- The role of the Liver
- When to start a detox programme?
- Eating to purify
- Foods that detoxify the Liver
- Foods and habits to avoid
- Detox plants: allies of the Liver
It's well known: spring is the perfect season to start a detox!
Indeed, this season is the ideal time to eliminate the impurities built up over autumn and winter. This big clean-out relies mainly on the liver, one of our emunctory organs (along with the gallbladder, kidneys, lungs and skin), in other words the organs responsible for eliminating the waste produced by our body.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the Liver is precisely the organ associated with spring, and it plays an essential role in our overall well-being. As it is closely linked to the eyes and vision, an imbalance of the Liver can show up as red eyes, bags under the eyes or even blurred vision.
Why is it essential to take care of your Liver in spring, and how can you detoxify it naturally? Discover the advice of Chinese medicine for calming Liver fire and preserving your energy while boosting your well-being.
The role of the Liver
The liver as an organ (as Western medicine sees it) is the largest in our body. Vital, it filters the blood, eliminates impurities and produces many substances essential to the body: for example, it synthesises vitamin A (fundamental to eye health) and vitamin D.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the Liver is considered a system in its own right. Associated with the Wood element, its role is in fact compared to that of the tree: like the Liver, "the tree is on the front line in filtering impurities and atmospheric pollutants and giving our internal environment a thorough clean."1
The Liver has several functions in TCM. It ensures the proper functioning of the body, ensures the free flow of Qi (vital energy), watches over emotional balance, stores Blood and the Essences, and nourishes the tendons and eyes. What's more, as it is closely linked to the digestive system, the Liver is the organ that calls us to order when we let ourselves overindulge.
Since it is indispensable to our well-being, it deserves very special attention. That is why a complete purification of our liver is called for in spring.
When to start a detox programme?
The signs of an unhealthy Liver show up first in our psychological state: negative emotions take over and are experienced to the extreme, the slightest inconvenience can send us into a towering rage, we feel unusually impatient or frustrated…
When Liver energy stagnates, many discomforts can arise, such as digestive troubles (intermittent constipation, bloating, loose stools, etc.), intense fatigue, headaches, brittle nails, eye inflammation or dry eyes.
For a healthy Liver, it is essential to make sure its Qi flows well. What's more, purifying it of accumulated toxins effectively stimulates liver function and strengthens the health of the Liver.
Eating to purify
Foods that detoxify the Liver
Naturally, nothing beats the advice of Chinese dietetics on eating with the seasons. To enjoy spring, our diet should contribute to the health of the liver. Some foods deserve pride of place to detoxify it naturally:
- Vegetables: cucumber, asparagus, spinach, celery, artichoke
- Fruit: avocado, lemon, mango, apple
- Spices: turmeric, ginger, curry, cinnamon
- Vegetable oils: sesame oil, sunflower oil
- Aromatic herbs: coriander, basil, tarragon, rosemary
- Vinegar
Finally, it is essential to stay well hydrated when starting a detox (at least two litres of water a day). Drinking more during your purification helps to eliminate toxins, whether through the urinary tract, the stools, sweating or the skin.
Foods and habits to avoid
However, some foods should be avoided during your detox programme, since they increase the impurities in the body and tire the Liver. These foods are:
- Alcohol
- Milk
- Foods too high in sugar
- White bread
- Processed foods
What's more, Chinese dietetics recommends not eating too fast and avoiding large, hard-to-digest meals, as well as snacking.
Detox plants: allies of the Liver
Many plants are known for their draining and detoxifying properties. They are highly recommended for people who decide to start a programme to purify their body. Here is a selection of plants and formulas to favour for detoxifying your body:
- Guang jin qian cao – Desmodium grass: Used by Chinese medicine for centuries, this plant protects the Liver and eases digestion after overindulging. It is ideal as part of a detox programme since it promotes the draining and elimination of toxins by stimulating urination.
- Yin chen hao – Capillary wormwood: Highly valued in the Chinese pharmacopoeia, Yin chen hao contributes effectively to the elimination of waste by the Liver. It is especially recommended for people who eat a rich diet. It cleanses the liver in depth so as to improve its functioning.
- Jin qian cao – Lysimachia herb: Jin qian cao is reputed to soothe the Liver: it eliminates the toxins present in the Liver and improves digestion by promoting the secretion of bile. It is ideal for calming digestive discomfort and preventing the formation of stones.
- Long Dan Xie Gan Tang: This is an ancestral formula reputed for its ability to purify the Liver, thus promoting the elimination of impurities. Made up of 9 plants, this formula drains Fire, the source of the build-up of toxins in the Liver, so as to effectively protect liver function.
- Hu Zhang – Japanese knotweed: This plant is a true ally of the Liver. It detoxifies the body in depth and drains excess water. In Chinese medicine, it protects the Liver and Gallbladder, clears Heat, and drains the Liver and promotes blood circulation. 2
"The plant world is the Liver of our planet. Our Liver is the plant world of our body." 3
The liver filters, purifies and detoxifies the body. An essential organ, it is vital to the proper functioning of the body. To keep your Liver healthy, choose a diet in line with the principles of Chinese energetics and trust medicinal plants, whose detoxifying properties will give you an almost brand-new liver!
