Do you suddenly have the urge to organize the closets, start a new project, or begin a cleanse? If yes, you are in alignment with the energy of Spring. It’s time to clean out your closets and detox your liver, too!
Oftentimes, at this time of year, the body naturally begins cleansing itself from excess oils, fats, salt, carbohydrates, and animal proteins by releasing a flu or cold. Some folks may also suffer mysterious bodily aches and pains, and don’t understand why. Don’t worry… you are not falling apart, this is the liver’s way of releasing toxins and cleaning house.
We can aid our liver through this natural cleansing process by eating lightly prepared meals, less food overall, eliminating animal products for a specific period of time, and/or fasting from food entirely. The springtime, I believe, is the best time of year to go “vegan” or “vegetarian” for a short period of time.
Traditionally, many cultures and religions around the world have used some type of cleansing or fasting ritual, especially in the Spring and Fall months. In the springtime, fasting can help relieve the pent-up stagnation of winter (physically, emotionally and spiritually).
Some examples include Orthodox Greeks that fast for up to seven weeks during the spring. They abstain from eating foods from animals with red blood (meats, poultry, game) and products from animals with red blood (milk, cheese, eggs, etc.), and fish and seafood. Wine and olive oil are also restricted. Fasting is serious business. Imagine…. seven weeks without olive oil? Oh my!
The Catholics fast for 40 days prior to Easter. This fast includes eating lighter meals and abstaining from meat on Fridays. Many other religions and cultures around the world have some type of fasting regimen during the spring months, too.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the spring correlates with the Liver and Gallbladder meridians. Reducing animal fats and proteins, as well as fasting, supports the healing and renewal of this complementary organ system. It seems religions around the world and traditional healing therapies have this commonality; spring cleaning the body is essential for physical and spiritual healing.
Every Spring, I too, begin a fasting ritual. I eat lighter foods (salads, sprouts, spring soups, fish) and reduce heavy animal proteins and fats for a few weeks. I follow that up with three days of The Master Cleanser (lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, water). While doing the Master Cleanser, I abstain from food entirely and only drink the liquid for a short period of time (three days). Some folks fast for longer, but I feel that my body and soul are pretty clear already and 72 hours works perfectly for my system.
This year, instead of The Master Cleanser, I’m doing a specific Liver Detox/Cleanse from Linda Page’s Healthy Healing. Here is a partial list of what it entails:
- Drink 8 glasses of water per day. Add ¼ tsp. vitamin C crystals to each glass of water (it’s a natural heavy metal toxin chelator).
- Have a dark leafy vegetable salad every day
- One cup of miso soup with sea vegetables the night before you begin the cleanse
- Make a liver tonic: 4 oz hawthorn berries, 2 oz red sage (salvia), 1 oz of cardamom seeds. Steep 24 hours in 2 qts. water. Add honey. Take 2 cups daily.
For the next 3 days…
- On rising: take 1 lemon squeezed in water; or 2 tbsp. cider vinegar in water with 1 tsp. honey.
- Breakfast: take a potassium broth, or carrot-beet-cucumber juice. Add 1 tsp. spirulina to any drink.
- Mid-morning: take a green veggie drink; or a green superfood powder in water or vegetable juice.
- Lunch: have a glass of fresh carrot juice, or organic apple juice, or a cup of liver tonic.
- Mid-afternoon: mint or green tea, or Crystal Star Liver Cleansing Tea
- Dinner: have another carrot juice or a mixed vegetable juice, or hot vegetable broth
- Before bed: a pineapple/papaya juice with 1 tsp. Royal Jelly
I’ve experimented with various cleanses in Linda’s book before (Bladder/Kidney Cleanse, Lung & Respiratory Detox) and have had good results with myself, and with clients. This is the first time I’ll be doing her Liver Detox in the Spring. I’m sure it’ll be a great way to start the season, and spring into spring renewed, ready, and receptive to spiritual guidance for the coming year.
Let me know if you decide to try it for yourself and what your results are.
Happy Spring!
Wishing you health,
Andrea Beaman, HHC, CHEF
Andrea Beaman’s Original ‘detox-your-liver’ Article
