Is Your Liver the Missing Link to Weight and Mood?

If you've been gaining weight for no obvious reason...
If you're waking at 2 am, feeling inflamed, snappy, or just off...
Your liver could be the missing piece. Anthony William, the Medical Medium, says:

It’s the liver that holds the answers to the questions about mystery weight gain. If you’re gaining weight, it means that your liver is sluggish.

While your thyroid and adrenals can also be involved, many people overlook the liver — and how deeply it affects how we feel, think, and function.

YOUR LIVER DOES MORE THAN DETOX

The liver is your body’s second-largest organ and plays a key role in:

Metabolising fats and hormones
Producing bile for digestion
Regulating blood sugar
Storing and filtering blood
Processing toxins and waste

It also plays a vital role in your energy, skin health, emotions, and overall sense of clarity.

SIGNS YOUR LIVER MAY BE UNDER PRESSURE

When the liver is sluggish or overwhelmed, your body starts to show signs like:

A roll of fat just under the bra line
Waking between 1–3 am
Waking hot in the night
Feeling nauseous in the morning
Not feeling hungry on waking
Constipation or sluggish digestion
PMS or hormonal irritability
Cellulite and fluid retention
Tenderness at the centre of the torso

Even your emotional reactions may start to feel heightened or harder to regulate.

THE EMOTIONAL LINK TO LIVER FUNCTION

In Chinese Medicine, the liver is known to hold the emotion of anger, as well as frustration, resentment, and irritation. When your liver is under strain, you may notice:

Mood swings or emotional outbursts
A tendency to hold things in, then explode
Overwhelm or mental clutter
Feeling reactive, snappy, or short-tempered

According to The Secret Language of Your Body by Inna Segal, liver imbalances may also reflect patterns such as:

Inner struggle or suppressed anger
Fear or guilt
Resistance to advice or support
Difficulty trusting or relaxing
Victim mentality or self-sabotage

You don’t have to relate to every symptom. Even one or two may be your body’s quiet signal that something needs attention.

GENTLE WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR LIVER

You don’t need a strict detox to help your liver. The goal isn’t to purge or push — it’s to support the liver so it can do its job with more ease. Here are some of the simple ways I support liver health:

Warm lemon water each morning
Fresh vegetable juice (especially celery, cucumber, parsley)
Bitter greens like dandelion and rocket
Plenty of clean water and sleep
Reduce alcohol, coffee, sugars, and heavy fats
Add in sesame seeds, turmeric, parsley, fish, and oysters
Use castor oil packs over your liver area
Reduce toxins in your environment where possible
Consider B-complex vitamins for liver detox pathways

FLOWER ESSENCES TO SUPPORT THE LIVER

Your liver doesn’t just hold toxins; it holds unprocessed emotion, too. These essences can help shift what your body no longer needs to carry. Some favourites I use in the clinic:

Bottlebrush (ABFE) – emotional release, letting go, digestive support
Dagger Hakea (ABFE) – unresolved resentment, especially towards close relationships
Holly (Bach) – emotional balance when anger or jealousy sits under the surface

I choose essences based on what your body and emotions are showing. This isn’t one-size-fits-all; it’s about meeting your system where it’s at.

ESSENTIAL OILS THAT MAY HELP

Using essential oils alongside other tools can support your emotional body. A few that are traditionally used to help calm and balance liver-related emotions include:

Chamomile
Orange
Bergamot
Lavender
Neroli

Diffuse, apply diluted to your skin, or simply inhale when needed.

LIVER STRAIN AND DEEPER EMOTIONAL PATTERNS

According to Inna Segal, liver-related patterns may show up as:

Irrational frustration, anger, or rage
Desire to inflict self-punishment, or you sabotage your progress
Constant inner struggle and conflict
Difficulty in making decisions
Blaming or fault-finding in others
Victim mindset or resistance to change
Overlooks other people’s advice and suggestions
Imbalanced sleep and trouble relaxing
Unable to trust others

Remember, you do not have to be all the above; perhaps you may relate to one or just a few.

WHERE REPRESSED EMOTIONS BUILD UP

Repressed emotions can accumulate in the form of tight muscles and tension in our shoulders, back, and neck. Backache can also occur in the middle part of the back.

HOW TO BEGIN BY RELEASING ANGER

A few gentle ways to support emotional release:

Journal what you’re feeling — no editing or holding back
Write a letter (unsent) to someone you feel unresolved with
Punch a pillow or stomp your feet to release tension physically
Visualise a calm, healthy separation between you and the emotional charge

As you can see, the liver has such a wide range of functions, and when it’s not functioning properly, both physical and emotional illnesses can set in. By looking after your liver, you are looking after your mind, body, and spirit.