Spring is the season of new beginnings and fresh starts. In Chinese medicine, it is also the time of the wood element, which includes the liver and gallbladder organ and meridians. The wood element is responsible for our emotions, especially those related to anger, depression, and mood swings. It is also the element that when unbalanced, can very readily affect other organ systems. For example, when our liver energy fails to move properly, it can affect our digestion or our circulatory system. The most important job of the liver is the filtering and storing of blood. If our liver is unable to filter properly, our blood becomes toxic, the immune system suffers which then creates a host of opportunities for disease to set in.
The liver is a gatekeeper of sorts. It prevents toxins from adversely affecting our other major organs. It works in tandem with the gallbladder, which stores the bile that helps to break down fats from our diet. Taking care of our liver is paramount to our overall health and well being. Our modern lives are all about taking advantage of the liver’s ability to keep us safe. We don’t realize all the things we do to combat our liver until it becomes too late.
There are so many things we do that taxes the liver organ. Things like stress, over consuming caffeine, eating late, all these things have a negative impact on the liver. For example, stress or ingesting caffeine pumps our adrenals to release adrenaline, which is corrosive to our nervous system and the liver because it has to work overtime to neutralize it. Even high fat foods put the liver into overdrive, where it has to prevent the fats ingested from clogging your arteries.
What about using personal care products with chemical ingredients you can’t pronounce, walking through a park with a lawn that had been recently sprayed with herbicides and pesticides, what is really in that ramen sauce packet? We are constantly being bombarded by toxins and absorbing them through our lungs, skin and gastrointestinal system.
One reason why people tend to have more health issues as they grow older is because the liver has been diligently performing for many decades without the proper care it needs, so its ability to detox diminishes after years of loyalty. The accumulation of toxins over our lifetime just becomes too much.
Getting in tune with liver and Spring can help provide the support this organ needs. Along with acupuncture and herbal medicine, here are some quick and easy tips you can incorporate into your daily routine to show it some love!
Tip #1 – Hydration
Toxins are eliminated regularly by the body via 3 avenues: urine, sweat, and stool. Most people are chronically dehydrated which makes eliminating accumulated toxins challenging. Caffeinated beverages not only dehydrate you, it acidifies the body, which eventually leads to bone loss. Instead of reaching for a caffeinated beverage first thing in the morning, add this simple routine of drinking lemon or lime water. Adding at least half a lemon or lime to every 2cups (16oz) of water helps deliver hydration deeper into your cell walls so that long standing toxins can be flushed out. Lemon water also helps your body stay more alkaline.
Tip #2 – Avoid Chemical Fragrances
You’d be surprised what can be absorbed through your skin and nose. Those plug in air fresheners, scented candles, dryer sheets, perfumes, soaps, personal care products, cosmetics, household cleaners and detergents could be exposing you to potentially dangerous chemicals. Ones that could be compromising your immune system. Take a look at the products around your home and take stock of what you can do to reduce or eliminate exposure to toxic ingredients. On your next shopping trip, you can choose products without added fragrances and chemicals. Your body will thank you for it! Be in the habit of researching ingredients you’re unsure of so that you can minimize your toxic exposure and what you’re bringing into your environment. For more info on chemical fragrances, check out systemic review from the National Library of Medicine.
Tip #3 – Seek Out Dragon Fruit
Why not add this amazing fruit in the year of the Dragon? Dragon fruit, aka Pitaya, has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to be anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and antimicrobial. You want to find the red fleshed variety as the vivid red pigment is a liver rejuvenator that helps slow liver aging. You can often find the fresh fruit at asian supermarkets, but it can often be found in the frozen fruit section and the dried fruit is also readily available online. Check out this study on the health benefits of dragon fruit.
Tip #4 – Be Asleep Between 11pm-3am
This is the prime time for our liver to be filtering and cleaning the blood. Being asleep during this time helps ensure this process occurs at its peak optimal level.
Tip #5 – Hold Off On Eating Fats Until Noon
Remember all the cleansing that your liver just did throughout the night? Let’s extend that goodness a little further and get a little more detox mileage! Hold off on eating fats, proteins (including nuts & beans), avocados, eggs, and dairy until lunch. Choose fresh fruit (not dried) instead for breakfast and your liver will get some extra time to detox before having to be put to work on breaking down fats. Better yet, stay hydrated and avoid dried fruits and salt in the early part of your day so that your body can continue to move wastes out of your body.
At Tao to Wellness, we see patients with varying degrees of liver stagnation or complications; from increased liver enzymes to tension headaches and difficulty staying asleep. If you’re struggling with any health issues, we are here to support you, just reach out!
