*Editor’s note: Elephant Journal articles represent the personal views of the authors, and can not possibly reflect Elephant Journal as a whole. Disagree with an Op-Ed or opinion? We’re happy to share your experience here. This website is not designed to, and should not be construed to, provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion or treatment to you or any other individual, and is not intended as a substitute for medical or professional care and treatment. For serious.

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When I became friends with June I was hypnotized by her bright eyes and vibrant spirit.

June was a generation older than me and the picture of health, naturally fit and beautiful. She was a potter by hobby and a lively conversationalist. I wanted to grow up to be just like June. One of the first questions I asked was what was her secret to a healthy, cheerful life during the silver years.

Quite matter of factly, she told me that her number one trick for sustained vitality was regular gallbladder cleanses.

The gallbladder is an organ that no one talks about until something goes painfully wrong.

The gallbladder is a liver companion. It serves as a storage facility for the bile that breaks down the fat we eat. The easiest way to care for our liver is through a healthy diet. If we would like have a fresh start to improve our diet and overall health, the easiest way is to do a gallbladder/liver flush.

I didn’t even know what a gallbladder was, but I asked June for the recipe and tried it the first chance I got.

The gallbladder cleanse was a five-day hiatus from my normal eating and drinking habits, so it took a bit of discipline to pull off.

But I figured, it was only five days, so why not give it my all and stick to a diet where I actually enjoyed a lot of freedom to eat many of my favorite foods—like veggies, grains, fruits and nuts—while still supporting my liver/gallbladder health.

The staple of the diet is apples, as they are an antioxidant and good for the liver. They contain pectin which binds with heavy metals (especially in the colon) and helps with excretion. This was a piece of cake for me because apples have always been my favorite food. I imagine this would be a stretch for someone who is not fond of apples.

The liver serves as a filter that removes toxins before they enter the bloodstream. A congested or sluggish liver causes a backup of toxins in our body.

Once the liver and gallbladder are clean, our body naturally craves healthy whole foods. Junk food does not even sound or taste good anymore. I know this seems astounding—I only believe it because I experienced it.

Honestly, for weeks after doing a gallbladder/liver flush I felt like I had a brand new body. My mind was clear, I was no longer a slave to sugar cravings, I had ample energy for biking/walk commuting and yoga, I slept soundly with no strange dreams and even my emotions were more balanced.

Most amazing were the effects on my diet. I craved the healthy foods my body needed. When was hungry, my body told me what I needed to eat and everything, even super plain foods, tasted like the most delicious thing I’d ever eaten.

The positive effects of a gallbladder cleanse may not be instant but holy wow, I’ve never felt better. And I’m a pretty healthy person. How do we know if our liver/gallbladder needs cleansing?

Common symptoms of a liver that needs cleansing.

1.~Abdominal bloating.

2.~Excessive abdominal fat—spare tire or pot belly.

3.~Hard time digesting fatty foods.

4.~Heartburn.

5.~Difficulty losing weight, even with calorie reduction.

The easiest way to alleviate these symptoms is to cleanse the gallbladder/liver.

The gallbladder cleanse recipe:

The gallbladder/liver flush is five days long—I started on a Wednesday, in order to finish on Sunday and be fresh to start a new week.

Cut out alcoholic beverages for the entirety of the cleanse.

On Wednesday and Thursday stop eating any meat (vegan diet), reduce the fat in your diet (vegetable fats only) eat two to three apples and drink one to two liters of apple juice per day.

For me the first two days are the hardest because I must be careful not to get overly hungry or I’ll feel cranky. It is challenging to eat enough calories with a purely vegan diet.

On Friday eat no fat. Reduce your fat intake to zero. Eat lots of apples and apple juice.

Saturday morning have a big breakfast of miso soup, rice and veggies. (No fat.)

Saturday 2 p.m. stop eating all food. Don’t eat anything and drink lots of water.

I experienced some intense abdominal discomfort because my bowels were so empty. I simply remained present with the pain and breathed into it until it passed, about 20 minutes later.

Saturday 8 p.m. have one cup of apple juice with 1 T. Epsom salts. Follow with a cup of water.

Saturday 10 p.m. same as 8 p.m.

Midnight be ready for bed and drink this olive oil and lemon cocktail: ³⁄₄  cup olive oil and ³⁄₄ cup lemon juice. Brush teeth and lie down immediately on your right side.

Why the right side?

The liver/gallbladder is on located on the right side and flushes on the right side.

Sunday 7 a.m. Drink 2 T. Epsom salts in 1 c. apple juice.

Go back to bed.

10 a.m. Same concoction as 7 a.m. if you feel okay. (Drink 2 T. Epsom salts in 1 c. apple juice if you feel okay. )

Eat only after 2-3 bowel movements and when you are naturally hungry.

I had several big poops on Sunday but returned to normal bowel movements in a few days.

On the last day it is smart to put aside plenty of time for rest. It’s exhausting eating reduced calories for five days in a row.

But wow, the following day, I bounced energetically out of bed, ready to face the day’s challenges. I felt so renewed, I wanted to tell everyone I knew. This was weeks ago and I’m still feeling at the top of my game.

Enjoy.

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Relephant:

7 Reasons to Try This Position in Bed.

How Doing a Detox Saved my Life.

Dandelion Flower Patties. {Recipe}

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Author: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Image: Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons