Gallbladder Health
Gallbladder Health
Why do doctors think we were made with expendable organs you can whip out at the first or even 50th sign of trouble and not suffer any consequences? It used to be tonsils. Then appendixes. Then uteruses. These days, it's gallbladders.
FIRST, these can ALL be fixed. They are essential (although aren't you sick of that word??) But they ARE.
SECOND, your body is not a bunch of separate pieces in a skin bag!!! Your body is a remarkable machine that has been brilliantly designed to work AS A UNIT. The notion that you can cut out pieces one by one with no consequence at all is illogical on the face of it.
When I was 38, I had a period that would not quit. They'd been getting longer and longer, totally gross (women know what I'm talking about), painful, my normal bitchiness quadrupled in intensity... I was miserable. So my doctor cut out my uterus.
He did not address the fact that I was 50+ pounds overweight, did not exercise, ate junk food, lived on cortisol and coffee and didn't sleep. He went right for surgery. Ok, he was a surgeon, what did I expect?
My periods stopped and I was ecstatic. I was still fat and miserable but I did not connect those dots.
What the doc did not tell me was that when you have an organ removed, scar tissue grows in its place. Sometimes a LOT of scar tissue. Five years later, I was in emergency surgery having that scar tissue cut away from my colon which it had choked off. I could have died. And it could happen again.
Talk about unintended consequences. Today -- everyday -- I take Fibrenza, a systemic enzyme formulated to eat up that scar tissue.
I WISH I knew then what I know now: that most health issues related to organs are caused and can be cured by lifestyle choices. I understand a bursting appendix must be removed... but what if we discovered what CAUSED that to happen and fixed THAT?
My out of control periods were caused by out of control hormones. (In fact, out of control hormones are responsible for so much of what ails us! Like my being 50+ lbs overweight...) I had no clue I could have fixed the problem with lifestyle choices!!!
Gallbladder Repair
If you are open to the idea that your gallbladder might be essential to overall vibrant health and that any health issues might be reversed with lifestyle choices, let's get to it! You'll see lots of references to your liver, too -- liver & gallbladder health are inextricably connected!!!
What's a gallbladder?
Your gallbladder stores the bile that your liver produces. When you need fats digested, your gallbladder releases bile into your digestive tract. WITHOUT A GALLBLADDER, your liver leaks bile into your system pretty much 24/7. Bile is pretty corrosive stuff. You were delivered with a gallbladder so you DON'T have bile in your system 24/7.
Suggestions for Gallbladder Repair
#1 CLEAN UP YOUR DIET This first step is so important. In fact -- and I'm truly sorry to be Sergeant Sally here -- if you don't take this first step, you might as well skip the rest of the tips.
Your gallbladder was most likely born perfect =/:-) It got in trouble from environmental toxins & food.
Gallbladder trouble can happen even if you are a pretty clean eater! You might be sensitive to a food(s) you didn't know about. It could be food combinations that your system can't handle. Maybe too much food, maybe too little...
Think of your gallbladder as an early warning light. If your car's early warning light goes on, you don't just take it out, right? You look to find the REAL problem, fix that and see that light go off on its own.
With your gallbladder -- an organ intimately involved in digestion -- food is the logical starting point.
To pinpoint which foods/combos are causing the issue, you start with a 30-day elimination diet. A well-planned elimination diet works to gently detoxify your digestive tract, get your organs back to a good stable foundation, then work from there to continue healing
You have two excellent options here, let's talk about what will work best for you. (There might be other options but I have used these two with great results!)
#2 Digestive enzymes These help break down your food (all food, not just fats) so you get the nutrients out of what you are eating. If you are alive on the planet today, you have been exposed to glyphosate (the main cancer-causing ingredient in Round Up) which means you need digestive enzymes.
My husband and I take these formulated by Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez. Dr. Gonzalez was a brilliant cancer doctor. Here’s his book Enzymes and Cancer. His partner of 20+ years, Dr. Linda Isaac, carries on his work. She is my cancer doctor of choice should the need arise.
Yes, I take DIGESTIVE enzymes in addition to Fibrenza, the SYSTEMIC enzymes. Fibrenza has some of the same ingredients but in a different formulation for its different job. I take both of these enzymes everyday.
#3 CHANCA PIEDRA (formerly known as StoneBreaker) If you suffer from stones, this is the stuff! I've used it, clients have used it and all my colleagues recommend it. Worth a shot!!!
#4 BEET KVASS to thin the bile! << link goes to my recipe!! Drink 1/4 cup beet kvass everyday or add cooked & cooled beets to your diet. Both are awesome for both gallbladder and liver!
If you don't like beets, you can try this organic beet powder. I'm really not sure how it compares to fresh but I do use other powdered supplements. I'd err on the side of gallbladder health and give this a go!!!
ORGANIC RED beets only! There are GMO beets out there. I'm confident GMO beets would not be good for your health.
#5 BITTERS These are amazing for gut health. Again: it's all about digestion, priming the pump and getting your gut healthy! If you don't like bitters, you might prefer ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar -- only brands with the mother!) Take 1 Tbsp in water 1-3x a day before meals.
Both bitters & ACV get your stomach acid started so it's ready to work when you begin eating. There is a huge misconception in the world about acid reflux. Most people think -- because it's a "logical" conclusion -- that reflux is caused by too much stomach acid. In fact, the opposite it true. Read more on that here.
#6 MILK THISTLE & DANDELION ROOT These are both superfoods for your for liver!!!
Link goes to my Detox Tea -- I drink at night to get both of these herbs (plus there are other wonderful ingredients)!
If you prefer capsules? Try these.
#7 CASTOR OIL PACK << Link to my complete instructions! Castor Oil Packs are super great to do anytime at all! Helps get the bile flowing, very healing for the liver and gallbladder. You can actually do over any organ, sore body part, anywhere that needs attention.
#8 OXBILE This is usually just for people without a gallbladder but in extreme cases, can be helpful short term for those with a gallbladder. PLEASE NOTE: Oxbile can be irritating if you aren't consuming enough fat to utilize it so if you are on a low fat diet, you will need to s-l-o-w-l-y add good quality fats back in. This brand is a small tablet, 100 mg and shouldn't be irritating at this dosage. Still, proceed slowly!
#9 GO LOW FAT? If you are suffering, then a low fat diet may be helpful at first, then slowly adding GOOD CLEAN QUALITY fats back into your diet. This is where the oxbile product MIGHT come in handy!
#10 HOMEOPATHY Homeopathy is last even though it might be the only thing you need!!! Homeopathy has worked miracles in this house and we rely on it heavily. It's last because it's the least well known of "home cures". If you want to explore this, please text me, my phone is at the top of every page. I can help you get started using this amazing healing method.
This is the Banerji protocol:
Carduus Marianus, mother tincture, 2x day
Lyco 200c every other day
For pain: Belladonna 3c (you want liquid if you can get it but I can't find it, the pellets should work!) with Carduus marianus -- one dose every 10 minutes alternately to be given
Please ask any questions
I'm happy to help! If NONE of these COMPLETELY solve your gallbladder issues (because perfect health is the goal here), let's chat. Surgery is final. Before you take that step, let's spend a couple of months seeing if a natural approach can heal you and keep you WHOLE!
xoxo Sally