Fertility and pregnancy: Pamper your liver!
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Struggling to conceive? What if the problem is your liver? An organ often damaged by excess, a lifestyle subject to stress and bad habits, the liver nevertheless plays a key role in fertility. It is the guarantor of your hormonal balance and is the body's ultimate filter.
Marie-Liesse Goutte, from the @phytofemme account on Instagram, a phyto-aromatherapy consultant specializing in fertility restoration, explains why it is important to take care of it and practice Detox.
1. Many couples have difficulty conceiving today; in France, 1 in 4 couples are affected by infertility problems. Marie-Liesse, can the liver block conception?
"The liver itself will not block conception, but since its work allows for good overall hormonal management, its importance is clear. It is the body's waste management station, so the less it works, the more waste accumulates. For example, estrogens are not recycled as well as they should be. But that's not all; the liver also works on the entire dynamic of the small pelvis... If it is congested, there will be stasis (lack of circulation). This will create congestion, a lack of vascularization that lays the groundwork for inflammation!"
2. In an IVF journey, where hormones can quickly burden the body, should we be even more attentive to the care of our liver?
"Absolutely! During these journeys, we can pamper it by paying attention to our diet! Avoid inflammatory foods, favor cruciferous vegetables or bitter salads. A hot water bottle on the liver is also very pleasant. But between two protocols, it is really interesting to do what is improperly called: a detox. The liver does not need to be detoxified (that's its job). On the other hand, we will help it cleanse itself better with cholagogue and choleretic plants! We will also benefit from using plants called hepatoprotective, meaning they will protect the liver for future challenges!"
3. How to avoid an accumulation of waste in our body?
"By regularly taking certain plants that support the liver, by having an adapted diet that will prevent it from becoming saturated. We can take advantage of each change of season to pamper it more particularly."
4. In naturopathy, we focus on taking care of the liver through dietary adjustments, but also through gentle detox processes. With the new season settling in, do you have any advice for readers on how to take care of their liver daily?
"Here, we are lucky to have birch trees, so every year I do a 3-week birch sap cure to reboost my body after winter! Each of us can adapt the plants to our needs...
There are also daily habits such as lemon juice, a hot water bottle in the evening, a balanced diet, and sufficient hydration. In addition to this, there is the consumption of daily herbal teas. I usually rotate several herbal teas, all of which have a supportive action: rosemary, yarrow, nettle (more general support). I also really like milk thistle, but the infusion is not very pleasant... You could take it as a tincture or in capsules, for example. There are a multitude of interesting plants! Moreover, many plants that arrive in spring are liver-friendly, such as dandelion!
5. What are the best times to start a detox?
"The first green light is our energy: if we're exhausted, we need to get back in shape first. Then check for signs of congestion from our liver: migraines, digestive difficulties, altered transit, white tongue, etc...
Our ancestors, who observed animal behavior much more, "purged" themselves twice a year, in autumn and spring... This is a good option, but we never do it in parallel with treatments (at the risk of altering how the body should assimilate them). On the other hand, we can do a detox before or after a treatment, before trying for a baby (and certainly not afterwards, as there is no "detox" during pregnancy and breastfeeding!)."
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