If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t given your liver much thought. Well, that’s about to all change (or at least we hope). 

You see, your liver is an AH-MAZING organ and unsung hero of your body. In fact, it does more than 400 jobs! Yep, you read that right…more than 400!! These jobs can be split into two main categories, 1.) breaking down and expelling excess hormones and toxins and 2.) converting food and fluid into the nutrients and enzymes we need to survive. 

As you can imagine, the liver can get tired. I mean seriously, can you imagine having that many jobs? Oh wait, you’re a woman so you probably can (#truthbomb).

The problem is as the liver gets tired and congested it stops performing it’s crucial jobs as well as it once did. This can lead to a number of health problems, not the least of which is hormone imbalance and infertility. 

Symptoms of a Tired Liver

Our liver is constantly having to clear excess hormones and toxins from the fluids we drink, the food we eat, and the environment we live in. As the air, water, food, and cosmetic products become more and more toxic our livers have to work harder and harder to keep up. 

As a result, our liver cannot keep up with the demand and our systems become overloaded with toxins and excess hormones; digestive issues increase; and nutrient absorption decreases. This can lead to constipation, hormone imbalance, and nutrient depletion. OH MY!

Bottom line…this all spells trouble for GETTING & STAYING PREGNANT!

Here is a list of symptoms you may see as a result of a tired, congested liver:

• Constipation
• Nausea after meals
• Acne
• Sensitive skin (easily irritated skin)
• Liver spots (go figure, liver spots are caused by the liver 😝)
• Unexplained fatigue
• Frequent headaches
• Body aches
• Mood swings 
• Anger/irritability
• Inability to balance hormones

Supporting Your Liver

If you feel like you might have a tired liver, the good news is it can be fixed. Another amazing quality of the liver is its ability to heal and regenerate itself. So by providing your liver with the extra support it needs, you can get it back to healthy and happy. And in turn, can do some real good for your hormone balance and fertility as well as your overall health. Winner, winner chickpea dinner! 

So, what’s the single most important thing you can do to help your liver? 

Are you ready? It’s super simple….

…Start your day (everyday!) with a glass of warm water and lemon. 

Yep, it really is that simple!

Lemon is an amazing liver supporter, contains loads of vitamin c, and is a major detoxifier. The warm water boosts hydration and improves circulation to the abdominal area. As a bonus, this will also get things moving first thing in the morning (yep, we’re seriously talking about poop AGAIN. 😂) 

Some other foods that help support your incredible liver:

• Cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage, etc.)
• Berries 
• Beets
• Garlic
• Avocado
• Apples
• Plenty of filtered water

Other Suggestions

Foods to Avoid

Changing your diet is the #1 thing you can do to support liver health. Starting your day with warm water with lemon is step one, but adding in liver-friendly foods is super helpful too. You can also eliminate foods that are contributing to your sluggish liver.

Liver killing foods include:

1. Alcohol
2. Refined carbohydrates (think white bread, white pasta, white rice)
3. Refined sugars (candy, soda, fruit juices, white sugar, anything with high fructose corn syrup in it)
4. Fried foods (chips, french fries, fried chicken…you get the idea.)

Add Movement

Good circulation and ample oxygen are both important for liver health. How can you achieve both, you ask?? Through movement of course! As a bonus, you rid toxins from your body through sweat. So, the more you sweat the more you’re helping your liver do its job.

You don’t have to go crazy here, but adding regular exercise and movement in your life can go a long way for your liver health as well as your heart, mental, and reproductive health. So basically, get your a$$ moving!! (said with all the love in the world)

A few ideas for adding movement into your life:

• Try a yoga class
• Go for a walk
• Go biking
• Mow the lawn (with a push mower)
• Get your swim on
• Dance it out

Stress Management

You are probably completely sick of hearing how stress is bad for baby making. We get it! I mean, how the heck are you supposed to not stress when you desperately want a baby but can’t get and stay pregnant??? Seriously, stress is just gonna be part of your life (sorry, it’s true). 

So NO WAY are we going to tell you not to stress. However, you can learn to better manage your stress so it doesn’t have as big of an impact. 

If you’ve followed us for any length of time then you already know that stress is bad for hormone balance and fertility, but it’s also bad for liver health. So, we challenge you to try out some stress management techniques to help you cope a little better (and probably feel a little better too). 

A few things to try:

• Meditation – Nope, it’s not just for monks. Just a few minutes of meditation can pay dividends for your stress management, hormone health, and overall health)
• Yoga – You get bonus points for this one because it counts as physical activity too!
• Journaling – Get that sh$t out of your head and down on paper and we bet your feel better and sleep better too. 
• Coloring – It’s not just for kids anymore. Grab an adult (or heck, a kids) coloring book and color your stress away.
• Arts & crafts – Are you starting to feel like your going back to kindergarten? 😂Seriously though, arts & crafts such as knitting, scrapbooking, drawing, painting, etc. can significantly reduce stress and cortisol levels. 

Herbs & Supplements

If you know us at all then you know we are NOT big on supplements. That being said, there are a few that are worth mentioning when it comes to liver health. 

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that supports the liver and helps the immune system. You should get ample vitamin C from your diet (especially if you’re having your water and lemon every morning. wink, wink). However, if you feel you’re not getting enough you can supplement. Make sure you keep it at 1000 mg or less per day though if you’re trying to get pregnant). 

Milk Thistle is an AH-MAZING herb that has been clinically shown to help regenerate liver cells. It’s also known to help stimulate bile production and balance hormones. We recommend using it in tea form. CLICK HERE for our favorite milk thistle tea. 

Goji Berries are a high antioxidant fruit. Not only are they delicious but they support the liver and help balance hormones as well. If you’re not sure what to do with these berries you can just toss them on your favorite salad or add them to your trail mix for a little sweet, nutritious treat. Find our favs by CLICKING HERE.

Bottom Line

If you are on a quest to get and stay pregnant then balancing your hormones is crucial. Taking care of your liver is the best first step toward that goal. Without a healthy liver, healthy hormones are just not possible. 

Start slow and don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. If you do nothing else, add the glass of warm lemon water to your morning routine. It sounds simple, but we bet you’ll see really big results in how you feel. Once you conquer this you can move on to some of the other suggestions. 

Make sure to hit us up in the comments and let us know what changes you notice after starting your lemon water. We love to hear from you!