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The LIVER HEALTH Questionnaire

http://www.liverdoctor.com/liverdysf.shtml

Do you suffer with:

Abnormal Metabolism of Fats

Abnormalities in the level of fats in the blood stream, for example,

elevated LDL cholesterol and reduced HDL cholesterol and elevated

triglycerides.

Arteries blocked with fat, leading to high blood pressure, heart

attacks and strokes.

Build up of fat in other body organs (fatty degeneration of organs).

Lumps of fat in the skin (lipomas and other fatty tumours).

Excessive weight gain, which may lead to obesity.

Inability to lose weight even while dieting.

Sluggish metabolism.

Protuberant abdomen (pot belly).

Cellulite.

Fatty liver.

Roll of fat around the upper abdomen - (liver roll).

Digestive Problems

Indigestion.

Reflux.

Haemorrhoids. Gall stones and gall bladder disease.

Intolerance to fatty foods.

Intolerance to alcohol.

Nausea and vomiting attacks.

Abdominal bloating.

Constipation.

Irritable bowel syndrome.

Pain over the liver -

(upper right corner of abdomen & lower right rib cage).

Blood Sugar Problems

Craving for sugar.

Hypoglycaemia and unstable blood sugar levels.

Mature onset diabetes (TypeII) is common in those with a fatty liver.

Nervous System

Depression.

Mood changes such as anger and irritability. Metaphysically the liver

is known as the " seat of anger " .

Poor concentration and " foggy brain " .

Overheating of the body, especially the face and torso.

Recurrent headaches (including migraine) associated with nausea.

Immune Dysfunction

Allergies - sinus, hay fever, asthma, dermatitis, hives, etc.

Multiple food and chemical sensitivities.

Skin rashes and inflammations.

Increased risk of autoimmune diseases.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Fibromyalgia.

Increase in recurrent viral, bacterial and parasitic infections.

External Signs

Coated tongue.

Bad breath.

Skin rashes.

Itchy skin (pruritus).

Excessive sweating.

Offensive body odour

Dark circles under the eyes.

Yellow discolouration of the eyes.

Red swollen itchy eyes (allergic eyes).

Acne rosacea -

(red pimples around the nose, cheeks and chin).

Brownish spots and blemishes on the skin (liver spots).

Red palms and soles which may also be itchy and inflamed.

Flushed facial appearance or excessive facial blood vessels

(capillaries/veins).

Hormonal Imbalance

Intolerance to hormone replacement therapy or the contraceptive pill

(eg. side effects).

Menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes may be more severe.

Premenstrual syndrome may be more severe.

NOTE: All of the above symptoms are common manifestations of a

dysfunctional liver. However, they can also be due to other causes,

of a more sinister nature.

If you have three or more of these problems, it is likely that you

have a dysfunctional liver.

We advise you to have your liver function checked by a medical

practictioner.

Fatty Liver:

If you talk to radiologists and gastroenterologists who are looking

at people's livers today they will tell you that the condition

" Fatty Liver " affects more than 50% of people over the age of 50!

Common causes are incorrect diet, excessive alcohol intake, adverse

reactions to drugs and toxic chemicals, and viral hepatitis.

Dr. Cabot believes it is because modern-day medicine has become

sidetracked into treating the

symptoms of diseases and not the causes.

Excess weight is a symptom of liver *dysfunction* and not solely due

to the number of calories you consume.

We have been attacking the symptoms of weight excess with fad diets,

obsessional high impact aerobics, stomach stapling and toxic drugs,

such as appetite suppressants, laxatives and diuretics.

we have failed to consider the underlying cause of LIVER DYSFUNCTION

and indeed we have virtually ignored the hardest-working organ in the

body, with dire consequences.

Dr. Cabot's books on the liver show us these consequences -

not just weight problems, but a higher incidence of cardiovascular

and degenerative diseases that are the leading causes of death in

modern affluent societies.

The Liver and Weight Loss

Vital Points for the Weight Conscious!

The liver is the major fat burning organ in the body and regulates

fat metabolism by a complicated set of biochemical pathways. The

liver can also pump excessive fat out of the body through the bile

into the small intestines.

If the diet is high in fibre this unwanted fat will be carried out of

the body via the bowel actions.

Thus the liver is a remarkable machine for keeping weight under

control being both a fat burning organ and a fat pumping organ.

If the diet is low in fibre, some of the fats (especially

cholesterol) and toxins that have been pumped by the liver into the

gut through the bile will recirculate back to the liver. This occurs

via the entero-hepatic circulation.

The term entero-hepatic circulation describes the recirculation of

fluids (consisting mainly of bile acids) from the gut back to the

liver. See diagram 3 below. The entero-hepatic circulation is very

large, with approximately 95% of the bile acids being reabsorbed from

the last section of the small intestine (ileum), into the portal vein

to be carried back to the liver.

The liver recirculates these bile acids back into the small

intestines and the entire bile pool recycles through the entero-

hepatic circulation six to eight times a day. If this recirculated

fluid is high in fat and/or toxins, this will contribute to excessive

weight.

A high fibre diet will reduce the recirculation of fat and toxins

from the gut back to the liver. This is vitally important for those

with excessive weight, toxicity problems and high cholesterol.

The inclusion of plenty of organic raw fruits and vegetables as well as

ground-up raw seeds will increase both soluble and insoluble fibre in

the gut, and reduce recirculation of unwanted fat and toxins.

Some people find that rice or wheat bran, psyllium husks and

unprocessed homemade muesli can boost fibre efficiently.

If the liver filter is damaged by toxins or clogged up (blocked) with

excessive waste material it will be less able to remove small fat

globules (chylomicrons) circulating in the blood stream.

This will cause excessive fat to *build up* in the blood vessel walls.

This fat may then gradually build up in many other parts of the

body, including other organs, and in fatty deposits under the skin.

Thus you may develop cellulite in the buttocks, thighs, arms and

abdominal wall.

If the liver is dysfunctional, it will

not manufacture adequate amounts of the good cholesterol (HDL),

which travels out of the liver to scavenge the unhealthy cholesterol

(LDL) from the blood vessel walls.

If the liver filter is healthy it allows dietary cholesterol to be

shunted into the liver for metabolism or excretion through the bile.

A healthy liver filter is essential to properly regulate blood

cholesterol levels.

Poor liver function may increase your chances of cardiovascular

diseases such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, heart attacks

and strokes.

If the liver does not regulate fat metabolism efficiently, weight

gain tends to occur around the abdominal area and a protuberant

abdomen (potbelly) will develop. This is not good for the waistline!

Another sign can be a roll of fat around the upper abdomen, which I

affectionately call the " liver roll. " This is often a sign of a fatty

liver.

It can be almost impossible to lose this abdominal fat until the

liver function is improved.

Once this is done the liver will start

burning fat efficiently again and the weight comes off gradually and

without too much effort from you. It is not necessary to make

yourself miserable by following a low fat, low calorie diet.

What is effective in the long term is to eat the correct foods and

nutrients for the liver to improve its fat burning function.

A good

liver tonic containing the liver herb St. 's Thistle, and sulphur

containing amino acids will help the liver to burn fat more

efficiently and thus is an aid to weight control

..

Many middle-aged people with excess fat in the abdominal area have

a " fatty liver " .

In this condition the liver has stopped burning fat and has turned

into a fat storing organ.

It becomes enlarged and swollen with greasy deposits of fatty tissue.

Those with a fatty liver will not be able to lose weight unless they

first improve liver function, with a liver cleansing diet and a good

liver tonic.

If you have a fatty liver it is vital to be patient, as it can take

between 3 to 12 months, depending upon the amount of fat deposited in

the liver, to remove the excess fat from the liver.

After this accumulated liver fat has been removed, weight loss will

occur easily. If you have a very severe case of fatty liver it can

take several years to lose all of the excessive weight.

However, this is very successful in the long term and provides the

best chance of restoring your figure and your health.

Fatty liver is common and doctors often tell their patients with

this problem not to worry too much because it is not serious.

I disagree with this, because if you have a fatty liver, your

chances of high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and mature-onset

diabetes are significantly higher.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to find a fatty liver in

adolescents who consume a diet high in processed and fast foods.

If you overload the liver with the wrong type of hormone replacement

therapy, drugs or toxins, the liver's biochemical pathways will have

less energy reserves left over to perform their function of fat

metabolism. Thus these things can lead to weight gain.

For menopausal

women with a weight problem, the best type of hormone replacement

therapy is that which bypasses the liver, natural progesterone creams or

buccal lozenges.

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