(Akiit.com) When it comes to wellness suggestions, the same things inevitably get discussed over and over again: heart health, weight management, muscle development, potentially even brain functioning when mental clarity is all the rage. These areas are important, but none of them encompass everything that keeps the body functioning well. In reality, a few organs operate behind the scenes 24/7 completing tasks that contribute to and detract from feelings, energy levels, immune responsiveness, and more. Yet people never discuss them when it comes to wellness. Recognizing what they are and how to support their natural functioning could make a world of difference for how many people feel on any given day.
This is not to say that information does not exist about these organs. Instead, the problem lies in society’s adoption of what they can see or feel in an immediate, tangible way. For example, abs populate many bodies in commercials and photos. People monitor their heart rates on FitBit devices. They weigh themselves on a scale to measure performance. The organs that filter and process and regulate behind the scenes wait until they fail to increasingly degree with visible symptoms to be talked about.
The Liver Function
The liver performs over 500 different tasks yet few if any people can name two or three of its contributions to daily living. It metabolizes everything a person eats, filters toxins from blood, stores vitamins and nutrients, creates proteins for blood clotting, and manages blood sugar levels in between meals. Yet when overworked, the liver becomes unable to keep up and a person feels it in unexpected symptoms: chronic fatigue, complications with weight loss, skin flare-ups and distress, brain fog or digestive complaints.
There are many reasons why the liver becomes overworked in modern society. Processed foods, alcohol consumption, medication excess, environmental toxins, even chronic stress, means that the liver has to work overtime. Yet wellness suggestions facilitate more supplements and superfoods instead of offering concrete solutions to reduce the pressure already put on such an important organ. Resources like https://barbaraoneill.com/blogs/news/how-to-take-care-of-the-liver provide practical ways for people to learn how to help their livers without imploring complicated regimes or expensive solutions.
Supporting liver function is relatively simple from a practical standpoint. Hydration, whole foods instead of processed foods, reduced alcohol consumption, proper sleep, and minimized exposure to unnecessary chemicals can all help relieve stress placed on an overworked liver. The liver is one organ that has extraordinary regenerative properties when the opportunity arises; it just needs consistent support as opposed to observed support.
The Kidneys Function
In any given day, kidneys filter about 200 quarts of blood, removing waste and excess fluids while managing mineral and electrolyte levels through blood pressure regulation and hormone regulation for red blood cell development and bone strengthening. Yet unless a person develops kidney disease, few people discuss kidneys when it comes to wellness.
Dehydration, excess sodium consumption, an abundance of protein intake, overzealous use of over-the-counter pain medications and unregulated blood pressure all stress kidney functioning over time. Thus it’s important for people to recognize how their lifestyles stress their functioning before complications occur; unlike the liver which can experience decline and bounce back through intervention and support, kidneys do not regenerate tissue. Therefore prevention is far easier than intervention.
Natural habits that protect kidney functioning involve ensuring sufficient water intake throughout the day, moderate salt consumption, consistent blood pressure levels, cautious pain medication intake and managed blood sugar level stability. These are neither complicated measures nor dramatic ones; they just make a significant difference years down the line.
The Pancreas Function
The pancreas generates digestive enzymes and maintains blood sugar levels through natural hormonal functioning. Yet it only gets brought into the equation when diabetes comes into play. Otherwise this small organ helps stabilize blood sugar by producing insulin when glucose levels rise and generating glucagon when glucose levels dip too low. Yet when this organ becomes overworked by constant increases in blood sugar levels, thanks to insulin resistance, the person becomes at risk for metabolic dysfunction.
Dietary patterns support pancreatic function, or hurt it, in significant ways. Constant snacking, sugary foods, refined carbohydrates, anything that prompts bodywide systems to go on high alert requires repeated bursts of insulin-driven response. In time cells become less responsive to insulin so the pancreas needs to work harder; this pattern exists until something breaks down.
Eating habits that support pancreatic functioning involve not grazing between meals (better moderation between meals allows for blood stabilization) and making sure foods chosen don’t cause drastic spikes, but instead adequate protein and fiber and time between meals, for stabilization without pancreatic assistance. Every little bit helps reduce excess work demanded from this organ.
The Spleen Function
The spleen filters blood, removes old red blood cells from circulation, stores white blood cells and platelets while also helping prevent infection response through antibody creation. Very few people think of their spleen unless it’s enlarged or ruptured; meanwhile most wellness suggestions about immune health focus on vitamin C and probiotics while totally ignoring the existence of the spleen.
Like other organs working behind the scenes, this organ is best off when the immune system isn’t overworked 24/7. Chronic inflammation patterns from environmental toxins or avoidable toxins like smoking, frequent infections from exposure or autoimmune disorders force the spleen into overdrive but none of these factors are something that people can intervene with just for the sake of their spleens. However stress management supports immune health as does sleep hygiene above all else.
Building Complete Wellness Practices
How many people are guilty of misguided wellness routines that overlook these organs? They could work out three times a week with a sound diet labeled “healthy” yet feel symptoms from chronic stress on their livers or excess pain medication on their kidneys. Someone might focus solely on heart disease and wellness opportunities but still send their kidneys into disrepair through dehydration or too much caffeine.
Taking a more holistic view means recognizing how lifestyle habits affect all operating systems, and especially those systems which do not regularly get attention. They may seem like small players but they survive on minimal resources that become distributed elsewhere in a misguided attempt at improved functioning. Instead these organs have so much potential when supported through consistent habits that anyone can adopt. When they function properly, as people feel, they operate like well-oiled cogs making others feel empowered through energy levels, recovery time, stability of cognitive clarity when they best maintain independence from day-to-day responsibilities without routine acknowledgment otherwise. Learning what they do, and how to help them, truly makes wellness integrative instead of superficial changes advised for flawed execution in the first place. By giving attention to these overlooked organs through simple, consistent lifestyle habits, people create a foundation for genuine, lasting wellness that goes far beyond what’s visible on the surface.
Staff Writer; Bobby James