Today is the first day of Spring. At the beginning of the year we have our resolutions that we promise ourselves not to break and at the beginning of spring we find ourselves actually motivated to achieve these goals. I find spring to be an easier time to start or finish those resolutions. It's a time of renewal in all sense. This spring has been especially more of a renewal than most years. I'm turning a '9' year this year. It's said that people tend to spend more time and money on improving themselves in their year of '9'. That has sure been my case. The major of these 'improvements' has been an intense detox program with Karyn Calabrese. It hasn't been easy. I've hit major roadbumps, I've balled my eyes out, I've imagined walking up to Karyn and throwing that damned Kamut in her face, but in the end of it all I realize that I am renewing my body and my obligation to my life.
Most people I talk to think I am crazy (which I am) so I have an easier version to help you cleanse your liver, pain free. Try it for a week and see how you feel.
Here are 10 ways to increase your vitality and give your liver a little more TLC:
(reproduced from The Huffington Post)
1. Drink plenty of water. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D. is one of the world's foremost experts on the therapeutic value of water. He suggests that half of your body's weight is the number of ounces of water to aim for each day. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, 60 ounces of water is your goal. I have seen the beneficial effects of this formula in the clinic with many patients over the years. Also, drinking a glass of warm water with lemon first thing in the morning will support your liver's natural detoxification processes. By the way, dehydrating beverages such as coffee and alcohol don't count towards your total water intake.
2. Eat vegetables every day, especially greens. In TCM, the color green is associated with the liver. When choosing your salad fixings, go for the organic spring mix instead of the iceberg. Your liver will love a variety of greens such as kale, spinach, and collard greens. The color green in these vegetables comes from chlorophyll, a substance plants use to trap the energy of the sun. Go ahead--eat some sunshine!
3. Add sour-tasting foods to your diet. These include citrus fruits (sprinkle lemon in your water and on foods such as fish and vegetables), raw apple cider vinegar (good for balancing pH--try two tablespoons in a glass of water, or use with olive oil on your salad), and sauerkraut (which contains beneficial bacteria). With our over-sugared, over-salted palates, we often overlook sour-tasting foods. According to TCM, the sour flavor is associated with the liver, and it enhances bile flow.
4. Avoid toxic fats, eat beneficial ones. Decrease your consumption of trans fats and partially-hydrogenated oils. Toxic fats put an unnecessary burden on the liver, further stagnating qi flow. Emphasize organic, unprocessed oils (such as olive oil and flax oil) in your food preparation. Increase the use of fish that is low in mercury, avocados, nuts, and seeds in your diet. Consider supplementing your diet with an Omega-3 supplement to boost your essential fatty acid intake. Omega-3 supplementation has been shown to decrease cardiovascular disease risk, and it can reduce symptoms of arthritis, depression, cognitive decline, and a seemingly endless list of health challenges.
5. Reduce your sugar consumption. On average, Americans eat 137 pounds of sugar a year! It's the hidden sugars that often add up. Watch what you add to foods like cereal and coffee. Read food labels and avoid overly sugary choices. Know that "fat free" foods can be loaded with sugar, and actually increase triglycerides, a fat in your blood. Eat whole fruits rather than drinking fruit juice. If you find your cravings too strong to follow practical steps, you might find helpful hints in The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program by Kathleen Desmaisons.
6. Eat close to nature. Often simpler is better. Select the best of what comes from Mother Nature, and avoid artificial ingredients and toxic sweeteners by eating less packaged foods. Go organic as much as possible. The Environmental Working Group offers a free guide to pesticides found in common foods. You might be surprised that peaches, apples, and bell peppers top their list of the "dirty dozen"―foods recommended especially to be purchased in their organic version.
7. Incorporate more conscious breathing and exercise into your routine to boost circulation and enhance overall liver function. Choose a form of exercise that you enjoy, and remember to breathe. In traditional Chinese cultures, you can see people doing qi gong, which emphasizes breathing and movement specifically designed to promote the smooth flow of qi.
8. Choose to be joyful by cultivating a spirit of gratitude, and regularly forgive others as well as yourself. In TCM, the emotion that contributes to stagnant liver qi is anger, especially repressed anger. The virtues that free the liver qi are forgiveness and a release of judgment towards self and others. In China, when someone is angry, they are said to have a toxic liver. In fact, a morning greeting there translates to "How is your liver?"
9. Reduce or eliminate your use of alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. These substances can become very addictive, masking a greater imbalance in our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Taking these suggested steps to give our liver some TLC can be part of a comprehensive program to heal our reliance on potentially harmful chemicals.
10. Schedule time for self-care. Get a massage, take a yoga class, etc. I say schedule because I've noticed something in our 24/7 culture. This is that if we don't put taking care of ourselves on our own list, it often doesn't happen. Even Oprah, the woman who seems to have everything, admitted her health started to suffer as she didn't put self-care as a priority on her to-do list.
Here are 10 ways to increase your vitality and give your liver a little more TLC:
(reproduced from The Huffington Post)
1. Drink plenty of water. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D. is one of the world's foremost experts on the therapeutic value of water. He suggests that half of your body's weight is the number of ounces of water to aim for each day. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, 60 ounces of water is your goal. I have seen the beneficial effects of this formula in the clinic with many patients over the years. Also, drinking a glass of warm water with lemon first thing in the morning will support your liver's natural detoxification processes. By the way, dehydrating beverages such as coffee and alcohol don't count towards your total water intake.
2. Eat vegetables every day, especially greens. In TCM, the color green is associated with the liver. When choosing your salad fixings, go for the organic spring mix instead of the iceberg. Your liver will love a variety of greens such as kale, spinach, and collard greens. The color green in these vegetables comes from chlorophyll, a substance plants use to trap the energy of the sun. Go ahead--eat some sunshine!
3. Add sour-tasting foods to your diet. These include citrus fruits (sprinkle lemon in your water and on foods such as fish and vegetables), raw apple cider vinegar (good for balancing pH--try two tablespoons in a glass of water, or use with olive oil on your salad), and sauerkraut (which contains beneficial bacteria). With our over-sugared, over-salted palates, we often overlook sour-tasting foods. According to TCM, the sour flavor is associated with the liver, and it enhances bile flow.
4. Avoid toxic fats, eat beneficial ones. Decrease your consumption of trans fats and partially-hydrogenated oils. Toxic fats put an unnecessary burden on the liver, further stagnating qi flow. Emphasize organic, unprocessed oils (such as olive oil and flax oil) in your food preparation. Increase the use of fish that is low in mercury, avocados, nuts, and seeds in your diet. Consider supplementing your diet with an Omega-3 supplement to boost your essential fatty acid intake. Omega-3 supplementation has been shown to decrease cardiovascular disease risk, and it can reduce symptoms of arthritis, depression, cognitive decline, and a seemingly endless list of health challenges.
5. Reduce your sugar consumption. On average, Americans eat 137 pounds of sugar a year! It's the hidden sugars that often add up. Watch what you add to foods like cereal and coffee. Read food labels and avoid overly sugary choices. Know that "fat free" foods can be loaded with sugar, and actually increase triglycerides, a fat in your blood. Eat whole fruits rather than drinking fruit juice. If you find your cravings too strong to follow practical steps, you might find helpful hints in The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program by Kathleen Desmaisons.
6. Eat close to nature. Often simpler is better. Select the best of what comes from Mother Nature, and avoid artificial ingredients and toxic sweeteners by eating less packaged foods. Go organic as much as possible. The Environmental Working Group offers a free guide to pesticides found in common foods. You might be surprised that peaches, apples, and bell peppers top their list of the "dirty dozen"―foods recommended especially to be purchased in their organic version.
7. Incorporate more conscious breathing and exercise into your routine to boost circulation and enhance overall liver function. Choose a form of exercise that you enjoy, and remember to breathe. In traditional Chinese cultures, you can see people doing qi gong, which emphasizes breathing and movement specifically designed to promote the smooth flow of qi.
8. Choose to be joyful by cultivating a spirit of gratitude, and regularly forgive others as well as yourself. In TCM, the emotion that contributes to stagnant liver qi is anger, especially repressed anger. The virtues that free the liver qi are forgiveness and a release of judgment towards self and others. In China, when someone is angry, they are said to have a toxic liver. In fact, a morning greeting there translates to "How is your liver?"
9. Reduce or eliminate your use of alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. These substances can become very addictive, masking a greater imbalance in our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Taking these suggested steps to give our liver some TLC can be part of a comprehensive program to heal our reliance on potentially harmful chemicals.
10. Schedule time for self-care. Get a massage, take a yoga class, etc. I say schedule because I've noticed something in our 24/7 culture. This is that if we don't put taking care of ourselves on our own list, it often doesn't happen. Even Oprah, the woman who seems to have everything, admitted her health started to suffer as she didn't put self-care as a priority on her to-do list.
Stop and smell the rosemary
(JCM at Chicago Botanical Gardens '05)
Until next time, Happy Spring!
Until next time, Happy Spring!
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