We are all familiar with spring cleaning. As the weather gets warmer, we spend time cleaning out the garage or the attic or giving the whole house a deep clean. But what about ourselves? Have you considered that perhaps your body might like some of that love as well?
The body works a bit differently than a house. Our liver is detoxifying for us all the time, 24/7. So, you might not have thought about the benefits of, or how to go about, a spring cleaning for yourself.
One of the best places to start is to reduce sugar consumption. You may be aware of the negative impacts of sugar on your risks for weight gain or diabetes, but it’s less commonly known that sugar damages our all-important detoxifying organ, the liver.
When you consume a meal containing sugar (carbohydrates), a portion of it will be used for immediate energy or stored as glycogen. But when glycogen stores are full, insulin converts any extra amounts to fat, and one of the areas the body stores fat is in the liver. Yes, your liver can literally become fat by eating too much sugar.
An increased number of individuals are being diagnosed with fatty liver because of excess glucose in their system. While this excess glucose comes from any carbohydrates, sugar and flour are two sources that account for most of the overload. A sugar detox is a great place to start to improve your health.
You may wonder, how do I know if I’m consuming too much sugar? Most of us want to avoid a fatty liver diagnosis, so looking for the body’s signals that you are consuming too much is important to know and respond to early.
Some of the main signals your body will send you that you are in a state of sugar overload are fatigue and cravings for more sugar. This is due to the spikes and crashes in blood sugar that excess consumption causes.
Other signals include challenges with weight loss or inflammation. When you eat sugar, inflammatory chemicals are released and can cause chronic systemic inflammation throughout the body. This is the type of inflammation that can lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, or neurological and respiratory diseases.
When the liver is fatty or inflamed, its ability to process and remove toxins is decreased. As a result, toxins stay in circulation for longer periods and can start to cause damage to cells, tissues, and organs. The liver’s ability to regulate fat metabolism and cholesterol is reduced.
Since the symptoms above can be due to a variety of different causes, it’s always a good idea to work with your practitioner to make the right connections for you so you can resolve symptoms once and for all rather than just continuing to manage them long-term.