Elite Health Tip- Emotions and Health: Angry Liver

Hello again!  We hope you enjoyed the two previous series we did on Vitamins and Minerals.  This week we are going to begin a new unique series on EMOTIONS and their effect on your HEALTH.  This is something that is not talked about or hardly addressed in modern western medicine. But did you know that emotions play a KEY role in eastern medicine and that they can affect the health of your body? Ever wonder what anger can do to the body?

Liver and Emotion

According to Chinese Traditional Medicine, the liver is the seat of all emotion that we experience.  The emotions that can affect or block the Qi (pronounced CHEE) or energy flow of the liver are anger, frustration, resentment, irritability and bitterness.  This means that if you begin to experience these negative emotions they can negatively affect the health of your liver.  The same can be true that if you are feeling these emotions for no apparent reason this could signify that your liver is not properly functioning.  The main job of the liver is to filter the blood coming from the digestive track before passing it to the whole body. So you can imagine how the health of your liver and negative emotions like anger can really affect the Qi of your entire body.

Foods to Strengthen the Qi of the Liver

• Sour foods
  • Vinegar
  • Lemon
  • Sour Kraut

Physical Support 

Engage in light physical activities instead of vigorous work outs. The tendons are also associated with the liver, and you do not want to over-exert them while trying to purify the liver.  Walking, swimming, and yoga can be highly beneficial–as well meditation (as always)! 

Supplements to Strengthen the Liver Qi

There are plenty of supplements that can help assist with liver health.  Here are a few that we picked that can help with Liver Qi specifically:

• Now Foods Liver Refresh: This Liver Refresh has a combination of Milk Thistle, Turmeric, L-Glutamine, N-Acetyl Cysteine and more!
• Himalaya LiverCare: This formula uses Chinese herbs to help increase the flow of Qi in the liver as well as in the whole body.
• Essiac: Essiac tea is a powerful combination of herbs for cleansing and purifying the blood.  Since that is one of the main jobs of the liver, the Essiac formula does a fantastic job of assisting the liver!
• Other herbs and supplements great for increased liver Qi and emotional support: Turmeric, CBD, and Milk Thistle.

Luckily, it’s been said that the liver is the most forgiving organ because of it’s ability to biologically rejuvenate itself.  Try thinking of things that help you feel compassion to help restore the liver from the affects of negative emotions.  You can also recite the ho’oponopono mantra while thinking of someone or something that made you angry to help assists with the forgiveness process:

Ho’oponopono
I love you
I’m sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you

As always, do what you feel is best for YOUR body — if you aren’t sure, ask your doctor.  We are health ENTHUSIASTS not licensed practitioners.

We hope you enjoyed this week’s Elite Health Tip- Emotions and Health: Angry Liver!