Spring Cleaning Isn't Just For Your House
Alright, so it’s a teeeeeny bit past what we could call “Spring.”
Whatever.
That’s not important. But what is important is what Spring represents. And that is wood.
Well, at least according to the Classical Five Element Chinese Medicine theory.
Here’s what the Epoch Times [1] has to say about this:
“Wood exemplifies the energy of growth, change, and pushing through It is a very active energy that allows for a lot of movement and progress, both internally and externally. In Spring, we may have more energy to get moving on projects, hence the classic “spring cleaning.” It is a good time of year to work on any blockages.”
Ok, so we get that Spring is associated with wood, but why is that important?
The wood element represents your liver.
So while you’re scrubbing those floors or sweeping up every last dust bunny, turn that cleaning inward and detox that liver!
Now, you might be asking yourself, “Why start with the liver?”
For starters, we’re in quarantine. And as an adult, there’s only so many ways to cope with that, especially if you’re a parent and have unruly kids who won’t do their schoolwork and won’t let you get a workout in, or you just can’t stand the people you’re living with anymore.
But I digress…
The reason we start with the liver is because everything starts there (like your emotions, health issues, etc.).
If you think about the wood element, you probably envision a tree and think how you’re anything like it. But it’s more about what the tree represents: balance, flexibility, and engaged.
According to Brigitte Mars [2], “Trees are our closest concept to the element of Wood. Wood is considered the first element, corresponding to spring, and referred to as “young yang.” It covers and penetrates the earth, growing, rooted, and proliferating rapidly. Wood is flexible, yielding, strong and durable. Wood expands away from its center, grasping the deep Earth essence and drawing it toward heaven.”
So if you’ve found that you’re dealing with more emotional or physical health issues, chances are you need to detox your liver.
And here’s how you get started!
By eating a specific diet and taking the appropriate supplements to promote a healthier, better functioning liver.
Let’s break down the food portion:
Eat according to your appetite (don’t under or overeat)
Eat organic (non-processed) foods
Drink ½ your weight in ounces of water daily
Eat 3 small meals per day (25% protein, 75% veggies)
Eat 3 snacks per day in between meals
Sounds easy, right?
Now, here’s the fine print…
You should also avoid things that cause inflammation like dairy, gluten, red meats, nuts, and sugar.
For the supplements, it’s pretty easy, as there are only three supplements to take along with a powder. Now, it’s recommended to stop taking any over-the-counter supplements, but to continue to take prescribed medications.
All you gotta do after knowing what to eat and what to take is the when and the how.
This four-week cleanse will have you eating 6 times a day, taking the three supplements with your 3 main meals, and the powder once to three times a day, depending on the day of the week and where you are at in the program.
After the workout we’ve probably all been giving our livers during this pandemic, it’s safe to say that a bunch of us should probably start this cleanse.
Sources:
1. Epoch Times