plays a masterful role in being the perfect bomb squad. Liver cells do an amazing job of protecting the rest of our body from damage. They work non-stop checking all nutrients and wastes to see what should be sent into our bloodstream and what should be disposed of. These cells are so careful that even in disposing waste they ensure that anything leaving the body is broken down and altered so that our body is not damaged as it is removed. This complex approach of protection through detoxification uses more than 100 enzymes that orchestrate this work. They work like a crew of experts disarming a bomb that’s invaded the body. The liver produces specialized and intelligent molecules that deactivate, remove and dispose of any threat. Additionally the liver produces cholesterol, processes and stores nutrients, metabolizes and disposes used hormone, produces bile and clotting components for the blood and serves a very important role in converting excess sugar/glucose into fat. As you can imagine, it’s all a lot of work, and the ability for the liver to stay healthy is critical.
Since the liver is the major detoxifying organ in the body, its cells are continuously exposed to harmful toxins. Liver cells can handle this for a period of time, however if overworked they become tired and sick. Symptoms of liver mal function are often present in other parts of the body first. Eventually however, the liver will show signs of weakness, damage and with time cancer.
Things that weaken and sicken the liver include alcohol, tobacco, a diet heavy in red meat and/or carbs, pharmaceutical drugs (prescription and over the counter), bad nutrition, psychiatric drugs and stress.
The solution to maintaining a healthy liver is found in ingesting healthy food, avoiding eating too much food and avoiding eating too much protein, fats and carbs in meals. Eliminating fast food and packaged food is also a great place to start. Changing our diet to include nutrient rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds helps significantly. It’s important to make sure that we diversity our protein sources as well. There are protein rich grains in lentils and garbanzo beans. Food is such a powerful tool when it comes to maintain a healthy body. It is important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to maintain health. If there are deficiencies in certain nutrients the body won’t be able to function as it should. Keep in mind that there is continuous construction and regeneration of cells and tissues in the body. In order for this process to work correctly, materials from all nutrients are needed.
Always remember that in addition to everything mentioned above, stress is also an important factor. There are plenty of studies that show how chronic stress contributes to the genesis and progression of chronic illness such as cancer. When chronic stress is present the interior balance of the body is disrupted. Over time physical damage ensues and it is an impossible task to try and find a “magical pill” that will heal you. While it’s true that the requirements for healing are encoded into your cells, the healing process requires the right nutrients.
If for some reason we are suffering from illness, plants are a great source of phytochemicals that our body can also use in the healing process. In order for the healing process to occur there needs to be an interconnected alliance between the body, mind and spirit. It is not enough to have doctors or experts only treat the detected area of chronic illness. Any illness is not just one disease, but the results of many interconnected problems in different parts of the body. As we follow the trail the root cause will always be our thoughts and emotions. Changing how we perceive the world around us is part of the healing process. Healing our minds to maintain the proper physiological chemical balance will allow us to completely restore our health.
Originally published September 3, 2014
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