The rhythm of spring embodies RENEWAL—new life and new growth. From the end of March to June, the earth warms, the days grow longer as the hours of light begin to outnumber the hours of darkness, and the flowers bloom open to the sun. As we come out of our hibernating retreat from winter, life bursts forth as the landscape explodes with color and exuberance. Life pushes onward as fresh fruits and vegetables are added into the seasonal diet. The energy of Spring is reminiscent of the seedling bursting forth through a rock or concrete. This seedling is unstoppable just like the wood element associated with Liver meridian. The Liver organ has the ability to regenerate itself. Hence, the liver is appropriately associated as the organ of Spring for renewal, rebirth, and new life. Spring cleanses and detoxifications support this renewal.
Spring is the season to support our liver especially with the many roles it has in maintaining good health. The liver is one of the body’s major detoxification organs by filtering wastes out of the blood and expelling these wastes out the body with bile. Detoxification of chemicals over a lifetime is a big task given that our chemical exposures from environmental burden has consistently increased with modern lifestyles. Many popular pharmaceutical medications negatively impact…yep, you guessed it — our Liver. The sound functioning of this one organ plays a key role in many important bodily functions, including:
- digestive role: emulsification of fats and making bile for digestion
- removing environmental toxins (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, alcohol, xenoestrogens) from the blood and inactivating them
- removing toxins produced during metabolism (i.e. ammonia formed from amino acid metabolism) and repackaging them into safer chemicals for excretion (i.e. urea)
- breaking down fats, hormones, and excess proteins
- making glucose to maintain blood sugar levels
- producing cholesterol for the backbone of all our steroidal hormones (estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, cortisol)
- producing heat to warm the blood that passes through it
- making factor proteins needed for blood clotting
- controlling the formation and destruction of blood cells
- recycling iron from the red blood pigment, hemoglobin
- removing bilirubin from the breakdown of hemoglobin
- storage of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and minerals (iron and copper)
So, give your liver some love with these THREE super EASY, SIMPLE, and INEXPENSIVE suggestions to gently support self-cleansing and ridding wastes.
1. Warm your liver — The liver requires heat or warmth to function properly and more efficiently. Its optimum working temperature is higher than normal body temperature but no higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the liver warm with warm baths and hot water bottle just below the right subcostal region (upper right quadrant of abdomen) for 10-30 minutes up to three times per day. The hot water bottle method is generally done after a meal. This heat helps to dilate the bile ducts and speed up metabolic processes. If you’d like to apply castor oil topically with an old flannel cloth under the hot water bottle for what’s commonly referred to as a “castor oil pack”, you may and it’s optional. The castor oil can be messy and may stain clothes. Therefore, it may be best to do a castor oil pack application while resting in bed before sleep. Castor oil will support the lymphatic system drain toxins from the blood and tissues into lymph nodes, kidneys and intestines for elimination.
2. Choose quality, organic foods — A diet rich in fresh, local and organically-grown vegetables will support positive health. Sulphur-rich foods such as eggs, garlic, onions, and cruciferous vegetables such as kale, broccoli, collard greens, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, fermented sauerkraut and spanish black radish all support liver detoxification with their phytonutrients. Oh and finally, don’t forget to include beets. Beets help thin the bile to better flow more freely through the liver and small intestine to stimulate peristalsis.
3. Good ol’ regular exercise — Regular exercise will not only get the blood moving through the whole body, but also through the liver. This will prevent stagnation of energy and help blood flow. The increased availability of oxygen during and after exercise greatly improves circulation and enhances the flow of venous blood from the liver towards the heart. Exercise helps to eliminate impurities and does not require overexertion. Even gentle movements from walking, yoga, tai chi, and qi gong move the liver qi. The twisting yoga poses relax the diaphragm, stimulate digestion, and stimulate liver detoxification.
Now, go on and Love your liver!
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