By - April 3, 2023
Categories: General
We can feel it. Spring is in the air and warmer weather is finally just around the corner! Spring is a new beginning after a winter of rest. It’s the perfect time to get your Qi flowing properly by nourishing your liver through Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture.
Make Cleansing Your Liver Part of Your Spring Cleaning
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver is linked to the spring. Our liver is tasked with cleaning out the toxins we put into our body so it’s only fair that we take the time to give it a good cleaning in return. Our liver is responsible for housing our Qi, the life energy that moves throughout our body. When our liver isn’t balanced properly, it can affect all aspects of our lives.
Signs You Need to Cleanse Your Liver
- Irritability
- Anger
- Stiff Joints
- Nausea
- Bruising
Acupuncture along with TCM can nourish the liver and give it a chance to cleanse itself. When your liver is nourished, your Qi will be balanced, relieving irritability and anger in your moods along with stiffness and pain in your joints and spine.
Acupuncture and A Healthy Liver
Starting at the top of your big toe, there are fourteen acupuncture points for balancing your liver all the way up to your ribcage. Using these points, the built-up energy that can cause the imbalance in the liver will be released. This allows your Qi to flow more freely through your body and balances your moods, mind, and body. By starting the spring with regular acupuncture appointments, you are giving your body a head start to feel strong and healthy in the warmer weather.
Drink in a Bitter Spring
Spring is the time for bitter foods in TCM. Starting your day with hot water and lemon is a great way to start your liver cleansing. Drink dandelion root tea for its gentle way to get the bile flowing and toxins moving out of the liver and gallbladder. Also, try a twelve-ounce glass of water with one tablespoon of unfiltered apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of honey. The vinegar helps stabilize your body’s internal pH level and the honey regulates your blood sugar levels. Combined they make an excellent cleansing and detoxifying spring beverage.
Lighten Up Your Plate
Eliminating the heavy, greasy, and fatty foods of winter will also give the liver a break to cleanse and rejuvenate itself. Eating lighter, healthier food along with limiting alcohol intake will help us to feel lighter and enjoy all that movement and energy from our free-flowing Qi.
Eat to Nourish the Liver
Eat organic leafy greens, including dandelions, to help detox the liver. This is the time to splurge on organic produce. Your liver can’t detox healthy foods that are covered in pesticides. The chlorophyll in plants also contains antioxidants which are an important part of the liver cleansing process. In addition to eating dark leafy greens, add fresh produce to your liver-nourishing diet:
- Green beans
- Green peppers
- Brussel sprouts
- Peas
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers
- Green apples
- Melon
- Kiwi
Eating fermented foods such as kimchi, curtido, and sauerkraut also supports bile production which helps balance the pH levels of the small intestine.
Get into the Sunshine
All that spring sun isn’t just good for chlorophyll-producing plants! Getting out into the sun for just a twenty-minute walk gets the Qi flowing throughout the body. Freely flowing Qi will help you balance your moods and nourish your liver.
Schedule Your Liver Nourishing Acupuncture Appointment
Giving your liver a cleansing start to spring is a great way to get yourself feeling better and ready for the season. Set up your acupuncture appointments today and I can not only help nourish your liver, but can help with any seasonal allergies or aches and pains too.
Be well.
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This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or illness. Please consult your healthcare provider prior to the use of this product if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications or have a medical condition. Individual results may vary.
