As we continue to discuss the impacts of STRESS and living daily life as its own race, we must talk about how stress can be connected to a congested liver. Reed Davis, the founder of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN), shares information packed articles on their website and their program (my next goal is to become a FDN in 2019).
An accumulation of STRESSORs can fill up our beaker of stress as can an accumulation of TOXINs floating around in our body if our liver is congested. As I always say- anything too much can be toxic but on the other hand, anything too little can lead to deficiencies. Remember in my blog four part series on the connection of stress and digestion, when stress is on-digestion is off. So how would stress impact the liver? If digestion is turned off, then we are digesting our food completely, our gut wall lining (one of our first lines of defense) becomes more vunerable, more toxins are released and left free to roam the bloodstream.
An accumulation of STRESSORS can lead to what we have discussed “HPA Axis” dysregulation or dysfunction, similar to an accumulation of TOXINS will overload an already exhausted liver. Often we need a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner to help us get to the root cause of our sources of stress as we will discover- a toxic and congested liver could become a source of stress for the body as well as heavy metal toxicity and other red flags. Gradually you may discover unexplained symptoms or nags and complaints that are new to you. I hear more people use the excuse of “getting older” and age as the root cause for these new odd health issues. Blah blah blah. No age is not our excuse- but rather an accumulation of use leads us to the need to “Change the car filter” in your own body and to “reset-reboot-recalibrate” your internal engine systems as we do in my The WHOLESTIC Method 30-day program.
As per https://functionaldiagnosticnutrition.com/10-signs-congested-liver/
What are the signs your liver may be congested or sluggish?
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Poor digestion- one of the functions of the liver is to produce the bile and bile salts necessary for digestion. Bile assists in helping the body to breakdown fats, as well as to absorb fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E and K. When the body isn’t producing enough bile and bile salts, digesting fats will become difficult. Acid production will increase in the stomach in order to assist in breaking down fats, and indigestion may occur.
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Hormone imbalances- The liver is vital for the breakdown and removal of hormones in the body once they have served their purpose in the body. Without being able to fully remove excess hormones, they can build up in the body. This can lead to symptoms such as high blood pressure, bloating, weight gain, fatigue, sleep problems, low libido, low immune system function, cravings for junk food and mood issues.
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Weight gain- when toxins build up in the body they can cause an imbalance in blood sugar and hormones which can ultimately cause the pounds to add up…even if you are eating well and exercising regularly!
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Skin problems- If toxins are building up in your body because they are not being filtered out properly by the liver and other detoxification pathways in the body, then you may start to see skin problems such as acne, rosacea, rashes, psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema.
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Fatigue- if you are feeling drained and fatigued, even if you are getting plenty of sleep, it may be your body telling you that your liver is not functioning properly.
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Bad breath or a white coating on your tongue- The tongue is a great indicator of the state of your health and if you have a white coating, it could suggest that your liver is sluggish. The white coating and bad breath are a sign that you are not digesting food well, and as a result, bad gut bacteria such as Candida can spread and an overgrowth can occur. Since the liver is connected to good digestion, when it is sluggish, it can contribute to these symptoms.
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Chemical sensitivities- Do the smell of certain perfumes or cleaning products give you a headache or make you anxious or irritable? Are you a lightweight when it comes to drinking alcohol? These are chemical sensitivities and they are often found along with having too many toxins in your liver.
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Cravings- When you begin to crave sweets and highly processed carbohydrates, this may be caused by hormone and blood sugar imbalances that are common when the liver is not working effectively.
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Gallbladder problems- The gallbladder and liver are connected. The liver produces bile and bile salts that are necessary to break down dietary fats. That bile is then stored in the gallbladder, where it stays until the next meal when it is needed. But if there is not enough bile being produced, then it will be much more difficult for your body to break down fats. When the gallbladder isn’t functioning properly, you can experience health issues such as nausea, indigestion, abdominal bloating and an intolerance to fatty foods as well as an increase in abdominal pain.
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Pain in the right upper portion of the abdomen- As the liver becomes more congested, inflammation occurs and with inflammation comes pain. The pain caused by an enlarged liver usually can be felt in the area where the ribs end on the right side of your abdomen.
