Do you need to detox? A TCM perspective

Did you know your body is always detoxing? Your liver and kidneys—along with other organs like your intestines and skin—are constantly working to filter hormones, chemicals, nutrients, and more from your body.

Here’s the catch, these organs, and in particular your liver, can get overwhelmed. Chronic stress, and inflammatory food and beverage like alcohol, fried foods and refined sugar can increase the livers workload. This is when symptoms can begin to appear, ranging from PMS and acne to fatigue, sluggishness, and allergies.

In these times you don’t necessarily need to take something to help the liver do its thing. You could temporarily reduce or eliminate pro inflammatory foods, reduce stress and increase exercise to boost the livers metabolism. That said, using an herbal formula that supports the liver’s natural functions can be incredibly helpful in speeding up the process—because let’s be honest, lifestyle changes can take time to integrate.

When I recommend liver support, it's important to remember that it’s exactly that—helping your body through a time of increased need. My approach always involves targeting supplements to your specific health condition and eliminating them when you’ve improved. Individuals with chronic conditions, however, often benefit from long-term supplementation. This is why it’s crucial to work with a trained provider (not a wellness influencer) who can tailor supplements to your specific needs.

So why all the talk about detoxes? Are they needed? Detoxes in western society are mostly there to sell you something while promoting diet culture. We are not signaling our body to “go into detox” when we take a supplement or go on an extreme diet. These methods are often stressful, expensive, and tout quick fix “results” like weight loss. 

Traditional Chinese medicine doesn’t recognize western cultures version of detox. Instead the liver organ is associated with a season. Spring is said to be the time to give your liver some extra love after a long winter of hibernation. Eat bitter flavors that stimulate the gallbladder to release bile to help you digest. Enjoy dark leafy greens that contain the compound DIM which helps the liver break down estrogen. Exercise your body to move Liver Qi and release stuck emotions that we’ve carried through winter. Sip on teas with liver stimulating herbs like dandelion leaf. Most liver supporting herbs flourish in the Spring. Isn’t natures wisdom fascinating?

Think your liver needs personalized support? Schedule online or send us an email!

Kecia Fox is a Licensed acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner in Portland, Oregon, specializing in holistic treatment of chronic pain and stress.