Healing Plants for Dry January

In my decade long research and experimentation with herbalism, natural healing & holistic health, many systems believe that all disease is rooted in poor Liver function & damage. What exactly influences this ranges from heavy metal toxicity to mineral imbalances, toxic bile build up, and more.

These all result in a condition called Cholestasis. This is when a flow of bile form the liver is blocked or slowed thus causing trouble with the liver producing new bile. Bile is one of the most crucial fluids in our body that breaks down fats and eliminates waste from red blood cells.

In reality, we should be paying attention to our Liver all the time - but the truth is that we often don’t know how sick or bad we feel until two things happen.

1) A health crisis snaps us out of our poor health hypnosis and we confront the reality that has been there all along but we were numbed to it by habits & patterns.

Example - the poor digestion we have been having for years turns out to be Ulcers that we must give full attention to heal. More extreme diagnoses fall into this category as well

2) We do something extreme and place our attention on a specific intention or outcome that gives us the space & capacity to notice new feelings & modes of operations. Example - Dry January creates the space to not drink for a month and we experience life without alcohol for 30 days. Bonus if you cut caffeine out also!

Given the relationship between the liver and alcohol, taking a step back from consumption in January provides us the perfect opportunity to give our Liver some extra love & support.

Below are 4 Lifestyle shifts to support your liver health during this time.

1. Sauna & Sweating - The body processes toxins through sweat, bowl movement urine. Spending 20-30 minutes in a sauna at lower temperatures (120-140) promotes detoxification.

2. High Protein & Carbs - Stick to lean red meats & leafy greens. Consume clean carbs & sugars to give the liver easy energy like fruit & honey. Reduce seafood during this time

3. Avoid Fats - During the month, lower your fat intake so your body can breakdown existing cholesterol deposits in the liver and improve lipid metabolism.

4. Acupuncture & Cupping - Book an appointment with a local acupuncturist and ask them to treat the Liver channel. You may be surprised how other inflammation, aches & pains in your body are related to poor liver function.

5 Supplements to support the liver that has worked for me

1. Senna Leaf - Senna Leaf is a natural laxative that removes toxins in the intestinal tract. It reduced my stomach inflammation tremendously. Take in the early evening and drink lots of water, only consume for 2-3 days at a time as it can cause a electrolyte imbalance. Click here for my favorite brand that contains other enzymes

2. Shilajit - Shilajit translates to “Destroyer of Weakness.” It contains 85 trace minerals in naturally occurring proportions, carbon 60, and humic & fulvic acids. Excellent for new bile production & binding toxins like heavy metals. This life-changing supplement has been exploited by the supplement market where they say to take a fraction of the normal dosage at 10x the markup. For example, leading brands will sell you 20 grams for $60. I believe this should be accessible and affordable for all. Click here to buy my private stock

3. Milk Thistle - This plant has been used for over 2,000 years to treat the bile duct & liver conditions. High in antioxidants and tremendous at reducing inflammation. This is my preferred brand on Amazon

4. Trade Coffee for Green or Puerh Tea—Coffee puts stress on the kidneys, liver, and adrenals. For January, try trading out your coffee for Green and puerh tea, which contains l-theanine and EGCG, which has been shown to reduce liver damage markers.

5. Dandelion Extract or Tea - A powerful root full of nutrients, antioxidants, and a compound called taraxsterol which reduces inflammation. Throw the leaves in a salad, or make a tea with the root. This brand is a potent 10:1 extraction & a 4 month supply for under $25

As always, please consult with your doctor or health professional when taking medication and changing supplementation for health.

Ritual & Societal routines whether good or bad create a subconscious rhythm in our perception of time & space. Every January there is someone at the office or the family who is undertaking Dry January. My suggestion is to use this to become more conscious of your health & lifestyle by actually treating the organ that is in charge of our emotional health & physical detox.

I hope you have learned something new & received something positive from today's edition that you can implement into your life going forward.

See you at the top!

-Taylor

P.S. - If you think I missed something that should go on the list, let me know by giving me a quick response!