We often feel fatigued and sluggish as Spring approaches. Dry skin, dry eyes or blurry sight, brittle hair and nails, cracked heels, hormone issues, disrupted sleep and mental health concerns can escalate as we emerge from the winter months.
As always syncing with natural cycles supports our body beautifully.
In traditional medicine, Spring has long been associated with the Liver and considered the best time to give our liver some love and nourishment.
The colour green and bitter and sour flavours are connected with the liver, which are great clues in what to eat to support our liver. Think dandelion greens, rocket(arugula), chicory, green apples, kiwi fruit, coriander, green tea, mustard greens, parsley, bitter melon, cabbage and while not green, beetroot, citrus and their peels, ghee, EVOO, fermented foods, goji berries, shredded carrot salad, coffee and very dark chocolate are beneficial sour or bitter foods to include in the diet at this time of year.
Additionally in traditional medicine, like supports like, so including nutrient dense liver in your diet is beneficial in so many ways, not least with energy production probably due to the effect eating liver has on our blood circulation and providing iron in particular. Chicken livers tend to be the most palatable starting point.
In herbal medicine St Mary’s thistle is our go to liver herb, as is Chanka Piedra. Other herbs include Dong Quai, Schisandra and Artichoke. Please get some professional advice from a trained practitioner before consuming.
Spring is also a great time for stretching and movement in general. In traditional Chinese medicine the liver channel is connected to the sinews, tendons and ligaments in the body. Imbalances in the liver, particular at Spring time, can express as stiffness and pain in these connective tissues. Gentle stretching and movement in general can be very helpful. Doing this activity outside can give you extra bang for you buck as there is accumulating evidence that skin exposure to sunlight-derived Ultra Violet Rays has potent anti-inflammatory effects in the liver https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4446748/
Waking between 1am and 3am is a sign your liver needs some attention.
Castor Oil packs, especially if you are already experiencing tenderness in the area of your liver, are effective for supporting the liver as are enemas, coffee enemas in particular.
Anger is the emotion of the liver and unexpressed, pent up anger has a considerable effect on the functioning of the liver. Again movement can be helpful here, especially in short bursts of intensity. Crying, yelling/shouting (in an appropriate way and place) and punching a pillow are also great ways to express anger. Of course recognising and trying to resolve the cause of the anger is most beneficial.
To me prioritising liver health all every day is essential for overall good health, giving our liver some concentrated love at this time of year in particular, helps set us up for a calm, balanced mind and body with all pathways flowing smoothly, as we head into the summer months and the hectic and often stressful Christmas period for us in the Southern hemisphere.