If You're Going To Do A Cleanse, Do It In The Spring! + Tips

Viola Yedoensis Makino and Dandelion. Painting by Korean artist Sookja Rho

Do you like to do a liver cleanse every year?  If you want the most bang for your buck, the best time to do it is the spring!  Bringing our body in balance with the season is the best way to protect health.

Spring is characterized by expansive energy that promotes growth and change. Emotionally, the spring energy helps us become more vibrant and focused and light.  Physically, It is important to exercise, be in nature, and practice deep breathing exercises to align with this energy and gain its benefits.  

As the days become longer and warmer and we prepare for the activity of spring and summer, our bodies are also working to eliminate the accumulation of winter.  While the colon, kidneys, lungs, and skin all play a role in the cleansing process, it is the liver that we need to focus on in the spring.

Your liver performs about 200 vital functions, most of which are essential for good health.  Some of the important functions are detoxification of blood, protein synthesis, maintaining healthy fat and sugar levels, bile production, and filtering hormones.

Although the liver is wonderful as self-recovery, it can take a lot of abuse in our Western lifestyles.  A gentle and thorough spring liver cleanse is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine.  While our body is designed to excrete and eliminate waste, the more we are able to lighten the load, the better able our liver will be able to function, and the more vibrant our health.

Tips to help your liver out

• stretch and breathe: incorporate yoga, tai qi, and/or meditation into your daily routine.
• taste sour: drink juice of half a lemon in 16oz of warm water when you wake up (ideally between 5:00-7:00 am).  For a bit more flavor, add ginger and cayenne.
• ​eat green: increase amount of fresh, enzyme-rich veggies and herbs like dandelion leaves, nettles, red beet greens, and watercress into meals.
• exercise: enhance your body's detoxification process with circulation and sweat.pu
• acupuncture and Chinese herbs: these can enhance the detoxification process as well as decrease the side effects, giving your body the boost it needs for rejuvenation.

​Happy Springing!