Updated 7/15/04
Are liver flushes dangerous?
Liver flushes can make you feel very hot and sweaty on the night you do them as the toxins are released and the body cleanses. You can feel nausea, dizzyness, burp up stomach acids, blech! :) Rarely, people come close to passing out because their liver gives up so many toxins/stones at once.
Sometimes a stone can get stuck in a duct and lower the amount of bile released. This is easily taken care of with another flush. If you hve clay-colored (gray) stools after a flush you can bet a stone is blocking bile, as bile makes brown stools.
Some people have experienced pain with a stuck stone, but no one has had to go to a hospital unless they panicked. Best thing to do is to make sure you dissolve the stones as much as possible before flushing.
Some people fail to clean their colons after a flush, so they get fatigue, brain fog, etc., due to the released toxins/bile in the colon makingn their way back into the bloodstream.
Some people react badly to Epsom Salts , including vomiting or a kind of hangover the next day. Best cure for hangover is a packet of EmergenC to replace electrolytes, or the Cleansing Drink (recipe here in FAQ).
Frequency of flushing
Liver flushing can be safely done every two weeks IF you are practicing excellent colon cleansing after each flush. If you aren't doing colonic irrigations or a series of deep enemas, you are allowing the toxins that get released with each flush to re-poison your body, causing stress on your liver and lymphatic system. Thus, if you cannot afford colonics or don't have an enema bucket setup, best to only do them every 4 weeks.
If a flush does not release any stones and/or you have pain and discomfort due to a stuck stone, you can follow that flush with another flush right away, again, as long as you are practicing good bowel management. It's common to have 2 flushes in a row give up no stones because the liver is too clogged and releasing chaffe instead. The third flush usually
results in many stones now that the liver is able to release bile with pressure.
After every 4 liver flushes, do some kidney management to give it a break at the very least. The kidney works hard after every liver flush. To give the kidney a break and to cleanse it just a bit, drink parsley tea, cranberry juice, at last 1 quart of water a day, and eat a strict vegetarian diet including no dairy for 2 weeks. Also, forgo all vitamins and detox herbs.
After a long series of flushes, be sure to give yourself a break for about 4-6 months then begin another series of liver flushes. Do them until you get 3 flushes in a row without any stones. If all your symptoms and degenerative illnesses abate, then simply do maintenence flushes 2x a year from then on.
In between liver flushes, to continue the cleansing and tonifying (strengthening) of the liver, eat a liver-supporting diet and take herbs to detox and increase bile flow.
Liver supporting herbs/vits/diet:
Both www.liverdoctor.com and www.sensiblehealth.com have good guidelines on a liver-supporting diet - what to aviod, basically. Limiting flour-based products, citrus fruits, bananas, blackpepper, is the short list. :)
Liver supporting herbs/supplements include:
Milk Thistle - very detoxing, will save someone from poisoned mushies. Only take for 2 months though, then take a break, then resume, as this herb has strong action on the very cells themselves.
Bupluerum (really gets rid of fat)
Dandelion - a diuretic that cleans lymphs too, increases bile flow. It's great to drink it as tea occasionally.
Chinese Gentien
Coptis - increases bile flow
Ginger - blood thinner and increases bile flow
Try to get an herbal compound with 2 or more, as herbs work best synergistically.
MSM (small dosages as it acidifies the blood)
B vitamin complex (all the B's help break down various toxins and byproducts of phameceuticals like Tylenol)
Lecithin - really helps take cholesterol/fats out of the bloodstream, and very good at softening/dissolving stones. Take one tablespoon (see protein shake recipe) 3-5 times a day for 3-5 days. If you're having a gallbladder attack , take the max dose until symptoms subside. If you don't want to flush at all, then do this regime along with liver herbs and doses of one tablespoon of oil for 2 weeks.
Flax seed oil - a great oil with plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids, which help the liver and immune system. Helps to increase metabolism, cures constipation by increasing bile flow, and by increasing bile flow helps liver to detox. Also helps to burn fats and regulate weight.
Liquid Chlorophyll - cleanses and detoxes.
Chlorella - detoxes liver
Garlic - detoxes and disinfects and protects liver
Carrot/Apple/Beet juice - cleanses, flushes, de-fats bile and softens stones. Add parsley for a kidney flush too. Drink this every day for a week and you will cleanse your liver greatly. Very good for Pitta people.
Cleansing Carrot Salad. Very good for the liver and bile. Recipe is further on down.
-Excellent references/products:
www.liverdoctor.com - totally explains anatomy of liver, how to eat, how it de-toxes.
www.sensiblehealth.com - explains liver management and has herbal products - Coptis and Gold Coin Grass and Chinese Bitters are all highly recommended for liver management.
Planetary Formula's Bupluerum Liver Cleanse - good herbal compound available at most health food stores. White bottle with blue label. Very cost effective.
Dr. Cabot's Livatone Plus - take this if you have a history of taking drugs like Tylenol, recreational drugs, pharmeceuticals.
http://www.enzymestuff.com/rtstools.htm - explains stool coloration, which involves the liver.
How to break up stones before your next flush:
Drink a gallon of good organic apple juice, however long it takes.
Eat a green or red apple (Fuji are great, not as tart as Granny Smith) every day.
If you are hypoglycemic or candida challenged, take Malic Acid supplements from the health food store, it's the same as apple juice. 1,000 mg - 2,000 a day for 3-7 days.
Liquid PhosFood, available online for about 7 dollars, is what my naturpathic doctor recommended. Take drops as recommended on the bottle for 3-7 days, usually 10 drops 3x day.
"Stone Free" by Planetary Formulas, an herbal remedy for kidney and gb stones.
"Gold Coin Grass" by Julia Chang available at www.sensiblehalth.com in Canada for about $30.00. Espensive but effective! Will stop GB pain.
Lecithin.
Apple cider vinegar. Must use "Bragg's"
Choose two or more of these.
Recommended Combinations of Stone Softeners:
if you drink apple juice, add a tablespoon of ACV and 10 drops of Liquid Phosfood to the apple juice.
If you take Malic Acid pills, drink the Cleansing Drink (see FAQ for recipe) and add Liquid Phosfood to the cleansing drink.
If you take GCG, take it in the mornings then take Coptis at night. Eat lecithin and ACV and the occasional apple juice whenever convenient.
Liver Diet
------
> "Foods that weaken the liver, spleen, and kidneys
> should be avoided. They include: white flour, white
> sugar, deep fried foods, caffeine, chocolate, all
> citrus fruits, tomato, banana, cold foods, cold
> drinks
> and salad (raw vegetables)."
Cleansing Carrot Salad
Juicing for Life book has a natural food way to help cleanse the liver, if you can stand it, here it is:
1 cup or more of carrot pulp, or grated carrot, or the carrot remains after juicing.
1 tablespoon each or more of olive oil and lemon juice
raisens or seeds or spices for flavor. Ginger is good.
Eat this for 7 days in a row. Do not skip a single day. VERY cleansing.
Basic protocal is Liver Flush every 2 weeks with plenty of enemas/bowel/lymph management in between. Do a bit of kidney cleansing after every 4 flushes. (cranberry juice and parsley.) If you're going to flush, take the GCG and Coptis. If you're taking a break from flushes after a series of 3-5 flushes, take the Chinese Bitters or Bupleurum until one week before the next flush.
Also, a couple days after each flush, do a detox bath.
-Liver Flush Without Epsom Salts
Be sure to take stone dissolving agents for at least 7 days. Try to drink carrot/apple juice for 3 days. Eat a low-fat diet of simple, plain, whole foods.
On the day of the flush, eat a simple, no-fat diet. you can eat all the way up to 6:00 pm if you eat things that digest quickly and easy, like steamed veggies, soups or pasta. Some of my best flushes, tho, came on days that I ate fat - buttered pancakes for breakfast no less!
You can drink about 4 oz of water or less each hour right up to 9:00.
At or about 11:00, Squeeze fresh grapefruit. have fresh orange juice or lemons at the ready in case the grapefruit doesn't give up enough juice. Lemon works great but dosen't taste as good.
Have hard peppermint candy ready, baking soda is good too if you use lemon juice to stop the lemon juice from eating your teeth.
Make a dose of 1/2 cup olive oil to 3/4 cup juice and stir or shake well. Have enough for a second dose.
Drink down quickly. You can use a straw and avoid some of the taste. Lie down and get comfy, can have pillows propping you up a bit. Some recipes say to lie a certain way, but I've never noticed a difference either way.
Wipe out mouth with paper towels, gargle if necessary. Suck on peppermint candy to settle the stomach and aid digestion.
Wait 15-30 minutes, then take second dose if you feel like you can handle it. Sometimes I just drink half of the second dose. Sometimes I just drink the first dose.
Try to sleep.
On the following day, do an enema, or Salt Water Flush, or colonic, plus fiber shakes 2x day for at least 3 days preferably longer.
The stones will float, put on gloves and check them out. If you want to keep them to impress your friends, refrigerate in a glass of water or they will dissolve as they are mostly fat. They are soft, waxy unless they are calcified. Can be just about any color, but usually green.
Do colon cleansing for at least 3 days over the next week.
Switch from stone dissolving herbs to liver supporting herbs until 1 week before your next flush.
Emotions and Liver Flushes
Expect to get emotional post-flush. The liver stores a lot of emotions that get released in the flush, and the flush stirs up toxins and hormones that act on mood.
Signs of gallbladder/liver congestion (this list is not comprehensive):
Insomnia
indigestion, acid-reflux, constipation, IBS, acid stomach
depression, anxiety, irritability
tingling in extremeties
headaches, foggy-headedness, fatigue, insomnia, absent-mindedness
pouch around/below belly button
pain in shoulders/upper back/upper arms
Acne, premature aging, liver spots
Visual disturbances, bloodshot eyes, "floaters", candida imbalance
Allergies and sensitivities to environmental toxins, perfume, smoke
Deep vertical lines in between eyebrows
Inability to lose weight no matter how well you count calories!
-Should people with HepC or Jaundice or Cirrhosis or Cancer liver flush?
Yes, but do a gentler flush:
Take herbs daily (follow recommended dose, then raise dose until you get a detox headache, then either keep that dose or lower until headache isn't so bad).
Eat the cleansing carrot salad every day.
Eat 3 tablespoons of lecithin every day.
Avoid foods bad for the liver. (see list above)
Take 1 tablespoon of flax seed oil 3x day. Use liberally on foods in place of butter or other oils. You can't cook with it, tho. Use olive oil for cooking.
Drink fresh-squeezed carrot/apple/parsley/beet juice as often as possible.
Do the P&B shakes daily and preferably an enema or salt water flush every-other day or 3x week.
Detox bath weekly or 3x week.
Do a coffee enema once a week.
-What to Eat while flushing or post-flush
A low-fat diet of very simple foods. Kichadi, rice/beans, steamed veggies, veggie soup, lentil soup, broccoli soup (no cream), hot cereal, oatmeal, potato, sweet potato, pasta, apples, pears, berries. Drink lots of water post-flush.
-How many flushes until I see results?
Everyone is different. I lost six pounds after doing two flushes, but I had a pretty clean liver, it was just a bit out of sorts because I hadn't done any liver management for like 10 years! LOL! I had a very bad case of acne on my forehead, which was also resolved by the third flush. Darnit if I don't have a couple permanent raised bumps tho, silly me! Some people have cured their allergies in about 8 flushes, others have done as many as 20 flushes. Aim for about 8 flushes if you've never done them before and you have a long list of symptoms.
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