Spring is the best time of year for a complete detoxification program.
Why?
- In Spring, the Liver and Gall Bladder energy is at it’s highest and most optimal making it easier to purge these organs on an energetic and physical level.
- It’s easier! There are a plentitude of fruits and vegetables available to help support total detoxification while you are avoiding allergenic foods during the active phase of the complete program.
At Tao to Wellness, we tell our patients that everyone, with the exception of children, elderly and pregnant mothers, should consider a detoxification program once per year. We all have toxins and free radicals taking up space in our body and 75% of us do not exhibit any symptoms.
You do not need to have a Western diagnosis like cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty liver disease or a high level of toxicity in the Liver in order to cleanse it. Every one of us has some degree of toxicity. Just by driving on the freeways, living near the train, eating meats that are not organic and hormone fed or imbibing a nice glass of Cabernet Franc at the end of our work day. We’ve all got them!
If we consider what a toxic Liver looks like in Chinese Medicine, the term would be stagnation, which everyone has to some degree. What that might look like symptomatically are any of the following: headaches, neck and upper back pain, PMS, trouble sleeping, high blood pressure, migraines, menstrual cramps, depression, irritability, anger or high stress issues. But like we said before, you don’t need to have any symptoms to have a toxic Liver.
Let’s look at 3 tiers of Liver and Gall Bladder support:
Tier One:
At the very least, drink a nice large glass of lemon water every morning. Chinese medicine promotes sour tasting food as conducive to liver health. The warm lemon water stimulates a sluggish liver, this is great as a “Good Morning” to your Liver.
Tier Two:
Consider supplementation for overall protection.
Alpha lipoic acid (ALA): ALA, especially R-ALA, has been used to treat serious liver diseases. It is a natural substance that is the “rate-limiting factor for the production of energy from carbohydrates.” In other words, without alpha lipoic acid we could not obtain energy from the food we eat and we could not stay alive. Currently there are no established daily doses for supplementation. However, oral alpha-lipoic acid is reported to be well tolerated in doses up to 600 milligrams per day, and 200-300 mg a day is frequently used in Europe as a therapeutic adjunct in treating diabetic neuropathy. As a general antioxidant, a dosage of 20 to 50 mg daily is commonly recommended. Alpha-lipoic acid can be purchased in dosages ranging 30 mg to 100 mg tablets.
Milk thistle and dandelion root: These two natural herbs are commonly used to protect and cleanse the liver. Milk thistle is the protector, and dandelion root is the cleanser. They can be taken separately, but many liver supplements contain both. These herbs can be taken regularly over time with or without obvious liver issues.
B complex: All the Bs are helpful, especially B12, which has been used to help hepatitis patients. There are three types of B12: cyanocobalamin, hydroxycabalamin, and methylcobalamin. Of these three, experts agree that methylcobalamin is the most beneficial in sublingual form.
Tier Three:
Want more?
The total Tao to Wellness Spring Cleaning program:
You got it! We commonly prescribe a complete 2-3 week (depending on the patient) program. The program consists of omitting potential allergenic foods from your diet while supplementing with non-allergenic, protein shakes that are only available through licensed practitioners and other supplements to aid in the detoxification process.
Please speak with Megan or Nikole with questions about options and what would be best for you.
Happy Spring from all of us at Tao to Wellness!
