We all feel bitter at times; however, how we handle our emotions determine our well-being!

"Feelings Buried Alive, Never Die" author Karol Kahn Truman and Chinese medicine state that every organ has an emotion related to it. Liver is anger, kidney is fear, stomach is worry, and the gallbladder is bitterness. Are you a bitter person? Would you like to take that feeling and change its negative aspect on your health? Truman's book can help.

In addition, here are some suggestions for improving your gallbladder.

The Organ

The gallbladder is a small sack that serves as a reservoir for the bile secreted by the liver. It lies on the inferior surface of the liver to the right of the midline and joins the common bile duct via the cystic duct. Because fats form large globules, they must be broken down into smaller particles to increase the surface area for digestion. This is the function of bile. Fats in the chyme (partially digested food) containing lipids or fats enters the duodenum, it initiates a mechanism that contracts the gallbladder and forces bile into the small intestines, stimulating the secretion of the hormone cholecystokinin (ko-le-sis-toe-KYE-nin) or CCK from the intestinal mucosa of the duodenum. This hormone then activates the gallbladder's contraction, and bile flows into the duodenum. Between meals, the bile moves up the cystic duct into the gallbladder. Gallstones are a common problem.

If you want to read more about how your gallbladder works, I recommend another book called "Your Health, Your Choice" by Dr. M. Ted Morter, JR.,M.A. He explains this, in lay language, on pages 69-75, including how the pH plays an important role, how sodium is a major factor and cholesterol's role. Anybody thinking about gallbladder removal surgery should read this book first.

Anyone who has had their gallbladder removed should be diligent about improving their diet. Removing an organ doesn't improve health. It may reduce symptoms, but it doesn't cure the underlying cause that brought about the symptoms. People who must have their gallbladder removed are sick. Unless they change the conditions that brought about the problem, they will remain sick after the gallbladder and pain are gone, causing additional symptoms to crop up elsewhere. Gallbladder disease is a symptom of overall physiological distress. The problem is the person's health, not whether or not they have a gallbladder.

Fats And The Gallbladder

The average American diet is heavily concentrated in fats and oils. We not only consume too much of this calorie source, we tend to consume them in the wrong forms.

However, all fats aren't bad. We need a certain amount to maintain health. Without them we can't absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D and K, and form healthy skin, hair capillaries and cell membranes. But, fats are needed in smaller proportions than we usually consume, and not all fats are alike. Some fats are better for us than others. How fats are digested and assimilated determine their effect on our health.

After consuming fats and oils, the body breaks them down into fatty acids and glycogen through the process of digestion, which takes place in the small intestines and is aided by fat digesting enzymes secreted from the pancreas. The gall bladder also secretes bile for the purpose of emulsifying (making water-soluble) the fats. Bile acts just like dish soap, making the grease mix with the water in the body.

Both glycogen and fatty acids are absorbed and used by the body. They may be burned as fuel or recombined into body fats for insulation, food storage, tissue growth and repair.

Types of Fatty Acids

All the fatty acids have been categorized by the titles of saturated, polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated. The higher the percentage of saturated fats in a product, the more likely it contributes to the buildup of cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels. The less saturated fat the body receives, the less cholesterol the body produces.

Monounsaturated fats have actually been shown to help raise levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), the good fats, and the help the body eliminate excess cholesterol. However, polyunsaturated, and the monounsaturated fats are very reactive, oxidizing and turning rancid more rapidly. Oxidized fats contain harmful free radicals, which contribute to aging, heart disease and cancer. Therefore, it is important to keep oils fresh. Purchase them in small amounts and minimize their exposure to light and air. Ideally, they should be stored in glass jars in the refrigerator. Oils kept this way will last 4-6 months after they have been opened.

Oil Extraction

The oil present in a whole raw nut or seed is water-soluble, allowing the nuts' fats to dissolve in water. That is why we have nut milks. Almond is my favorite - yum!
However, once the seed has been roasted, the oil is no longer water-soluble. When the seed is ground or crushed, the oil will separate from it.

Once the nut or seed has been cooked, the healthiest way to extract the oil is mechanically. These oils are expeller pressed, are the least refined, and the cleanest and healthiest. The expeller method can create heat of around 300 degrees F. The term "cold pressed" is often applied to oils, which have been expressed at temperatures between 140-160 degrees F. so as not to further damage the oil by heating.

Unless the label says the oil is "unrefined," most expeller pressed seeds undergo a further chemical extraction. A highly volatile, flammable and toxic petroleum derivative called hexane is poured into the seed meal, dissolving and extracting the remaining oil. The oil is then heated to evaporate the hexane. However, some of the solvent residue may remain. The oil is then bleached, de-gummed, alkali washed and deodorized.

The oil may be further processed by hydrogenation. This process turns unsaturated fats into saturated ones by passing bubbles of hydrogen gas through the oils, causing them to remains solid at room temperature, i.e. shortening and margarine. The process makes the oil less subject to oxidation (turning rancid), but it also reduces the availability of the essential fatty acids required for optimum nutrition.

Also, their newly created fatty acids may interfere with the body's metabolism of fat, disrupting normal heart function, enhancing fatty deposits and producing other harmful effects. Products advertising "no cholesterol" can be very misleading. Just because an oil product does not contain cholesterol, does not mean it is healthier for you. If it is a highly saturated, it is really not that healthy because the body has a hard time digesting it. That is why it is very important to read labels carefully.

The healthiest oil is virgin olive oil because it is high in monounsaturated fats (which results in a heavy oil that becomes semi-solid when refrigerated). It also has a high vitamin E content, helping preserve it. It is the only oil that is truly cold pressed and unrefined. Some studies suggest that raw olive oil may actually help lower blood fat and cholesterol levels. Many people have actually used olive oil to help clear the gall bladder of gallstones.

Besides olive oil, there are some other natural oils to consider. Safflower Oil is a very popular natural oil and has the highest percentage of unsaturated fats. Other oils you might try are soy oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil and peanut oil.

Butter is another fat to consider. It is highly maligned because it contains cholesterol and is about 62% saturated fat. However, butter is a natural fat made without heating. It contains significant amounts of vitamin A and some minerals. That is why many of us have long felt that natural butter is much healthier than the artificially saturated (hydrogenated), colored, preserved and flavored product called margarine. Recent research is starting to bear out the fact that natural butter (when used in moderation) may be healthier for us then margarine.

Flushing Out The Gall Bladder

I mentioned that olive oil is used to flush out the gall bladder. Generally people who are trying to flush out their gall bladder will fast for 24 to 48 hours on fresh, raw apple juice (or some other raw fruit or vegetable juice) to clear the colon. Sometimes it is advisable to take an herbal laxative before as well. Liver formulas may also help here. One might also wish to take Hydrangea (a stone solvent) as well. These steps are not absolutely essential, but they do help prepare the body for the flush.

Just before going to bed, at the close of the fast, drink ½ cup of cold pressed virgin olive oil and ½ cup lemon juice. Mix these together thoroughly like you would shake up a salad dressing. The lemon juice cuts the olive oil and makes it more palatable. It sounds and smells worse than it tastes. Next, lie on your right side for one half hour before going to sleep. In the morning, if you don't have a bowel movement, try an enema. Generally, you will pass some dark black or green objects, which look like shriveled up peas.

There are a number of versions of this procedure, but they all rely on olive oil. This is because the olive oil acts as a solvent of cholesterol, the chief constituent of gallstones.

Fried Foods

One of the biggest favors you will ever do for your gallbladder is to quit eating fried foods. Every time you heat oil, you create free radicals, which contribute to cancer, heart disease and aging. The more the oil is heated, the more of these hazardous substances it develops. Fast food restaurants often deodorize, filter and reuse the same oil for days or even weeks. So, if you never go to another fast food restaurant in your life, you will be doing yourself a huge favor - sounds like a great resolution to me!

Sometimes staying away from fast foods is tough because we crave their products. Many health experts believe that if you have a constant craving for fats, it may because you have difficulty in digesting them. In fact, any food we crave excessively probably contains nutrients we need, but are not digesting properly. Many of my customers find that if they do a gall bladder cleanse, they will no longer crave fatty foods.

In Summary

There are other herbs that can assist with the gallbladder; it is best to talk with your herbalist to find the best ones suited to your body.

Look past the symptoms and to the cause. Examine your feelings and their relationship to your health. Then take care of your body on a spiritual and physical level. February is the perfect time let to go of your bitterness and find the forgiveness and joy you deserve for loving yourself and your loved ones around you.

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