Last June I visited one of the finest medical clinics in Europe for a liver detox. It was an amazing experience both from a location standpoint and therapy standpoint. I shared my journey at Swiss Mountain Clinic here.

What I didn’t get into was the background on what your liver is up against on a regular basis. That’s what I want to share with you today.

Your liver essentially takes care of the trash in your body, making sure it’s separated from the good stuff and then disposed of through your urine and bowels. It has a number of other functions as well I’m just focusing on this today.

Just imagine, for a moment, garbage pick up day in NYC on a hot summer day but the garbage trucks never arrive. The trash just keeps piling up, attracting rats the size of medium sized dogs, molds and bacteria proliferate and eventually everyone just moves out because there’s no more room left for them. NYC is abandoned.

That’s sort of what happens when your liver has difficulty keeping up with taking out the trash. Parasites, bacteria, mycotoxins and viruses all start to get a leg up in your body because they love the trash – it’s their favorite food.

What makes up this trash you ask? Well, I asked for you actually, and that’s what I’ll share with you today.

• sugar
• alcohol
• tobacco
• artificial sweeteners
• heavy metals (including metal fillings!)
• BPA’s and BPS’
• Teflon (cookware, clothing, furniture, carpets)
• Air pollution
• Artificial Fragrances
• Prescription medications
• OTC pain relievers
• Pesticides

The great thing is though that you don’t have to go to Switzerland for a liver detox, though I highly recommend it. You can make changes today to help restore your full liver function.

Yes, you can follow my liver cleanse I shared with you in my Swiss Mountain Clinic series but it’s best really to begin with taking out some of the most common culprits.

1. Food and Beverages – Start by ditching sugar, artificial sweeteners and alcohol.  Oh I know this can be a tall order for some but if you do this for just 30 days you will likely improve your skin, drop some pounds and have more energy. The liver takes 150 to 500 days to completely regenerate so if you’ve really been trashing your liver then consider going for 3 months minimum. Also to limit exposure to pesticides, opt for organic foods and beverages.
2. Kitchen Upgrades – Ditch teflon coated pots and pans and replace plastic containers with glass or stainless steel.
3. Get a Heavy Metal Test – You can request a heavy metal test through your health care provider or order a test online. Everlywell has an easy at home test for just under $200. Once you know you toxic load, you can have your doctor provide you with a detoxing protocol appropriate for you.

As always I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment or any questions you have below.

To learn more about ways you can balance your body, join my 5 Day Summer Detox for Beginners. This program starts on August 17th but registration closes on the 15th. Hope to see you there!