"Spring Cleaning" for Your Body!
By Sunny Cooper, M.S., M.Ed., Diplomate in Asian Bodywork Therapy (NCCAOM)
The Liver is our largest metabolic organ, and has to process everything we put into the body, including drugs, medications, food additives, pollution in the water and air. It also has to process all the food we eat, breaking down fats and producing many enzymes. When the body is over-loaded, there can be too much to process, and the excess is stored in a variety of places in the body. The liver, as a de-toxing organ, is one of the primary places the body can store waste products and toxins until they can be processed. It's like a closet full of old things that you don't use any more, but haven't had time to clean out and discard all the "trash". Congestion of the Liver can produce physical and emotional symptoms.
The best time to do a Liver cleanse is during the spring. While caring the Liver is important all year round, Spring is the time when the Liver is most active according to traditional Chinese medicine. This liver cleanse features a special diet that you follow for four days, along with gentle exercise. The foods, teas, and other elements of the cleanse are designed to help the body gently release the accumulate wastes and toxins that the liver has been holding on to.
Common Symptoms of Liver Congestion
Physical Signs
Intermittent or migrating pain
Muscle spasms and cramps, muscle tension, can’t relax
Dizziness, vertigo
Internal or external tremors or shaking, trembling
Pulsating headache, especially in the temples or behind the eyes
Ringing in the ears
Dryness in the upper body (eyes, mouth, sinuses, skin)
Difficulty sleeping, wakes between 1 and 3 AM, or cannot fall asleep until the wee hours
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Menstrual disorders, PMS
Chronic indigestion
Belching or gas after meals, especially after oily or greasy foods
Emotional Signs
Depression and manic-depression
Feeling overwhelmed and overly sensitive; easily cries or angers
Irritable, agitated, angry, emotionally volatile
Nervousness, agitation, restlessness
Inability to keep commitments
Feeling of uneasiness, or "wound up"
Unsettled; the “eternal traveler”
Lack of motivation, stuck in a rut
Lacks patience
Poor judgement
Difficulty making decisions
Addictions and emotional attachments
Loss of sense of adventure and seeking new experiences
Four Day Liver Cleanse
It is preferable to do this in the springtime, but it can be done any time of the year.
Shopping List of Things You Will Need:
French Green Clay (available at most whole food stores)
A variety of fresh green vegetables (see suggestions below)
Fresh ginger root and/or garlic for seasoning
Variety of fresh fruits and fruit juices (see suggestions below)
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh lemons
Steel-cut oats from bulk section of whole foods store
Herbal Tea: rosemary, dandelion, chamomile or thyme
Honey (if desired) for sweetening tea
Preparation
1. Read through all the instructions below, so you know what you are going to be doing
2. Choose a time for your cleanse that will insure success. Do not try to do a cleanse during a time you know that you will be attending a party or other event that will feature foods that might tempt you to sabotage your cleanse.
3. Make an appointment to have a good massage or shiatsu session on day 3 or 4.
4. If you have a friend or family member who would like to do this with you, it will increase your success and make the whole process more fun. You can prepare your food together, eat together, and compare notes about how you feel as this process unfoldes.
5. Shop for the necessary foods, teas, and clay the day before you plan to start your cleanse.
6. You may prepare a "green soup" with your chosen veggies the evening before, so you will be ready. If you plan to have your veggies as salad, you can make a large bowl of your greens and veggies the day before.
7. The night before you start, mix 1 tsp. Of French Green Clay into 2/3 cup of warm water. Then let it sit undisturbed overnight. Green Clay is available in most health food stores.
8. If you take prescription medications, continue to take them as directed by your physician.
Day 1 – Day 3 Instructions
Upon Rising, drink the water from the clay that settled overnight (not the clay, just the water. It contains minerals from the clay which are beneficial for the liver)
Eat lightly of green vegetables which can be steamed, raw salads, or made into a soup. The best ones are cabbage, broccoli, leeks, spinach or other greens, leaf lettuce such as Romaine or red leaf lettuce (no iceberg lettuce), celery, green onions, carrots, green lentils, or green split peas. Only use garlic and/or ginger for seasoning. No Salt, No animal sources of food for these 4 days). Only fresh vegetables, no canned or frozen ones.
Fresh fruit and fresh fruit juices (not frozen or bottled). The most excellent ones are grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, lime, apple, and light berries such as strawberries. No bananas.
For raw salad, use only dressing made of extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
If you would like a snack, have an apple, carrot sticks, or some celery sticks! Drink as much water as you like.
You may also have soft-cooked oats (choose good quality steel-cut or rolled oats from the health food store bulk section, not processed, packaged, or steamed oats such as Quaker).
During these four days, please avoid all animal sources of food such as meat, eggs, cheese, dairy. No sweeteners except honey, no bottled dressings or condiments.
After each meal please have a cup of hot tea of one of the following four varieties:
Rosemary, dandelion, thyme, or chamomile. You may use a teaspoon of honey in the tea.
In the afternoon, do 15-20 minutes of vigorous exercise (walking quickly, biking, "Sweaty" yoga, etc), and then drink a cup of hot water into which you have squeezed the juice of one-third to one-half a fresh lemon.
External treatments during this time (any or all of these):
• Skin brushing each day
• Shiatsu (Japanese acupressure) for meridian balancing
• Ginger compress on the liver, 15 minutes (Handful of chopped or sliced fresh ginger root in 2 quarts of boiling water, simmer for 15-20 minutes; Let tea cool just a bit, then dip wash cloths or hand towels into the hot “tea” and apply to the liver area. Change towels as they cool off)
• Green clay poultice on the liver, 30 –45 minutes (You can use the leftover clay from the morning. Equal parts green clay + water, apply to liver area like doing a mud-pack facial, cover with a towel for warmth, and relax for 30-45 minutes. Wash off with warm water)
Day 4 Instructions
Exactly like days 1 – 3 except:
No food after 4 PM. Just before bed time, mix 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil with 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice in a bottle with a lid. Shake vigorously to mix, then drink. Go to bed, lie on your right side for a minimum of 30 minutes, and go to sleep.
Exciting things that can happen while you are doing this cleanse:
Many people experience emotional outbursts of anger or depression. Please know that this is part of the clearing and cleansing process. I recommend that you do this cleanse at a time when you can have a lot of time to yourself unless you are doing it with others. Do not prepare food for other people during this time (unless they are on the cleanse also), nor shop, plan, or clean up after them. Stay focused on your own healing.
You may have changes in your elimination patterns. This is a good sign that cleansing is occurring. You may have other signs correlated with detoxing, such as headache, muscle or joint aches, fatigue, changes in body odors etc. These things typically are transient and pass in a short time as the body eliminates toxins.
It may be helpful to keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings during this time. It is common for people to have flashes of insight while on a cleanse, and you want to record those for later reflection. You may also experience negative emotions, which a week later, you won’t be able to remember what you were angry or depressed about, unless you write it down. You can use your journal for further work after the cleanse, as often memories, dreams, and other mental-emotional responses will come to the surface.
After the cleanse, gradually return to a normal way of eating, adopting healthful nutritional practices. After a cleanse it is easier for most people to make a break from harmful substances such as caffeine, nicotine, sugar, etc.
This process can be repeated for deeper cleansing. This could be done up to twice per month. You may do parts of it ongoingly, such as the hot lemon water or cleansing teas.
Disclaimer:
This information is not intended as medical advice or treatment but as holistic health information that has been beneficial to many people. Each person is fully responsible for his/her decisions about health interventions and practices. If you feel you need the assistance of a health care professional, consult with that professional in matters concerning your health.
Have a massage!
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