The Connection Between Liver-Gallbladder And Hormones

David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS

Thanks so much, Dr. Stills. Great to be on with you here.

Sharon Stills, ND

Yes. I guess first question is just how did you become Dr. Jockers, what is your journey? How did you get into natural health and healing and become so passionate about it?

David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS

Well, growing up, my mom actually was studying to become a naturopath. She was a nurse first, then she studied to become a massage therapist, a midwife, and eventually a naturopath. She was experimenting with her kids, of course, with all different types of diets. In the 90s, the macrobiotic diet was a popular one, she had us on that and it was like lima beans and kale and things like that. And I rebelled; all of us, all my brothers and sisters, rebelled against it. But my mom really linked my appearance and my performance to the food that I ate. I was an athlete growing up, and she said, You need to eat this kale because it is going to help you have more energy. And she would say things like, My older brother had a lot of acne; she said that is because he is eating too much sugar, and I started realizing, Okay, sugar, he is eating these processed chocolate bars; Oh, I do not want acne, so I am not going to eat so much of those, or maybe I will avoid them, and I will eat more of this kale because I want to be better as an athlete, and it was just kind of built into my upbringing.

Then I actually became a personal trainer in my early 20s. I was really into fitness, and I developed irritable bowel syndrome. I was eating like six meals a day, 5000 calories, to try to bulk up and have the look that I wanted, and I have always been a thinner individual, so I thought I needed to do that, and that put just so much stress on my gut that I developed irritable bowel and had tremendous cramping, bloating, and pain in my gut. I ended up losing 20 lbs over about a six-month period of time that I was really dealing with that, and that was when I discovered more nutrition changes. I thought I was living a healthy lifestyle; I was eating better than most of the people that I knew, but I realized, Wow, I am eating too much, and I am eating all of these chemicals and chemical-laden processed foods and things like that, and I started making diet changes. I took out grains and went on a lower carbohydrate style diet, more like a real food diet. Then I also noticed that I had natural satiety. And I had started graduate school, and I had seven AM classes, and I was not hungry in the morning, and I realized if I just hydrate well, I am not hungry until probably two o’clock in the afternoon. I had never heard the term intermittent fasting, but this is what I was doing. I ended up getting the weight back, having better energy and mental clarity than I had ever had, and I went to the top of my class in graduate school.

In graduate school, I went to that because I ran into some chiropractors at the gym that I was a personal trainer at, and they said, You would be really interested; you should look into this. It made a lot of sense, and that is when I started going. I made plans to go into chiropractic school, and I was able to overcome my own health issues, go to the top of my class, and fell in love with learning anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. I later opened a clinic, but my passion has really been creating content and education, and so I started doing this early, pretty early, I guess. You could say probably 2008 or 2009, and it took on a life of its own. At this point, I sold my clinic years ago, and I am just really focusing on creating the world’s best natural health content to help people overcome every kind of health condition and empower people to take back control of their health.

Sharon Stills, ND

I love that. And you are doing an amazing job. I have patients who come and they are finding all sorts of stuff on the web, and it is nice when they say like, I saw this on Dr. Jocker’s site, and I can go, Good, okay. I know you have good information that we can trust, and we do not have to go around what you just read. And I was laughing when you were talking about your mom because I was that mom to my kids, making them try everything and go through everything. I am sure some of you listening have done the same to your kids. There is always that rebellion stage, and then you kind of are grateful you had that upbringing come back around. Thanks for sharing that with us.

Let us just jump in the liver and the gallbladder. I think we talk a lot about the liver, and I wanted to include the gallbladder because I feel like it is one of those organs that is so important and does not get enough airtime. I guess just for starters, what do you see as the major roles? Why is the liver so important? Why is the gallbladder so important? And how does that tie back to women’s health?

David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS

For sure. Well, the liver—I think most people know it as a major organ system that deactivates toxins. And one of the common fallacies is that a lot of people think we store toxins in our liver; we do not; we store toxins in our fat cells. The liver is what deactivates toxins and takes it from a form that is potentially dangerous for our body. And eventually, the goal is to turn into a form that we can excrete through the lower-weight molecules that will release typically through our sweat, respiration, or through urination. Whereas larger molecules we are going to put into our bile and release through our bile, and I will come back to the point of bile, but that is really one of the main things that the liver does. But it really works a lot with blood sugar stability; it releases sugar at times when we need more sugar, and it creates ketones, which are these water-soluble molecules from fat that can cross the blood-brain barrier because we can actually burn fatty acids for fuel in our brains. In times of famine, like if we are fasting, if we do not have enough food, the liver will create ketones, which can cross the blood-brain barrier and fuel the brain. It also helps to activate certain hormones, like thyroid hormone, takes the inactive form and helps form it into the active form of thyroid hormone.

So many different things produce a lot of different proteins that help run and regulate our body. So many different functions, critically vital organ. And for having dysfunction in our liver it is going to affect all different systems of our body, and it is one of the major factors we see in our society today. It is something that, as naturopaths, when we are dealing with people with autoimmune conditions, chronic inflammatory conditions, or neurodegenerative conditions, we always have to look at the liver because if the liver is not doing its job well, then all the systems of the body are going to start to break down. The liver is supercritical.

Coming back to this idea of bile, which is really the connection between the liver and the gallbladder, because the gallbladder is really a storage, it is like a pouch of the liver; it is almost like the same organ in a sense. But the liver is what actually produces bile. The liver cells are parasites that are creating the bile. The gallbladder is storing the bile. For most people, when we think about bile, the main function of bile, though it has multiple, is to emulsify fat. When we consume food, let’s say we consume an avocado. There is a lot of fat in there; we have got to emulsify it, meaning break it into smaller components and kind of surround it with. In a sense, bile is kind of like soap; if we are trying to get grease off a pan, we got to use the soap to get in there right and start to break it down to get around all of those little grease particles to get it off. It is kind of the same thing with bile, which is basically like a soap in our system that helps to emulsify the fats and break it into smaller components that we can then absorb and utilize for energy. And it is also obviously critical for fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, vitamin E, and K; all those are fat-soluble nutrients. We need good bile flow in order to break down the fats and absorb these critical fat-soluble nutrients. But on top of that bile, which again is produced by the liver and secreted by the liver on a continual basis, it is continually being secreted, but in small amounts.

Then the gallbladder is where we store it, so when we take in the large bolus of fat from our diet, it is releasing it, is triggering the release of that bile into the small intestine. And the dynamics there are important. Because normally, when we eat food, we produce stomach acid, in our stomach we want it to be very acidic when we are eating meals. At rest, the pH of our stomach is roughly three to three point five which is very acidic. If you remember back to chemistry class, neutral pH is seven, and then anything below that is acidic; anything above seven is alkaline. And the stomach and the environment is always acidic. But in order to break down particularly hard proteins, let us say a steak, we really need to produce a lot of stomach acid; we need to get that down a roughly around one point five to two point two in that range, which is very energy-demanding. It takes energy, and this is why we should be in a relaxed state.

As a helpful strategy, we want to be in a relaxed state in order to eat because we need to really be able to produce. We need to put our energy and divert our energy into the production of these digestive juices. The stomach acid gets in there, helps to break down the proteins, and helps to absorb certain nutrients, and then the partially digested food from the stomach moves into the small intestine. That partially digested food we call a bolus. The bolus, as it starts to move into the small intestine, it hits certain receptors in the small intestine that trigger the release of bile from the gallbladder. Now the bile comes out, and the bile are very alkalizing. We have this acidic bolus; the stomach needs to be acidic and the small intestine needs to be alkaline, so the bile comes out to help alkalize the environment and to help emulsify the fats. Bile also has a very important role in blood sugar stabilization, believe it or not. It helps stabilize blood sugar as well. 

And when it gets in there, that is important because there are certain bacteria, for example, that we might have in our mouth or that we get from the food that we are consuming that they die in the acid. The acid kills off a lot of them, but some of them actually love acid, but they do not like an alkaline environment. The ones that love acid survived, but they get into the small intestine, and now the bile helps reduce those. And that is important because we really want the majority of the bacteria that are in our microbiome, that are in our intestines, which are very important, to be mostly in the large intestine, it is the distal part of our intestines, or in a sense, you get the small intestine first, then later in the in large intestine. But if we do not produce enough stomach acid or enough bile, then we end up not being able to sterilize the food properly, and that can lead to an overgrowth of bacteria and other microbes in the small intestine, which basically could start to ferment food earlier than they than it should be which can cause toxic byproducts, cause nutrient malabsorption issues, a lot of bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, and all the different components that go along with dysbiosis and digestive health disorders.

One of the conditions that we call that is associated with that is called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO; there is also another one called small intestinal fungal overgrowth. We should not have an overgrowth of these microbes in the small intestine. And being able to produce and release enough bile plays a big role with keeping that small intestine really healthy and, obviously, being able to absorb the key nutrients that we need. Supercritical, liver and gallbladder, are very important. And we are also releasing in that bile, we are also releasing a lot of the larger toxins that we are trying to get rid of again, small, lightweight toxins that are deactivated by the liver. We are usually releasing through respiration, perspiration, or urination. And then the larger molecules that are maybe more fat-soluble we are releasing those through the bile and into the feces. And bile is what gives your stool the brown color; we are releasing that, bile is coming out, and toxins are being released through that.

Sharon Stills, ND

I loved that they tied it together with the stomach acid, because that is a soap box. I always stand upon so many issues that you are experiencing, like you were saying, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea, if you just get the bile flowing in the acid. We are always about being alkaline, which is important, but we also need to be acidic in the right places. And the stomach acidity, which I find in practice, is almost always diminished, and it used to be over 30 or 40, but now I see it younger and younger and younger, because we just are not producing stomach acid like we need to be, which is super severe.

David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS

Yes. If we do not produce enough acid from the stomach, then we are not going to get the right bile release, and we are also not going to get the right bicarbonate and digestive enzyme release from the pancreas. Because the bicarbonate and the bile work together to bring the pH up to help alkalize that small intestinal environment, but it is almost like a Slinky; you have to prime the Slinky; you have to push it down real good in order for it to propel itself if you are trying to get it up to the next step; if you only slightly prime it, it is not going to have enough strength to move up. Well, it is kind of the same thing; if we do not produce enough acid, we are not going to get the bile and the pancreatic enzyme release to really be able to digest our food effectively.

Sharon Stills, ND

Exactly. You have to have the acidity to get the alkalinity. It is like the Slinky; I like that; I remember the Slinky. For the women listening, is there anything else you would like to add in, like how they would know that their liver or their bile production is low or congested and what signs and symptoms they can look for to say, Aha, that is me?

David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS

For sure. Well, you mentioned a few of them; nausea would be one. If your stools are floating and you are noticing light-colored or pale-colored stools that are floating, that can become an issue. If you are noticing pain in your upper right quadrant of your abdomen, that is kind of in that liver and gallbladder area. And a referral point would be between your shoulder blades or right under your right shoulder blade; those are common referral points. Those regions, even the IT band syndrome, which is your Iliotibial band, even that area has been shown to be a referral points. Not always; sometimes it can be a sports injury or something like that, but oftentimes there are issues with the liver and gallbladder that are related to those IT bands. Even the kind of web in between your thumb and your first finger that also can be a referral point. If you are noticing, if you kind of massage in there right there, the web in between your thumb and your first finger noticing, Just wow, that is really painful. That right there can be a sign that potentially you have an issue there. And then there are other symptoms you might notice, like a yellowing of your skin that would be associated with bile that is not being metabolized properly; we call that condition jaundice. Some people notice yellowing in their eyes; that can be an issue. A lot of skin issues, like acne, rosacea, and eczema, can be associated with liver and gallbladder issues; that is another one. Constipation, diarrhea, bloating—all the different digestive issues, we definitely want to look at the liver and gallbladder. Usually, there is a component of that; if it is not the main driver of it, it is still being affected and needs some support. Those are probably the most common things that you will see.

Sharon Stills, ND

Yes, it pretty much scans the whole arena of things that you go to see your doctor for, and you were reminding me of that. I remember when I was in naturopathic medical school many years ago, and they said, Whenever anyone comes in, they just fix the liver, and 80 to 90% of the time you are going to fix their problem, and it has held true after all these years. We can look for signs and symptoms, but what about lab testing? What should the listeners do? Because a lot of people go to the doctor and they just get a comprehensive metabolic panel and they are told their liver enzymes are fine, and they think their liver is fine. What else could they be jotting down to ask their doctor so they can know better what is going on with their liver?

David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS

Yes. Any time that you get lab work done, always make sure that they are testing your liver enzymes. And the key liver enzymes—there are four key ones that you want to get tested; a lot of times they only test two of them, two or three of them; one of them is AST; the other is ALT; the two other are alkaline phosphatase, or ALP; sometimes it can be kind of shortened to alkaline phosphatase; and then GGT. Alright, those are the key four: AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, and GGT. And normally, for AST, ALT, and GGT, you want the range to be roughly between ten and 25, somewhere in that range. If it is under ten, or if you see all of them under ten, then that is an indication oftentimes of B6 deficiency. Because you need B6 to produce these liver enzymes. In some cases, you might be protein deficient; for some people, celiac disease is not breaking down protein; that can be a player there. But in GGT, sometimes there are magnesium issues. But most of the time, especially for liver issues, you are going to notice higher liver enzymes up over 25, and that is a sign that there is stress on the liver. And then you can look at different patterns. If ALT, here is a case study, for example, let us say your AST is 22, it is within range, and then ALT is 35, it is way higher than range, okay, not high enough to where they are going to say, Oh, your fatty liver, you have a hepatitis kind of issue, and they will just be like, We should watch that. When ALT is much higher than AST, it is a sign that there is pretty significant inflammation and it is affecting the liver. If ALT is within range but AST is high, if you are seeing both of them high, typically it is associated with liver issues. If you are seeing just AST and not ALT, then usually it is a sign of inflammation, oftentimes in the heart, but sometimes muscles and kidneys could be another area of the body. Alright. And then GGT really plays a role. GGT is higher than ALT and AST, and it is oftentimes telling us that there is an issue going on in the biliary tree. What that means is that you have your bile ducts, you have in a sense, kind of like a tubing system within your liver and your gallbladder that helps drive the bile around, and your bile ducts can get congested. And when the bile is not moving well when it is really sluggish, that can congest the bile ducts. They can also become scarred and inflamed as well, almost like plaquing in the arteries, they can get plaquing in the bile ducts. And then you can also have stones where there is an actual stone formation with the gallbladder, or, I am sorry, with the bile; we call those gallstones. And all of those can cause a lot of issues in that biliary tree. And typically, what we will see is ALT behind GGT or be a little high with that. And also, alkaline phosphatase is oftentimes high when we are seeing stones. The alkaline phosphatase, if that is low, is oftentimes related to zinc, not producing enough zinc or not getting enough zinc, and then if it is high again, that is oftentimes associated with issues going on with bile flow, the biliary tree, the gallbladder, or that region. That is kind of what we are looking at with those. You can have liver issues and have all your liver enzymes normal; that is also possible, but if you are looking at those liver enzymes, you can also see certain patterns just by looking at those four key enzymes.

If you did not get that, just rewind because I just went through it, but I know there is a lot of information there. But those are things that you can look at. There are other tests too; you can look at a stool analysis, for example. There is stool analysis; you can look at your steatocrit, for example. A GI map stool analysis steatocrit is a marker that you might look at; that is kind of how well you are breaking down fat. If it is up over 15%, that is a sign you are not metabolizing fat well, so you are probably not producing enough bile, or you might just be overeating fat in some cases; it is overwhelming your system. You’ve got to look at that. And then there is also a marker, β-glucuronidase which is an enzyme that is produced by gut bacteria. And β-glucuronidase basically it breaks the attachment between glucuronic acid and different toxins. And one of the ways that we get rid of toxins again is we are binding them, kind of putting them in the bile. β-glucuronidase, when that enzyme is high, it is breaking the attachment and allowing the toxins to get back into circulation. It is particularly associated with reducing our ability to metabolize estrogens, and I know that is a big function; we are talking about menopause. It can contribute to estrogen dominance because we are not breaking down and eliminating the estrogen effectively. That is a good one to look at.

And then, going back to bloodwork, another one I forgot is that I always look at is albumin. Albumin is a carrier protein; it carries thyroid hormone, it carries a lot of different hormones, different sex hormones, electrolytes, and different things like that around the body. And we really need albumin, and it should be between four and five. If it is under four, it is produced by the liver; if it is under four, that is a problem, and that is a sign that the liver is not producing that protein effectively, and that can cause a lot of issues. It can cause more swelling in the system, edema, for example, which is another sign and symptom of possible liver issues oftentimes associated with albumin dysregulation. That is another marker that you can look at that is going to be on your CPM. All good markers to look at there.

Sharon Stills, ND

Yes. Excellent. And GGT, you probably have to push your doctor for it. Because in medical school we are taught that you only need to check that to see if someone is an alcoholic, and it can be high, like Dr. Jockers was saying, and it can be a sign of free radical activity, you may have to push your doctor for that one. And to be aware of all of these levels, like he was saying, we do not want them to be elevated with inflammation, but low levels also can then clue us into nutritional deficiencies. And low albumin is something I see chronically with a lot of the patients I deal with who have cancer; that is something. And also, I just want to throw in that globulin is a good one; I see it all the time. If it is too low or it is too high, it is a sign of hydrochloric acid deficiency often. And like he was saying, you want to do it all; you want to get your blood looked at; you want to get your stool looked at because your liver enzymes can look good in your blood; and then in your stool, I will often see that you are deficient in bile acids and you are not digesting your fats. And we just gave you a really good, you can look at signs and symptoms, you can look at bloodwork, you have to do extra testing, there are lots of ways to know. And this is so crucial for how your body is functioning and how your hormones are being processed, whether you are perimenopausal or menopausal. I know the question on everyone’s mind now is like, What do I do to cleanse? We have all heard of liver cleanses and drink some olive oil; what are your thoughts on strategies that can be shared with people who are listening? What kind of guidance can you give them?

David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS

Yes, for sure. Obviously, one big thing would be a diet change. Things that really stress the liver are going to be processed foods, and anything processed, obviously high-glycemic-index processed foods, is definitely going to cause problems. Chips, crackers, and things like that; processed seed oils; your corn oil; soybean, safflower, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, and canola oil—all of those things are really damaging to the liver. High fructose corn syrup or things that are very high in fructose can be a major issue—corn, starches, things like that—and then you obviously want to avoid those. And in general, your nutrition habits should focus on I want to get the maximum nutrients and the minimal amount of toxins when I am eating food. As much as possible, try to go organic because organic foods are going to have more nutrients and less toxins. When we are not eating organic foods, we are going to get a higher toxic load that puts more work and more stress on the liver, and obviously, we want to reduce that stress. Trying to go as organic as possible is key with animal products: grass-fed, organic pasture-raised, that is super important. And then, when it comes to foods, we want to make sure that we are including a lot of bitter types of foods. We say bitter is good for your liver. What are these kinds of bitter foods that are very good for helping stimulate the liver? They help stimulate bile flow, and they help thin the bile. Because that is an issue with bile is when it gets really thick and sluggish. We actually want bile to be thinner so it flows more effectively. Bitter foods: we are thinking about things like radishes, artichokes, cilantro, parsley, and ginger. Ginger is fantastic, and these things that kind of have a natural bitterness those are really helpful. Also kind of an astringent flavor as well, you are going to find berries, for example, cranberries, that are astringent. And that astringency is something called ellagic acid, which is really good for the liver. And also really good for the intestinal cells as well; it helps stimulate intestinal cell and liver cell mitophagy, where the actual liver cells and the intestinal cells break down old damaged mitochondria and create new healthy mitochondria that are more stress-resilient. Again, things like cranberries, muscadine grapes, and pomegranates are all really good there. What else am I missing? Arugula is a great bitter herb, lower in oxalate, and has a lot of these compounds that are very supportive of the liver. Those are all really helpful.

There are different supplements. Supplementation can be like things like bile salts, for example, taurine, and choline. A lot of times, if you find a bile flow support type supplement it will have things like choline and dandelion. I did not even mention that with the bitter herbs, that is really good—dandelion, maybe it might have artichoke in it—you will find some kind of exotic herbs like glucose, sterols, and stuff like that sometimes that are in there. But dandelions are really common and one that will be in some of these supplements. Milk thistle, another great herb that helps regenerate hepatic or liver cells, that is really fantastic. There is also a really powerful bile salt. And really, with bile, it is cholesterol and bilirubin, which are breakdown products of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the main protein that carries oxygen in our red blood cells. But when we turn over the hemoglobin, they only have like a three-month lifespan, the red blood cells, and then they break down. We excrete that bilirubin in the bile, and it combines with cholesterol and with salts.

And with a lot of people, because they have insulin resistance or hypothyroidism, we get too much cholesterol and not enough salt, so we are adding in the bile salts to have the right ratio so it flows well. And that one powerful bile salt is something called Tudca. Tudca is pretty well researched, showing great results in thinning the bile, helps regenerate liver cells. That can be a really great supplement. And acetylcysteine, among other things, helps boost glutathione, which is a key part of phase two liver detoxification that is really super important. Those are the best strategies from a nutritional perspective. And then there are other things, like, for example, castor oil packs. Castor oil is really great at dilating the bile ducts and opening up the bile ducts. Remember how I talked about how inflammation can create plaquing or damage to those bile ducts and then also the sluggishness of the bile? That combination is really bad for obviously good bile flow. We want to thin the bile, but also we want to open those bile ducts and dilate them, and that is what the castor oil will help to do is kind of open the bile ducts. Now we thin it and we open the bile ducts and we are going to get the bile flowing well. You can just do a castor oil pack over your right upper quadrant of your abdomen region and do it at night. Put it on right before you go to bed and just kind of sleep with it. And that is a great strategy. I mean, when you put it on, the castor oil should absorb it in the first hour. If you want to just put it on for an hour while you are sitting around reading a book at night, great, you can do that. do it like that, most people find it more compliant doing it at night, or you just sleep with it on, and that is a great strategy. I am sure you have got other people probably talking about castor oil packs, just a really great strategy for helping support good bile flow. Those would be some of the top strategies top things that they could be doing.

Sharon Stills, ND

I am just sitting here thinking. If you just think about your hydrochloric acid, use castor oil packs, and take some Tudca, and like, 80% —

David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS

Get more of those bitter herbs in your diet.

Sharon Stills, ND

The arugula salad, and with some pomegranate sprinkled on top. But these really are things I see over and over again in my practice. And really, they are just simple to really get under control once you understand and can see that they are all connected. And we talk a lot about hormones for menopause—yes, bioidentical hormone replacement. I am a fan; I love it, and I do it with all my patients. But these hormones need to be put into a body that is functioning, that has bile flow, that has a liver that is not inflamed, and that has a stomach acid that is acidic. And that is why it was so important that we have this conversation today because I really want you to start thinking like, Not only is menopause a time about hormones, but it is also a time about just checking in, pausing, and seeing how your body is functioning. 

And just because you have always dealt with nausea, bowels that are not flowing or flowing too much, constipation, or bloating, these might become things, but they are not normal things. And the things that we discussed here today are not extremely expensive; they are not extremely complicated. And with the right guidance, you can really get balance in your body. And then, when you have the hormones replaced, you are just going to have an overall health that is just going to be so much more raised than if you are not addressing these things, and that is why we are going to have this conversation. Is there anything else you want to add—anything we did not talk about?

David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS

Yes. A few quick things too, as well, that I had not mentioned, but green apples, getting the kind of tart green apples, Granny Smith type apples, are really good as well. And I think probably the best benefit of fruit—we talk about different antioxidants, polyphenols can be very beneficial, but what fruit has, and vegetable, some vegetables are like this, like celery, things like that, they have a structured form of water, more of a coherent type of water that really helps drive information into cells, improves cellular dynamics, and also very good for, again, moving bile through the system. I think green apples, if you are getting super high sugar, you want to limit that. You can still eat it but just limit it and maintain good activity, just activity in general, getting a lot of movement in. Exercise is very important for liver and gallbladder health as well. And then one other great strategy is lemon water, warm lemon water, or you could do for example, a lemon dandelion tea in the morning when you get started with your day. Warm water helps stimulate the liver and helps thin the bile, and then you add in the lemon; you have got vitamin C, bioflavonoids in there, and citric acid, which all have a very beneficial effect on all of our digestive juices, including bile flow, very helpful, help stimulate the vagus nerve, helps you poop early in the day, and helps stimulate more peristalsis. Moving your bowels, you should be moving particularly between the hours of six AM and nine AM; it is a great time, it is when your colon is most active. If you do not move your bowels regularly, you should be moving your bowels at least once or twice a day at least and ideally between those hours seems to be most effective. Then, if you are not moving your bowels, you are recycling toxins, that is giving more stress on the liver. The warm lemon water can be really helpful; taking a morning walk can be helpful; and finding a comfortable position that works for you to help get your body to release and move your bowels can be super helpful as well. Definitely, those things would be great. You can find some organic herbal teas as well that are kind of marketed for the liver. A lot of times, they have got dandelion and they have got licorice root, burdock, and a bunch of these herbs that are supportive for your liver as well. Herbal teas or warm lemon water can be really helpful.

Sharon Stills, ND

Alright. Now you got your book, and you are going to start your day with warm lemon water, you are going to end it with a castor oil pack, and you are going to eat arugula in between. Again, sometimes health can be very complicated and profound, and sometimes it’s just the simple things, starting with a glass of warm water and, yes, structured water, filtered water, and organic food. We still have glyphosate, even in organic food, but it is at a lower percentage. And it is important to eat organic, it is important to eat grass-fed, and finished. It is important to think about how you are nurturing yourself and the foods that you are eating. You want to eat healthy food, and then you want to go back to what we spent time talking about. Make sure your hydrochloric acid is optimized. You are actually absorbing your food, and you are actually triggering the production of bile the production of pancreatic enzymes. It is all connected.

Thank you so much. You are like the living version of the encyclopedia of your website. For those who want to check you out, who do not know who you are, it is drjockers.com.

David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS

Correct. Yes.

Sharon Stills, ND

drjockers.com. You can see his books in the background; check those out. And check out his website; it is just a living encyclopedia of everything you want to know about your health. Thank you again for being here and for sharing and keeping it real good from A to Z on your liver and the things you can do. Test on what you can do. I think this was very, I like to have useful information, and this is very useful for those listening. Thank you.

Thank you, everyone, for being here. And like Dr. Jockers said, you are probably going to want to rewind, get your pen and paper out, and take notes because there is like a whole map in here that you can just start instituting that is going to change your health for the better. Take advantage of that, listen and write, and let me know if you have any questions. I got another interview. And I thank you, as always, for being here.