"I love you with all of my liver!"

In honor of Heart Health Month, I want to talk about this funny nutrition joke because the liver is an important part of our blood circulation and about 499 more functions in the human body!

The heart IS the main focus of the circulatory system, as it is the pump that delivers blood throughout our body. The heart is necessary for our survival, as it keeps all of our organs, muscles, and skin oxygenated, ensuring they receive the nutrients they need.

On the other hand, the liver is extremely important in the circulator system and the body as a whole. The liver has MANY, MANY different functions, in fact, over 500 different functions in the body! The liver metabolizes everything eaten like proteins, carbohydrates, fats, even creates and secretes enzymes and bile needed to break down and absorb these key nutrients. It also stores and packages up all vitamins, minerals, and glycogen, which is our bodies' stored energy. It even has a hand in our blood clotting.

The liver is the first organ that detoxifies and purifies the blood.  So when you have drink alcohol and feel the buzz, thank the liver for helping you with that 🙂

Fun fact: did you know that alcohol is a poison and our livers will process it before food? It's more important for the body to process and rid the body of toxins than it is to do its normal functions.

Since the liver does so many functions for the body, it's important to take care of it however we can. Some simple ideas that can help keep your liver (and your heart) healthy are:

• Participating in things like "Dry January" where you don't drink alcohol for the month
• Limit your poisons whenever possible.  Poisons would be things that we are not meant to eat like pesticides, preservatives, antibiotics, or added hormones
• Eats lots of fiber-rich foods which slows down the absorption which makes it easier on the liver
• Eat high nutrient-dense foods so that the liver has all the vitamins it needs to function properly. (This is one of the reasons why I eat Juice Plus daily)
• Limit high-sugar foods whenever possible
• Have fun with new foods as often as you can

Happy healthy heart and liver month!

~Nikki