Managing Our Sweet Tooth
Our liver and gallbladder are important organs for our digestion and in a lot of ways they work hand in hand. Our liver performs many functions. For one, it filters any toxins from the blood and converts them into less harmful forms to be excreted from the body. It metabolizes nutrients from the foods we eat, regulating our blood sugar. It produces bile that assists in digestion of fats in the small intestine. It also stores vitamins and minerals and synthesizes proteins essential for blood clotting.
Our gallbladder is located just beneath the liver and its main role in the digestive process is to store and concentrate the bile that is produced by the liver. Our bile helps emulsify fats that we eat and breaks them down into smaller particles to make it easier for our digestive enzymes to act upon in our system.
Given all this, we need to take care of our liver and gallbladder for optimal gut health. We can do this by:
- Eating a balanced diet including lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and healthy fats. Limit processed foods, saturated fats, sugars and salt. Be mindful of portion sizes, and do not eat beyond the feeling of being full. This can be challenging for some individuals. One tip to consider is to stop eating once you are 80% full. If there is food left on your plate- you can have them as leftovers.
- Stay hydrated with water throughout the day, as water is necessary to flush toxins out of our body.
- Limit alcohol, as too much alcohol can damage your liver over time and lead to conditions like cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty liver disease. For our gallbladder we want to avoid the development of gallstones.
- Exercise regularly, as staying active helps to maintain a healthy weight and improve your liver function. 30 minutes a day for 4-5 times a week, if possible.
- Limit exposure to toxins like pesticides, household cleaners and pollutants. Some of this cannot be avoided, but opt for natural and organic products wherever possible.
- Get regular check ups with your doctor to monitor your liver and gallbladder health. Pay attention to chronic abdominal pain, pain in your upper right side, changes in urine or stool color, or things like heartburn.
- Consider high quality supplements for certain nutrients you might not be getting in your diet. This includes milk thistle, artichoke extract, dandelion root, turmeric, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), Choline, Betaine, Vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acids. If you want to be more strategic with your supplementation and find other way to take these, you can also drink turmeric tea or dandelion root tea as well.
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