Day 365

The Wonderful Liver and an Occasional Glass of Wine

Hello Everyone,
I could have added a subtitle to this email – Things To Be Thankful For – because our liver and an occasional glass of wine have been proven invaluable to overall health. Note that I said - occasional glass of wine. Moderation is the key.
Overuse of any alcoholic spirits can cause a certain amount of damage to one's liver. Yet despite public perception, only 6% of liver damage comes from overindulgence of alcohol. Obesity accounts for 52% of liver disease. Think about that statistic for a minute.
In fact, nearly half of the population have fatty livers – especially people over 50. Obesity is the main contributing factor for the occurrence of liver disease. Otherwise, studies have shown that an occasional glass of wine can be helpful to your heart.
The well-known Copenhagen City Heart Study followed 13,000 men and women for 12 years. The results showed that people who drank wine had 50% less risk of dying from coronary heart disease or stroke. Impressive findings – don't you think?
Now that doesn't mean that we can overindulge in alcohol. Remember that a percentage of liver disease can be traced back to alcohol overuse. You don't want to fall in that 6% either.
The liver plays a vital role in the body’s metabolic processes especially detoxification. Usually, we don’t give much thought to our liver. We worry about our heart, our eyes, our lungs - but not our liver. It's ironic because the liver is the most ignored and the most important organ in our body.

How The Liver Works
When the body is overloaded with toxins (alcohol, prescription drugs, household chemicals, processed foods,…), the liver finds a way to get rid of the waste. In fact, the liver creates balls of fat that collect inside the organ – as opposed to spilling into the bloodstream as triglycerides which increase our risk of heart disease. As well, the liver moves toxins to other areas of the body such as the skin.
Conditions like dandruff and psoriasis are signs that the liver is not functioning at top capacity. When the liver does not work as it should, a systematic poisoning occurs in the body. It robs one's strength and vitality - even sex drive. Often chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, and autoimmune disorders stem from a sick liver.

6 Reasons Why You Should Look After Your Liver
1.The liver detoxifies all harmful substances in its path. It converts fat-soluble toxins into water-soluble substances so that the body can get rid of them. The waste can be converted into bile – an invaluable element in digestion.

2.The liver filters harmful toxins and substances from almost 100 gallons of blood per day. This filtration allows nutrients to reach the body's cells.

3.The liver produces over 13,000 significant chemicals and hormones such as cholesterol, testosterone, and estrogen. As well, this vital organ manages more than 50,000 essential enzymes.

4.The liver regulates blood-sugar levels preventing serious spikes and dangerous lows.

5.The liver stores important vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, D, K, and B12.

6.The liver detoxifies environmental pollutants. If our liver did not remove metabolic waste and toxins continually from the bloodstream, we would be dead in a matter of hours.

A Mini-Guide to Maintaining A Healthy Liver
. Eat foods in their natural forms.
Fried, spicy, and starchy foods contain several toxins and harmful chemicals (colors and flavoring agents, chemicals, preservatives).
. Drink plenty of water.
Since water is a lubricating agent, it helps the liver to flush out toxins.
. Exercise every day.
Just 10 minutes of variable intensity exercise each day can make a big difference! Clinical studies show that exercise – even just ten minutes a day – will improve liver enzymes.

Enjoy your next exercise session – and your next glass of wine.
You are helping your liver to do a better job. Just remember – moderation in everything!

Wishing you the best on your health journey!
Richard