Remember when you could eat a gluten-free bagel at 2 am and feel fine the next day?

Yeah. Me neither.

I remember doing everything “right.” Green smoothies. Yoga. Meditation. Clean eating. And yet I was still exhausted by mid-afternoon, irritable, bloated, and not feeling like myself at all.

What I did not realize at the time was that something critical was being overlooked.

My liver.

Your liver is the quiet workhorse of the body. It performs over 500 essential jobs every single day, often without complaint. And when it starts to struggle, the symptoms can show up everywhere else.

An estimated 65 percent of adults show signs of liver stress or dysfunction, yet most have no idea because the liver can struggle silently for years before routine labs or imaging ever flag a problem.

Your liver is not just a detox organ. It plays a central role in:

Effective digestion
Proteins, fats, and sugars all rely on proper liver and bile function. When the liver is overwhelmed, symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, nausea, reflux, bloating, and gut imbalances can appear.

Hormone balance
Mood swings, PMS, stubborn weight gain, or feeling emotionally reactive can all be tied to how efficiently your liver processes and clears hormones.

Cholesterol and fat metabolism
Elevated cholesterol or difficulty losing weight is often related to sluggish bile flow rather than simply what you are eating.

Nutrient storage
Your liver stores key nutrients such as vitamin B12 and iron. When storage and release are impaired, fatigue and deficiencies can develop even with a good diet.

Here is the important part. By the time symptoms show up, the liver has often been under strain for years.

When the liver is overloaded, people often notice:

• Low energy, especially in the afternoon
• Brain fog or poor focus
• Skin issues
• Hormonal symptoms
• Digestive problems
• Increased irritability or frustration
• Headaches or tension
• Feeling “toxic” or inflamed
• Waking between 1-3 am

I spent years trying to fix these symptoms with supplements alone. Probiotics. Fish oil. All the things. Nothing truly shifted because I was not addressing the root issue. My drainage pathways were overwhelmed, and my liver needed real support.

This is where acupuncture becomes incredibly powerful.

From both a physiological and Chinese medicine perspective, acupuncture helps regulate the stress response, improve circulation, and restore healthy blood flow to the liver and digestive organs. It helps shift the body out of chronic fight or flight, which is one of the biggest drivers of liver congestion and hormonal imbalance.

When stress is high, blood flow to the liver decreases. Acupuncture helps reverse that pattern, supporting bile flow, detox pathways, digestion, and emotional regulation at the same time.

This is especially important if you notice anger, frustration, mood swings, skin flare-ups, headaches, digestive symptoms, or that sense that your body just is not clearing things well anymore.

When drainage pathways are blocked, everything else you do feels harder. Diets stop working. General supplements stop helping. Energy stays low.

If you are exhausted, struggling to lose weight, dealing with skin or hormone issues, digestive symptoms, or simply not feeling clear and vibrant, your liver may be asking for support.

Acupuncture is one of the most effective ways to support liver function while also calming the nervous system and improving circulation. It does not force detox. It helps your body remember how to do it on its own.

If this resonates, I invite you to schedule twice a month acupuncture sessions focused on liver support and stress regulation. Your body does not need more pushing. It needs better flow.

Your liver keeps you alive every day. Supporting it is not optional. It is foundational.

PS. If you are thinking, “But I eat so healthily,” you are not alone. In today’s world, clean eating alone is not enough to offset constant chemical, environmental, and metabolic stress. Our livers need intentional support to do their job well so that occasional indulgences do not derail your health.