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POINT-OF-CARE LAB
Optimising athletic performance5 simple diet and lifestyle choices you can make to support your liver and gallbladder
Your liver and gallbladder are two organs you probably don’t give much thought to, however they do amazing things for you on a daily basis! Your liver and gallbladder work together as a functional pair, and are otherwise known as the hepatobiliary system.
Your liver and gallbladder rid your body of toxins, and help to emulsify fats so that you can more easily digest and process them. Like all systems in your body, when they work well, you’re inclined to take your liver and gallbladder for granted. When they’re not working well however, you may experience unpleasant symptoms including brain fog, headaches, under-eye bags and, in more extreme cases, jaundice and gallstones.
For a more in-depth look at your liver and gallbladder function, be sure to read our detailed guide.
Fortunately, there are ways you can take care of your liver and gallbladder every day. Here at The Maas Clinic we believe that prevention is preferable to treatment. Take great care of your liver and gallbladder, and in turn they’ll reward you with clean blood, great detoxing and clear thinking.
1.
Eat regular meals, and yes,
even snacks!
Your pancreas secrets insulin which stabilises your blood sugar. By eating regularly, insulin is released regularly, meaning that your pancreas can do its job as it is meant to.
If you want to take good care of your pancreas, consider eating three meals a day, and snacks in between too.
Just be mindful of what you eat. Try to avoid sugary food and drinks, and excessive carbohydrates as these will trigger your pancreas to secrete excess insulin.
Check out our seasonal recipes for delicious ideas for balanced meals.
2.
Avoid processed foods, and any food labels you cannot read.
You should be able to easily read the labels on any foods you buy. If you can’t, that’s a clear sign that they’re most-likely high in chemicals and E numbers which your liver and gallbladder will struggle to process.
As a rule of thumb, freshly-prepared non-processed food is better for you, and your hepatobiliary system. In need of recipe inspiration? Check out our seasonal recipes, all tried and tested by our team here at The Maas Clinic.
3.
Exercise regularly.
Exercise is one of the best ways to burn off excess sugar. Try taking up a form of exercise which is fun for you, that way you are more likely to keep up the habit. If you get bored of your exercise regime, don’t give up — switch it up instead. Here are our team’s favourite ways to stay fit and healthy:
- Laurens meditates daily and builds his fitness on a trampoline.
- Cath loves to walk the family dogs, meditates and practices yoga each day.
- Carolin enjoys running for cardio fitness, adding yoga or tai chi to balance her head and her heart.
- Megan too is a meditation and yoga fan and walk regularly with her 2 little girls.
- Laura likes to cook healthy meals with fresh ingredients and plays volleyball.
- Lucy enjoys trail running and practicing yoga.
4.
Add epsom salts to your bath.
Epsom salts cause the bile ducts in your gallbladder to dilate, allowing for a better flow of bile, emulsified fats and other matter, to your small intestine. A combination of regular epsom salt baths, and a good olive oil and lemon rich diet, can help to prevent bile sludge from building up too.
5.
Go to bed by 10-11pm.
It can be hard to say “no” to just one more episode of your favourite TV show, but if it means heading to bed later than 10pm, you may want to think again. Your liver and gallbladder detox between the hours of 11pm and 3am, so being in bed by this time is essential to good hepatobiliary function.
Why not swap your last TV episode for a gripping book, which will encourage you to head to bed a little sooner?
If you think that you are suffering from a liver and/or gallbladder issue, we can help.
We are passionate about unpicking our clients’ health concerns and it is our number one focus to help our clients to achieve their optimal health. If you think that you may have an issue with your liver and/or gallbladder, and think we could help, we’d love to hear from you.
