Liver care 🙌

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

The liver is the second largest organ in the body and has more than 400 functions. It is the primary organ of filtration, which mainly helps in the metabolism of food and absorb the necessary nutrients. It eliminates the toxins from our body daily and purifies the blood. So, it is an essential organ of detoxification for our body. Some critical functions to highlight:

1.It produces bile which helps the fat to break down during the process of digestion.
2.It helps in the production of haemoglobin from its iron storage ( liver stores iron)
3.It convert excess glucose into glycogen.
4.It cleanses the blood from toxins and poisonous substances.
5.During breakdown of protein, urea and poisonous ammonia is produced. The liver helps to eliminate them through the kidneys.

However, even if we have a powerful detoxifying organ, it gets sick and tired if we do not care enough. If we frequently consume refined, processed food, sugary items. To multiply this load, frequent intake of alcohol, smoking, drugs causes a greater danger. Also not to forget the environmental toxins, pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides from food, toxins from home cleaning products, cosmetics, perfume, the liver is unable to take the load at some points.

Signs of lousy liver functioning:


1.Tiredness
2.Collected fat around the belly.
3.Oily skin
4.Pale yellow fingernails
5.Oily skin, acne
6.Allergies
7.Digestive issues
8.Irregular bowel
9.Brain fog, headache
10 Pain on the right side of the abdomen.

Methods to detoxify the liver:
1.Eliminate the toxic sources as much as possible: We need to cut down the processed, canned, and sugary food. The refined, vegetable oil which is unhealthy fats, should be eliminated from the diet too. It is essential to minimize the use of toxic household cleaning products, cosmetics, perfumes as much as possible. As far as practically feasible, relocating from the polluted area is advisable.

2.Again it is essential to limit smoking, alcohol, drugs as much as possible.


3.Fasting: It is a crucial tool to rest the liver and minimize its load. Fasting accentuates the detoxifying process, stimulate autophagy and strengthen the immune system.


4.Focussing more on whole foods and organic vegetables, fruits given by Mother Nature than the packaged, canned food with preservatives.


5.Drinking lot of water every day will help to flush out toxins. Water added with lemon or a tinge of vinegar is beneficial.
6. Letting out toxic emotions like anger, frustration, resentment, and fear by mindful, spiritual and relaxing techniques.


7.Getting a goodnight sleep helps in the detoxification process.


8. Consuming foods which can restore the microbiome flora like fermented foods, prebiotics and probiotics. Essential foods like cruciferous vegetables, iron-rich food like spinach, beets are all useful.

 Milk thistle

9. Herbs like dandelion, milk thistle, cilantro, thyme, turmeric, garlic and green tea proves beneficial.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

 

Lung cleansing: 8 natural ways 🙌

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

Our lungs are contaminated every day with environmental toxins, pollutants, dust, second-hand smoke, chemicals, microbes (bacteria, viruses) and the list goes on and on. During this corona virus pandemic, the risk is even higher. Such health hazard, often, lead to various chronic and acute lung issues like Asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, COPD, lung cancer. Usually, our lungs can detox and heal themselves once the sources of pollutions are eliminated or significantly reduced. So, nowadays, we often hear about shifting home location towards the outskirts or semi-rural areas rather than staying in urban cities. Whether, we have the option of moving site or not, but we can take necessary steps of detoxifying and cleansing the lungs easy ways and prevent us from chronic respiratory issues and diseases. Lung cleansing can promote healing, normal lung functioning, reduces inflammation of bronchial lining, clear mucus and improves lung circulation.

 

So the simple steps that we can regularly adapt to detox and keep our lungs healthy:

1. Perform deep breathing exercises daily. Though breathing is normal but deep breathing involves diaphragmatic breathing which helps to strengthen the diaphragm and oxygen-carrying capacity of the lungs. Oxygen is nourishing for all cells and all vital processes to carry out smoothly. As we age, diaphragm, which is a muscle, start to become weaker. So, when we perform diaphragmatic breathing, it’s like trying to deep breathe into the belly. In the process, the diaphragm gets contracted, and air fills up. Slowly, as we exhale, the diaphragm relaxes. It creates a back pressure in the alveoli, which in turn improve the lung compliance and help to detox the lungs. Deep breathing also reduces stress significantly. It is essential to do daily 9-10 times of deep breathing exercise. You can get more information on this type of breathing technique from my previous post https://healthhappinesshealing.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=3659&action=edit

2. Another critical factor is to improve air quality at home. It is just not possible to control the external environment, but we can maintain the quality of air in the space we live every day. We need to make sure to change the air filters of the electrical appliances at home regularly. It’s essential to limit the use of air fresheners and scented candles as they contain harsh chemicals which may be harmful. Ensure adequate air ventilation and regular vacuum cleaning to maintain clean airflow at home.

3. Quit smoking: Cigarette smoke contains more than 7000 toxins. Researches have shown a direct link of smoking associated with lung cancer. Smoking also causes chronic inflammation of the bronchial linings and the lungs. So, there is a lot of health hazard associated with smoking rather than any health benefit.

4. Second-hand smoke: Even if you or I do not smoke, but, we are exposed to second-hand smoke, then we carry the same risk of health hazard like smoking a Cigarette. So, it’s essential to stay away from exposure to second-hand smoke. Therefore, always avoid places where you have a risk of inhaling second-hand smoke.

5. Apart from breathing exercise, doing physical activity regularly outside of your home, preferably in a park or open area, to ensure that your cardiovascular system is activated and you can breathe the fresh air every day.

6. Personal care: Having a hot shower, or using a heating pad on the back eases the intercostal muscles of the rib cage and help to soothe during breathing. Getting percussion or vibration on the backside will also accelerate breathing and healing process of the lungs during chronic ailments.

7. Food: Like all organs, lungs also required proper nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants for healing and proper functioning. Adequate nourishment from food rich in vitamin C, D, antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, drinking enough water, exposure to sunlight and limiting the intake of sugar and dairy products, all helps in the proper functioning of the lungs.

8. Some familiar sources which are nourishing and healing for lungs are ginger, green tea, oregano, peppermint leaves, liquorice, and lemon. Measures like eucalyptus oil steam inhalation and castor oil packs found to have a beneficial effect on the lungs.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

 

Mucus facts 👃🤧

Hello everyone! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

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Every day, in our environment, we breathe in loads of pollutants, allergens, pathogens like viruses, bacteria and fungi, which enter into our system. Once they enter, the interaction of our immune system starts responding. So the process of filtration, defence and lubrication takes over. That’s how the mucus comes into play.

Mucus is a slimy secretion which is produced by the mucus glands on the tissue lining of many organs in the body. Its primary function is protective. It protects the particular organ from drying, catch hold of dust particles, foreign bodies, germs, microbiomes from getting inside our body. It also contains specific enzymes to kill the bacteria and pathogens and prevent us from getting infected. We produce at least 1.5 litres of mucus every day. Therefore, every day, mucus is created and perform its function of protection and hydration.

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We start experiencing mucus in our throat, mouth, sinuses when produced in excess. The organs that usually produces mucus are:

Nose
Throat
Sinuses
Lungs
Gastro intestinal tract.

Facts related to mucus:

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1. Mucus excess production is usually not a medical problem unless associated with other symptoms in the body or abnormal colour of the ooze. When you have a yellow to greenish mucus, it is usually due to cold. When you have blood-tinged mucus in the nose, it is generally due to dryness or scratching or forcefully blowing of the nose. Mucus, when produced in the lungs, is called phlegm. When you have blood in the mucus or phlegm, it is mainly infection or irritation in the lungs. It is usually not that serious. But, when there is excessive and frequent blood in the mucus, you need medical attention.
2. Excessive mucus produces common symptoms like sneezing, nasal irritations, nasal stuffing, nasal blockage, sore throat and headache. In such cases, slime is usually slippery and watery.
3. When mucus gets thickened in the throat and lungs, this is mainly due to congestion in the lungs and upper respiratory tract. The person may have breathing difficulty or problem in swallowing.

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4. Sometimes, thickened mucus is produced due to conditions like smoking, air pollution, not drinking enough water, drinking too many caffeinated drinks like tea or coffee and alcohol, or being in airconditioned air for a long time.
5. Certain medical conditions which cause overproduction of mucus are Allergies, Sinusitis, Common cold, acid reflux, certain lung conditions like COPD, chronic bronchitis and asthma.

Simple measures to get rid of mucus are :

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1. The best home remedy to clear the throat from mucus is the saltwater gargling which I recommend as this measure is very helpful for me too.
2. Keep yourself hydrated by consuming enough water.
3. Over the counter medicines, the expectorant, mucolytics, liquorice tablets are useful to some extent.
4. Elevating the head by using an extra pillow while lying down has been effective in some people.

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5. Having certain kind of food items like Pineapple ( contains an enzyme bromelain which has anti-inflammatory properties), ginger, turmeric, apple cider vinegar are helpful to reduce the mucus.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

Post: Detoxification: 4 realities.

Once we step out of our house, we are exposed to a host of environmental pollutants, allergens, hazardous chemicals, processed food, heavy metals, pesticides and so on. All of them have a hazardous effect on our body.

Medical experts do not really urge the need for detoxification as our body has a natural ability to eliminate toxins and waste. Skin, liver, kidneys, bowels and lungs naturally eliminate toxins.
But then, why do we keep hearing about detoxification methods which often catch our attention ?

4 realities ;

  1. Detoxification is quite necessary when your body’s natural mechanism is disturbed. Sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, overeating, too much of alcohol, smoking may contribute. Some occupational hazard (regular exposer to heavy metals like lead, arsenic) and people with digestive disorders may require to detoxify.

2. The concept of a detox diet may sound appealing but is quite a misconception. Detox diet which may include specific food with detoxifying properties, laxatives, liquids don’t really identify or remove specific toxins. There is no scientific evidence of any diet which can eliminate specific toxins.
The human body itself is equipped with an efficient detoxifying system. The detox diet can at best facilitate the natural system.

3. Change in lifestyle is an important tool to optimize our body’s natural ability of detoxification. Cutting down sugar, processed food, reduce intake of alcohol, reduce salt intake and maintaining an active life (to boost metabolism) are very essential. Having adequate sleep daily is helpful to remove toxic waste (beta-amyloid) from the brain. Sleeping about 6-7 hours of quality sleep ensures good health.

4.Drinking lots of water, staying hydrated throughout the day help remove toxins, waste through urine, sweat and also breathing. Antioxidant-rich diets composed of fresh fruits and vegetables help to eliminate the excess free radicals and fight the body’s oxidative process. Food rich in prebiotics like banana, tomatoes, garlic, oats, asparagus help in increasing the good bacteria in gut called probiotics. A healthy gut is necessary for effective body’s natural detoxification.

Leading a well-disciplined life is quite effective for the body’s natural mechanism of detoxification. Adopting methods like a detox diet, going to spas, sauna bath, sweating therapy, fasting methods can be individual choices.