Do you need to detox? A TCM perspective.

Did you know your body is always detoxing? Yep, your liver and kidneys (among other organs like your intestines and skin) are constantly going through processes that help filter hormones, chemicals, nutrients, you name it.

Here’s the catch, your liver in particular can get overwhelmed. Increased stress, and inflammatory food and beverage like alcohol, fried foods and refined sugar can increase the livers workload. This is when we can start to see symptoms ranging from PMS and acne to fatigue, sluggishness and allergies.

In these times you don’t necessarily need to take something to help the liver do its thing. You could temporarily reduce or eliminate pro inflammatory foods, reduce stress and increase exercise to boost the livers metabolism. Having an herbal formula that supports the livers natural functions is incredibly helpful to speed this process along because let’s be honest, healing doesn’t happen overnight.

When I suggest liver support, keep in mind it’s doing just that, supporting you through a time of need. Once that time has passed, no need for the support anymore. My approach always involves targeting supplements to your specific health condition and eliminating them when you’ve improved. Folks with chronic conditions, however, often benefit from long term supplementation. This is why it’s crucial to work with a trained provider (not a wellness influencer) who can tailor supplements to your specific needs.

So why all the talk about detoxes? Are they needed? Detoxes in western society are mostly there to promote diet culture and sell you something. We are not signaling our body to “go into detox” when we take a supplement or go on an extreme diet. These methods are often stressful, expensive, and tout quick fix “results” like weight loss. 

Traditional Chinese medicine of course, doesn’t recognize western cultures version of detox. Instead the liver organ is associated with a season. Spring time is said to be the time to give your liver some extra love after a long winter of hibernation. Eat bitter flavors that stimulate the gallbladder to release bile to help you digest. Enjoy dark leafy greens that contain the compound DIM which helps the liver break down estrogen. Exercise your body to move Liver Qi and release stuck emotions that we’ve carried through winter. Sip on teas with liver stimulating herbs like dandelion leaf. Most liver supporting herbs flourish in the Spring. Isn’t natures wisdom fascinating?

Think your liver needs personalized support? Click the link to schedule an appointment online!