Right Foot, Right Side
The right side of the body is in many ways the twin of the left. There are important differences, however. The right side contains the liver, gallbladder, pyloric sphincter, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. This side also contains the ileocecal valve, cecum, appendix, and ascending colon, as well as the right hepatic flexure. These organs are essential in the process of digestion and elimination.
The Liver
The liver is the largest gland in the body and is located under the diaphragm predominantly on the right side of the body. Its functions are vital to homeostasis:
The functions of the liver are as follows:
Manufactures bile salts to rid body of fats
Contains enzymes to transform toxins to usable compounds
Produces and stores fat and glycogen
Transforms glycogen, fat, and protein into glucose
Ingests worn-out red and white blood cells
Is instrumental in preventing blood clots
Stores vitamins and minerals, as well as poisons that cannot be excreted
Works with the skin and kidneys to activate vitamin D
The gallbladder is tucked under the liver, working together with the liver to store bile. The gallbladder holds extra bile until the small intestine needs it.
The Small Intestine
Alert
Some ingested poisons cannot be removed from the body. Such poisons as DDT have been found in the livers of humans and other animals. Fruits and vegetables sprayed with DDT leave high levels of the poison in the liver. At the very least, wash such foods with soap and water; if possible, eat organic.
The primary job of the small intestine is to digest food and to pass along the nutrients to the blood and lymph. Between the small intestine and the stomach is a valve known as the pyloric sphincter. Food leaves the stomach through this valve, moving into the duodenum, the first segment of the small intestine. The duodenum joins with the jejunum, merging with the ileum. The small intestine is over 21 feet long, allowing lots of space for the nutrients to move into the bloodstream.
The Large Intestine
The large intestine extracts any nutrients that were not absorbed by the small intestine. The ileocecal valve is the entryway into the large intestine. The non-absorbable substances pass from the small intestine into the colon through the ileocecal valve. Behind this valve is the cecum, which is attached to the appendix on one end and the ascending colon on the other.
Fact
Reflexology in part is based on the concept of zone therapy. Whatever is in a zone is found in the reflected zone on the feet and hands. Further, the body is divided in half at the midline — what is on the right side of the body is again replicated on the right foot.
Decomposed and undigested waste products are moved through the passageway of the colon, with any remaining nutrients absorbed in the ascending colon. The final push of waste moves across the transverse colon, down the descending colon, through the sigmoid colon, into the rectum, and out of the body. Half of the large intestine is reflected by the reflexes in the right foot, the half that is in the right side of the body.
