Detoxifying Herbs Part #1
Beautiful skin starts from within and radiates outward.
As I have discussed in the article entitled, pH and the Secret to Beautiful Skin, the skin is the body’s largest organ. It is also the way in which the liver and kidneys remove toxins from our body. Better through the skin than suffer from liver damage, yes?
The best thing we can do for our body and skin, is– of course, to enjoy a healthy diet (see My Philosophy) and not drink. I come from a family of foodies, and thus have grown up around wine. I am not ashamed to admit that, at twenty-three, I have grown to appreciate fine wine.
That being said. Liquor (of all shapes and sizes) hurts the liver (amongst other things) and the thus, the liver undoubtedly has to work overtime to a) stay healthy and b) remove the toxins from the body.
Natural Herbs can be wonderful to help aid the liver in the removal of toxins by strengthening the liver’s cells. Strong cells means stronger liver. It is not a cure or replacement for not drinking.
milk thistle.
Two of the herbs I will briefly mention today, are Milk Thistle and Dandelion.
Milk Thistle is one of my favorite “detoxifying” herbs. It offers protection to the liver by protecting the liver cells from toxic damage.
Dandelion (and no, I am not talking about those little guys that pop up in your front lawn) helps to detoxify the liver by aiding it in its ability to increase bile flow. Bile is one of the ways the liver works to eliminate toxins.
There are many brands out there. I have always liked Nature’s Way.
Have you ever used a supplement to improve your health? If so… what?
Disclaimer: Always talk to your doctor before supplementing or changing anything in your diet.
My friend and I started taking dandelion and milk thistle about a month ago. She bought the dried dandelion roots and the milk thistle seeds. We just ground up the seeds in a coffee grinder and take a spoon full a day.
Ayurveda is has been practiced safely and effectively in India for the past 4,000 years. It must work otherwise Ayurveda would not have survived this long. It is holistic science that emphasizes prevention. It is also a lifestyle science as it incorporates in a daily lifestyle plan herbs, diet, exercise, and more.
Two herbs have been used for many centuries by Ayurveda for liver health:
Phyllanthus amarus http://www.naturesformulary.com/Products/53-phyllanthus.aspx
Picrorrhza kurroa
Here is a website I have found information that is easy to understand.
http://www.naturesformulary.com/CategoryContents/Ayurveda–z–Learn-about.aspx
Take their Dosha test, it is fun. Then once you know your Dosha you design a plan that includes herbs, diet, etc. It has helped me.
http://www.naturesformulary.com/CategoryContents/Dosha-Test.aspx