Today's episode is - after the host of positive feedback I received from my last "solosode" deep dive into how to interpret your own bloodwork - another solosode. Long story short is this... ...I recently tested my liver enzymes and they were shockingly high... ...so I decided to test whether this whole "liver detox" thing actually works... ...and I walk you through exactly what I did (and the relatively shocking results) in today's show. Enjoy! In this Solosode, you'll hear... -Why I got my liver tested in the first place...5:48 When I got my blood panel done, my liver enzyme numbers were through the roof. High liver stress. Around the levels of non-alcoholic liver disease. My aspartate aminotransferase was 172. It's considered risky if it's above 40. My alinine aminotransferase was 83. Anything above 55 is considered risky. My alkaline phosphatase was also mildly elevated. High albumin levels. Inflammation was low, but had signs of significant liver stress. I wanted to test out the liver cleanses on the market. Create a doable detox that I can do at home, I can still workout, and can accomplish in a fairly short period of time. -About Liver Flushing...9:18 A liver is a central processing mechanism that cleanses 1.5 liters of blood per minute. Around 500 different biochemical reactions that occur within the liver. Division and breakdown of chemical substances: catabolism Synthesis of protein molecules: anabolism If any of the processes don't work properly, it will affect other processes' ability to work properly. Liver is more or less a purification plant for the blood. Plays a role in excreting both endogenous and exogenous compounds. Regrows rapidly, with around 10% of healthy liver tissue. Myth of Prometheus: Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock and an eagle picks at his liver during the day. His liver would regenerate the same amount at night. Greek physician Hippocrates described "humors", one of which was yellow bile of the liver. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the liver holds your soul. Full of energy and power. Your "ki" is unable to flow when the liver is not functioning properly. Cleansing the liver involves amplifying these processes to work properly. Also assists with bile production; assists with the gallbladder. Bile in the gallbladder can condense and become "stones." If the bile isn't expelled, you can get congestion in the liver. -Some more basic terms you should know...15:05 Fatty liver: cells in the liver are saturated with fat. Intrahepatic bile ducts are full of bile but have a high concentration of cholesterol in them. The cholesterol in the liver accumulates, and you end up with excess. During a flush, the liver is encouraged to increase its excretory function to eliminate excess bile, and allow gallbladder to evacuate the bile. If you know what you're doing, you can regularly go to a liver clinic and maintain the health of your liver. Exercise can elevate liver enzymes to a certain extent, but high levels indicate more than just exercise is the problem. -The actual results of my lab test, post liver cleanse...19:21 In addition to elevated to elevated enzymes: Hormones were pretty good: free testosterone = 78. Total testosterone = 880. Sex hormone binding globulin = 84 (lower is better) GGT (gamma glutamyl transferase) is a good proxy for gallbladder health. My alinine aminotransferase dropped from 83 to 33. My aspartate aminotransferase dropped from 172 to 37. GGT was 15. Extremely low risk. Free testosterone jumped from 78 to 115; Total testosterone went from 880 to 1154. -What I ate for breakfast, lunch, dinner during my liver cleanse...25:10 Kitchari recipe for 3-4 servings: Ingredients: ½ cup split yellow mung beans 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1-inch stick of kombu (optional - I used organic, non-GMO miso instead) 4 cups homemade Kettle & Fire bone broth 2 tablespoons coconut cream Spices: 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds 1½ teaspoons fennel seeds 1½ teaspoons coriander powder 1 tablespoon ginger root freshly minced ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds ¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds Pinch of asafoetida Vegetables: 2 cups of any mixed vegetables. I used bok choy, cilantro and dinosaur kale. To serve: Fresh lime A dollop of GT's Living Foods coconut yogurt Sea salt to taste Instructions: -The night before (24 hours earlier), soak the mung beans in ample filtered water. -When you're ready to cook, drain the mung beans and rinse under running water. Place rice in a sieve and rinse till the water runs clear. Prepare vegetables by peeling and chopping them up, then set all of this aside. -Heat coconut oil over medium heat, in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add cumin, fennel, fenugreek and black mustard seeds and cook for a few minutes to release aromatics, and until the mustard seeds have popped. Add the rest of the spices and stir to combine. -Add a cup of vegetable stock, followed by mung beans, kombu or miso, coconut cream, rice and vegetables, then add the rest of the stock (or water). -Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a low heat. Simmer for about 40 minutes. Check the pot periodically as the rice swells and may stick to the bottom. Add more water if you want a soupier consistency, and simmer longer to get a thicker stew. -Serve with fresh coriander chopped and folded through, a drizzle of fresh lime juice, spoon of coconut yogurt and sea salt to taste. Had a 16 oz. glass of celery juice with each meal. Put 2 scoops of Kion Aminos in for protein. Occasionally add greens powder. Organic malic acid powder I also tested my blood glucose levels. Dropped from 90 to 50. Full on ketosis while maintaining adequate energy to workout and engage in my business. -Practices I incorporated throughout the cleanse...33:45 Every night before bed, I used Triphala for GI cleansing. Mix it with hot water and vanilla stevia to counter the horrible taste. Epsom salts. 2 tsp epsom salts, one heaping tsp of Triphala. Coffee enemas (3x throughout the cleanse) On final day, used a castor oil pack on wool pad. Resources from this episode: -7-day liver cleanse summary: No coffee, no alcohol, no meat for the entire week Celery juice with one teaspoon organic malic acid powder and 2 scoops Kion Aminos prior to each of the three meals of the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Kitchari Ayurvedic cleansing stew (full recipe below) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 2 teaspoons Epsom salts dissolved in warm water each night 1 teaspoon Lost Empire Triphala herbs in hot tea with vanilla stevia each night Three coffee enemas spread out throughout the course of the week Two sessions spread out during the week with 1 hour of castor oil pack placed on liver area, held on with the Hyperice Venom heat/vibration belt -The WellnessFX liver blood test Ben recommends -Article: The Kion Coffee Enema: Everything You've Always Wanted To Know About Coffee Enemas (But Were Afraid To Ask). -Article: How to Detox Your Liver: A Complete Guide to Purifying the Body With Liver Flushing -Podcast: A Deep Dive Into How To Interpret The Results Of Your Blood Testing - Ben Greenfield Reveals & Walks You Through His Laboratory Results From WellnessFX. -Podcast: The Rain Barrel Effect: How a 6,000 Year Old Secret Holds the Answer to Getting Well, Losing Weight, and Feeling Alive Again. -Podcast: Radical Metabolism: How To Cleanse Your Gallbladder, Increase Your Metabolism, Burn More Fat Without Exercise & Much More! Kitchari recipe for 3-4 servings: I ngredients: ½ cup split yellow mung beans 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1-inch stick of kombu (optional - I used organic, non-GMO miso instead) 4 cups homemade Kettle & Fire bone broth 2 tablespoons coconut cream Spices: 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds 1½ teaspoons fennel seeds 1½ teaspoons coriander powder 1 tablespoon ginger root freshly minced ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds ¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds Pinch of asafoetida Vegetables: 2 cups of any mixed vegetables. I used bok choy, cilantro and dinosaur kale. To serve: Fresh lime A dollop of GT's Living Foods coconut yogurt Sea salt to taste Instructions: -The night before (24 hours earlier), soak the mung beans in ample filtered water. -When you're ready to cook, drain the mung beans and rinse under running water. Place rice in a sieve and rinse till the water runs clear. Prepare vegetables by peeling and chopping them up, then set all of this aside. -Heat coconut oil over medium heat, in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add cumin, fennel, fenugreek and black mustard seeds and cook for a few minutes to release aromatics, and until the mustard seeds have popped. Add the rest of the spices and stir to combine. -Add a cup of vegetable stock, followed by mung beans, kombu or miso, coconut cream, rice and vegetables, then add the rest of the stock (or water). -Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a low heat. Simmer for about 40 minutes. Check the pot periodically as the rice swells and may stick to the bottom. Add more water if you want a soupier consistency, and simmer longer to get a thicker stew. -Serve with fresh coriander chopped and folded through, a drizzle of fresh lime juice, spoon of coconut yogurt and sea salt to taste. Episode Sponsors: -Kion Lean Support for normal blood sugar levels and healthy energy metabolism, even after large, carb-rich meals. Get a 10% discount using discount code "benlean10". -Joovv Next-Level Light Therapy. See how Joovv can help you reach-and surpass-your health and fitness goals. Get a special bonus when you buy your Joovv light with my link. -Organifi Use code "greenfield" at checkout and get 20% off your entire order! -Vuori is built to move and sweat in, yet designed with a West Coast aesthetic that transitions effortlessly into everyday life. Use code "ben25" at checkout and save 25% off your entire purchase. Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for me about how to cleanse your liver? Leave your comments at http://bengreenfieldfitness.com/livercleanse and I will reply!
