Liver

Health Clues from Your Feet -part 2

Liz James · July 27, 2021 ·

Before we move on to foot clues you feel internally, I wanted to touch briefly on the toenails. If you’ve been hanging with me this long, you may remember we spent quite some time on fingernail clues. Fingernails and toenails share many traits, and you may want to go back and revisit those posts for expanded details on your distal digits. Very briefly, these are some of the “biggies” for the toes:
*Clubbed toenails – often a sign of lung, heart, liver, or digestive disorders. Poorly oxygenated blood is usually the causative agent for curved nails.
*Yellowed toenails – usually related to a fungal infection, but if most or all toenails are involved, look for other clues including swollen feet or ankles. Paired with lower extremity swelling, more toenails become involved and the nails appear to get thicker or seem to detach. These telltale tips may also involve clues related to lymphedema, lung disease, or autoimmune disorders such as psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis.
*Spoon shaped toenails – frequently a sign of iron deficiency or frequent exposure to petroleum based solvents. Know that there are “clean” nail polish and nail polish removers available, and using them instead of toxin laden products is one more way to support healthy liver function!
Chronically cold feet is a clue indicating impaired circulation. Decreased blood flow is commonly linked to smoking, heart disease, diabetes, anemia, digestive disorders, or hypothyroidism. Exercise and deep breathing techniques are two ways to improve circulation. Our bodies are designed to move, not to be still.😉
*Heel pain or pain that radiates from the heel to the arch of the foot (plantar fasciitis) is often a result of inflammation of the ligament attached to the heel bone which runs along the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is often said to be most painful in the mornings. Heel pain alone may suggest arthritis, excessive exercise, or a possible bone spur.
*Have you been told that you have (or had) stress fractures in your feet?. This is one of the most common injuries seen by our active duty military men and women in training, and is also fairly common in civilian life. Though contributing factors include improperly fitted boots, carrying heavy loads regularly, and intense exercise, the biggest factor is improper nutrition leading to weaker bones. Very often, stress fractures in the feet can be a clue for osteopenia / osteoporosis if bones are not given the proper nutrients to thrive.
Young Living’s Super Cal Plus is a wonderful supportive tool for bones that need a little extra TLC! It contains Magnesium, calcium, Vit D3 and a thoroughly helpful blend of micronutrients, herbs, and essential oils. You’ll want to remember this supplement when we chat about foot and leg spasms here in just a little bit too!
*Perhaps you’ve had a random but sudden and severe pain in your big toe? This is a pain that appears “ “magically” (if you’ve experienced it, you know what I’m talking about!), and may leave you wondering how you broke your toe but didn’t know it….. It’s THAT painful! 😳Years ago, gout was considered a rich man’s disease because of the rich diet that often precipitates a flare. Foods and beverages that may aggravate gout include alcoholic beverages, shellfish, bacon, beef, and broccoli, but the worst culprit of all is sugar in all forms, but especially high fructose corn syrup. Gout flares may also be linked to certain medications. Diuretics and certain blood pressure medications in the ACE inhibitor family, are two of the more common ones.
*Regular foot spasms are another wonder filled clue with several possibilities. Poor circulation, dehydration, an imbalance in potassium, magnesium, calcium, or vitamin D are all potential thieves of ease. Thyroid disorders and a sharp change in hormone levels (as is seen in pregnancy) are other potential causes. There are soooooo many medications that can cause a metabolic imbalance resulting in regular foot and leg spasms. Any medication that depletes any or all of these nutrients often leads to foot and leg spasms unless the deficiency is remediated.
Medications known to do this include:
💊Acid blockers/reducers (for the stomach)
💊Many common antibiotics ( the quinolone class especially)
💊Many blood pressure medications
💊Steroids
💊Birth control pills
💊Certain maintenance meds used for breast cancer
💊A high sugar diet (yes…. Sugar may be defined as a drug!)
*Leg spasms are often diagnosed as restless leg syndrome when in reality, it’s more often than not a simple deficiency in potassium, magnesium, calcium, or Vit D that may be easily remedied with proper supplementation. In my experience as a pharmacist, I’ve found the most common culprit to be a magnesium deficiency, especially if the spasms are in the lower legs. Remember, the body is giving massive clues and not a single clue is ever an indicator that it is “deficient” in a medication.
*Generalized pain, tingling, or a burning sensation of the feet affects over 20 million people in the United states, and the clue field is a vast one. This particular clue is the result of damaged nerve fibers. Damage may happen in a myriad of ways, but the most common cause is diabetes followed by alcohol abuse. Other potential causes include chronic kidney disease, chronic hypothyroidism, lyme disease, or a vitamin B12, folate, and/or B6 deficiency. The B vitamin family is critical for nerve health, and Young Living’s Super B is a stellar opportunity to support unhappy (and perhaps malnourished) nerves.
Medications that rob the body of a variety of B vitamins include:
💊Acid reducers and antacids
💊Many blood pressure medications
💊Bronchodilators (example: albuterol)
💊Many diabetes meds including metformin (do you see the irony here?)
💊Birth control pills
💊NSAIDS
💊Certain medications for Parkinson’s Disease
Oftentimes, clues can certainly be found in a pill bottle, once you start to understand the cause and effect and even put together a timeline of when the clue appeared. This is why it is so important to keep a health journal, especially when multiple clues make themselves known. Think of it as writing your personal detective story!
Our body rarely deceives us!
xoxo~ liz
#caringissharing
#footcareisgoodmedicine
#knowyourfoundation
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL

Health Clues from Your Liver -part 4

Liz James · July 13, 2021 ·

Oh I hope you’ve come to appreciate your liver and its clues as I do mine! The three most important health decisive organs in the human body are the heart, brain, and liver. The liver really acts as a body guard and protector for the entire body, and it “takes one for the team” 24/7/365, no matter if it feels sluggish, dehydrated, or filled to overflowing with toxins.

🙌Ideally, we would eat the perfect liver friendly diet, balance stress, avoid petrochemicals (including plastics, gasoline and engine oil, exhaust fumes, chemical solvents and standard household cleaners, paint, and even carpet!), chemical fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. We would ferociously protect ourselves from chlorine and fluoride (something that is highly toxic to the liver), and run from artificial sweeteners, MSG, and preservatives of all kinds. We’d wean off caffeine, alcohol, and gluten and throw anything cooked with canola oil in the trash. In a perfect world, viruses and other harmful pathogens (The liver has to work so hard to clean up after those litter mongering microbes. ) wouldn’t exist, and medications wouldn’t wreak havoc on the liver (and other organs).

🙌We’d improve our air quality by ditching “fragranced” candles, toxic air fresheners, (oh please tell me you’ve already done this, or I feel I may have failed you!), commercial hair sprays, hair dyes, and conventional cosmetics. Dry cleaning would be a bad word, and conventional laundry detergent would be an unwelcome house guest.

I’m exhausted writing all of this and frankly a little depressed☹️ just imagining how many people unknowingly cause their liver such serious harm. The reality is that we can’t possibly avoid all the things that cause liver distress, but we can avoid complacency. Ignoring the toxin truths☠️ (and solutions) will get us nowhere fast, and will ultimately lead to a slew of liver related symptoms that you now know as “clues”.

We just have to do the best we can and fix what we are able to control. Plug in your diffuser, swipe a drop or two of Stress Away across each wrist, and take a look at all the ways you can support your liver.

*Ditch known toxins and switch to healthy alternatives within your sphere of influence wherever possible. Young Living makes this incredibly easy to do without worrying about reading labels or being duped by companies who “greenwash” their product line…. a form of trickery that is just pure evil.

*Eat liver healing foods such as organic apples, apricots, artichokes, asparagus, kelp, bananas, beets, berries, carrots, celery, cherries, cilantro (binds to toxic heavy metals!), coconut, cruciferous veggies, cucumbers (very hydrating to the liver), dandelion greens, dates, figs, eggplant, garlic, grapes, hot peppers (eat them red, not green!), kiwis, leafy greens, mangoes, REAL maple syrup, melons, mushrooms, onions, oranges, tangerines, papaya, parsley (helps dislodge poisons, and has a healthy effect on gallbladder sludge), peaches and nectarines, pears, pineapple (helps dissolve gallstones), sweet potatoes (feeds the liver and helps the liver regulate hormones), radishes (disinfects the liver), raw honey/ pollen (provides fuel, minerals and other nutrients to the liver), tomatoes (lycopene helps the liver detox red blood cells), turmeric (helps with purging toxins deep within the liver), winter squash, and zucchini.

*When taking a supplement that is deeply impactful to the liver, consider taking it with a piece of fresh fruit🍏🍊🍐🍉🍇🍒🍓 to enhance the delivery to the liver.

*Young Living’s Juvatone is an amazing supplement designed for liver support. I opt to do a cleanse of some sort a few times throughout the year, and several years ago, one of those cleanses resulted in a skin rash that I could not shake off…..and I had tried nearly everything! My liver just could not handle the toxin load that was being rattled loose from this particular cleanse. It wasn’t until I gave it the support of Juvatone, that I (and my liver!) came to appreciate💃 the liver love in these tablets, and my six week long rash disappeared in just a few days.

*Remember, as toxins build, common side effects often appear throughout the body. Skin conditions, rashes, fatigue, mood swings, digestive disturbances, brain fog, muscle / joint pain, and dizziness are only some of the most common clues. Every one of us is built differently and are exposed to a different array of toxins that must be disposed of. Sometimes clues may pop up during a cleanse, while in other situations, liver overload clues are a daily occurrence.

*The combined ingredients in Juvatone promotes and supports healthy liver function. The Essential Oil Desk Reference suggests using Juvatone in tandem with Comfortone or ICP. Indeed, this makes for a great partnership, and creates a highly efficient “exit strategy” for those unwanted toxins!

What ways have you best found to love on your liver?
xoxo~ liz

#knowbetterdobetter
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL
#loveyourliver

Health Clues from Your Liver – part 2

Liz James · June 29, 2021 ·

I’ve always thought it rather humorous that the liver is called the “liver”. A body can be kept alive for days (or even years) with an artificial heart or a “dead” brain, but if the liver were to shut down, a body would likely die within a day. We keep going because our liver helps us live! 😁

Tho it’s the largest internal organ (our skin is the biggest!) and an integral component of the digestive system, we tend to take its existence for granted…… until something goes very wrong. Just ask anyone who has advanced liver disease.
I’ve got some sad stats to share with you. An estimated 10-30% of Americans have some form of liver disease, and most are unaware of their problem. Roughly 90% of us (myself included!) have overburdened livers. #thestruggleisreal
It didn’t used to be this way for the poor liver, but decades of polluted foods and beverages, pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide exposure, medication use, the air we breathe, the water we bathe in, and all the toxin laden skincare and standard issue household products have definitely taken their toll. Babies👶 are born with a chemical burden their livers negotiate from Day One. One study found over 280 toxins☠️ in the blood of umbilical cords of an average infant at birth.

To understand clues a burdened liver leaves us, it’s important to first recognize the profound multitasking machine that it is.

In addition to being the primary detoxifier of the body, the liver also stores the worst☠️ of the worst ☠️toxic substances deep within itself. Animal livers do this too, and heaven knows, they are exposed to a myriad of toxins in commercial farming situations. Liver was a healthy organ meat for our ancestors, but not for us in the 21st century unless you are able to find a certified “clean” source (uncommon, but they are out there).

Other tasks the liver performs include:
*Vitamin and mineral storage system
*Storage and filtration of blood
*Secretion of bile (go back and review the gallbladder for more info on that task!)
*Conversion of sugars into glycogen (energy storage packets)
*Synthesis of serum proteins, albumin (which regulates blood volume), coagulation factors in the blood
*Filters and destroys bacteria
*Helps maintain a balance of sex hormones in the body
*Helps maintain a balance of many neurotransmitters

Ultimately, there are well over 500 (some researchers have said as many as 2000! ) functions the liver performs. As the inner Sherlock Holmes within you may suspect, the clue possibilities are vast!

We’ll cover some very specific clues next week, but in the meantime, imagine what might happen within the body (and mind) if an impaired or sluggish liver shows up for work. Since 90% of us have overburdened livers, shouldn’t we be showing our liver some serious love and living like we care about it daily instead of remaining indifferent or flat out abusing it?

Use your “clean” alternatives! Thieves Household Cleaner is liver friendly, as are the Savvy Minerals cosmetics, shampoo, deodorant, body wash, toothpaste, hand soap, and laundry detergent that Young Living has designed for us. #nolabelreadingnecessary
Love your liver and it will reciprocate!
xoxo~ liz

#knowbetterdobetter
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL
#loveyourliver
#goodmedicineislovingyourliver

Health Clues from Your Liver(Gall Bladder)

Liz James · June 22, 2021 ·

The gallbladder is a literal bountiful bag of body clues! It’s a small pouch that sits just under the liver, located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. It’s a little bag with a big responsibility! 💪

The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver. Bile digests fat and helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E & K) and fatty acids (think omega 3/ 6’s). It becomes extremely important to take a quality Omega-3 supplement if your gallbladder is MIA. #Omegagize3forthewin.

Additionally, without a gallbladder, vitamins A,D,E &K become poorly absorbed from foods, and it is prudent to supplement with these vitamins as well. #MasterFormulaandSuperDforsupport A well functioning gallbladder also helps the body excrete fats and fat soluble toxins. Fat soluble toxins☠ are sadly found in common household cleaners, personal care products, food, beverages, and even in cosmetics. To keep the ☠toxin load☠ down, make the most of your Thieves Household Cleaner (All things Thieves really! ), the wonderful personal care products Young Living has available for us, and the Savvy Minerals cosmetic line. There are hundreds of fat soluble toxins to avoid, and Young Living has done the hard work so that our bodies may enjoy a decreased toxic burden!

Gallbladder removal is THE most common surgery in North America. Gallbladder symptoms (clues🔎) don’t evolve overnight…..there are years of foundational “sludge” building up beforehand that may have been unintentionally ignored. Most people are under the impression that if the gallbladder is removed, the pain will stop.While the immediate pain will likely go away, it will ultimately be replaced with a different set of pain points and problems.

People without a gallbladder become even more prone to digestive problems. If the offending diet and lifestyle is not altered, gallstones can still occur..…. they just stay in the liver.. Risk of developing fatty liver dis-ease is also greater in people without a gallbladder. In the absence of a gallbladder, bile slowly trickles into the intestines and never becomes concentrated enough to digest fats well. Often this results in diarrhea, nausea, bloating and heartburn-like symptoms.

If your detective gears are moving, you’ll have just read a wealth of clues 🔎for those people who may be missing their gallbladder and are still struggling. Here’s the biggest clue of all…. A gallbladder’s health is dependent upon the liver’s health….. So while the gallbladder became the “fall guy”, the liver was (and still is!) actually screaming for some support. A poorly functioning liver will produce sludgy bile. That’s as gross as it sounds. Sludgy bile eventually will eventually cause stones or, like a sewer pipe, a significant clog.

A compromised diet is at the heart of most gallbladder dysfunction:
💥Having a diet high in sugar and high fructose corn syrup (learn to look at labels… sugar and HFCS hide everywhere!)
💥Having a diet high in “modern” grains. This leads to fatty liver (we will talk about that soon), which will eventually lead to an unhealthy gallbladder too. There is some pretty compelling research linking gluten intolerance to gallstones. This is another reason Gary was so adamant about getting us our YL Einkorn products!
💥Having a diet high in “bad fats”. (think processed food/ “fast” food)

Other clues indicating an unhappy gallbladder is on the horizon:
🔎Regular use of Aspirin (we have many natural alternatives friends ….. Use them!)
🔎An existing or suspected diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, SIBO, or candida overgrowth. Remember, the liver is an important part of the digestive system, and all parts are ultimately affected when one part begins to falter. The majority of people with gallbladder dysfunction have had poor digestive health for years and have not modified their diet and added supportive digestive enzymes (Essentialzyme-4!) and probiotics.
🔎Gout flare ups
🔎Seemingly common bouts of “food poisoning”. This is a sign of weakened bile flow. Strong bile flow kills pathogens and assists in a healthy and harmonious digestive tract.
🔎Common “strep” infections. (“common” is a relative term…. In this case, even once a year would be considered common)
🔎“Hot flashes”. We often only think of this clue as hormonal, but there is a correlation between a toxic liver and a gallbladder that can’t keep up with eliminating the toxins.
🔎A mysterious “come and go” chronic pain in the abdomen or rib cage area. (The gallbladder doesn’t usually have gallstones at this point, it has toxic sludge that has become so heavy the gallbladder actually droops from its original position putting pressure on some very sensitive nerves around the liver. The “drooping” also causes a pulling on the neck of the gallbladder)
🔎Chronic constipation and “slow GI” transit time.

The gallbladder really is the “canary in the coalmine” when it comes to liver health. Ultimately….. If the liver ain’t happy, the whole body ain’t gonna be happy eventually either.
Consider starting and ending your day drinking a glass of water with a few drops of YL lemon or lime vitality oils to support “decongesting” lymphatic tissue. Other ways to support healthy lymphatic drainage include lymphatic massage, dry brushing, exercise, eating fresh fruits and leafy greens, drinking plenty of water, deep breathing exercises on the regular, avoiding “reloading” with toxins, and wearing loose clothing that is not binding.

These health clues are sooooo important friends. There’s no sense crying over spilt milk or a missing gallbladder! Work with what ‘cha got! 😘 You didn’t know. But now you do, and the good news is you now know you’ve got some serious but entirely doable work to give your liver its best life, so that you can lead your best life too! And thank the good Lord (and Young Living) we’ve got the tools to do it!
xoxo~ liz

#knowbetterdobetter
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL
#loveyourliver
#Godgaveusallourorgansforareason
#thegallbladderneedslovetoo

I C P – Health Clue Supplement Spotlight

Liz James · June 15, 2021 ·

ICP: Supplement Appreciation Spotlight📣

Perhaps one of the biggest clues🔎 of all isn’t a part of our body. Rather, it’s what’s being put into it! How did we (as a nation) become among the sickest (even when compared to 3rd world countries) despite the vast amount of food available? The answer…. processed food 🍩🍕🍟and eating too few fruits🍅🍒🍑🍓🍠 and vegetables.

Food has been a source of healing for thousands of years, yet in the last 50 years, food in the USA has become an enormous source of illness, mostly due to what we choose to eat and also what we choose not to eat.

The average American doesn’t get adequate soluble and insoluble fiber in their daily diet. Half a century ago, this would not have been a problem, but today it’s a HUGE one. Soluble and insoluble fibers are found in plants🌱 we eat….. And if you aren’t eating enough unprocessed plants, there will be a fiber deficiency.

When soluble and insoluble fibers are combined in the duodenum (the very first part of the small intestine), a gel is formed which binds bile, TOXINS, and other undigested material. Heaven knows we are exposed to all manner of ☠️toxins on a daily basis, but this is especially true of modern day food and beverages (pesticides, herbicides, processed food ingredients…. Including sweeteners). This binding of toxins protects the rest of the body and helps keep the liver from getting overwhelmed….. And if the liver’s unhappy, the rest of the body will follow suit.

Other benefits of soluble and insoluble fiber:
*Soluble and insoluble fibers also feed the good bacteria in the gut…. Which is good for them and great for us!
*Soluble and insoluble fibers slow the breakdown of starches. Without getting too technical, this too is very helpful for the liver (and us!), as the liver also takes excess starch and turns it into fat. This translates into keeping insulin response down and fat within the body from building up.
*Soluble and insoluble fibers promote a faster transit time thru the intestine, causing a specific hormone to be released into the bloodstream and sent to the brain….. Where it tells us “hey, you’re full….. Quit eating!”.
*The “good bacteria” in the gut return the favor, after having been well fed by these fibers, and begin producing byproducts that reduce inflammation in the body.
*Finally, these two fiber types also act as a gentle cleansing agent in the colon….. Dislodging and sloughing off old dead cells. This is HUGELY important in reducing colon cancer risk (currently the 3rd most common cancer).

My first suggestion will always be to heal and protect yourself with quality nourishing food. You’ll never be able to “out supplement” a bad diet. #thatsafactjack
ICP stands in the gap for those who need a little extra digestive system help and who have realized that their health clues point towards a need to better love on their gut and liver.

In addition to a stellar soluble/insoluble fiber blend (psyllium, oat, fennel, rice bran, guar gum seed, Mojave yucca root, and cellulose powders), ICP also contains digestive enzymes to specifically break down fats and proteins at various pH points in the gut.
Aloe Vera, Fennel, Anise, Ginger, Lemongrass, and Rosemary oils round out the ICP recipe…. This combination is helpful in supporting digestion, promoting a healthy inflammatory response (as opposed to the runaway train variety), and in creating an inhospitable environment for “the less desirables” that may want to lurk within the depths of your intestines.

If previous health clues have been pointing towards showing a bit more TLC to your digestive tract, ICP may be a welcome addition to the supplement shelf!
xoxo~ liz

#knowbetterdobetter
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#foodisgoodmedicine
#fiberdoesabodygood
#whatsgoodforthegutisgoodforthebody
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL
#colonclues