Cleaning House – Detoxing with TCM

Everybody needs to detoxify and give their body a break from time to time. Spring and fall are typically the best times to cleanse, but one can detoxify and cleanse at any time. It can be particularly helpful after a period of over-indulgence to help you get back on track and feel better.

“Toxic overload” can have many faces and may show up in the form of headaches, allergies, skin eruptions, fatigue, insomnia, mood swings, digestive complaints as well as chronic pain just to name a few.

The liver, lungs, kidneys and colon are the primary sites in the body where toxins are processed and eliminated so it is important to target all these organs when cleansing.

A pure and natural whole food diet along with avoiding refined foods, sugars, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco are gentle ways to rid the body of toxins. Including some naturally detoxifying foods in your diet daily can help to facilitate the cleansing process and correct any toxic overload.

Naturally detoxifying foods include: cranberries (unsweetened), high fiber foods such as whole grains, fresh organic fruits and vegetables, flax seed, rhubarb, mung beans, onions, coriander, cumin, turmeric, dandelion greens, burdock root and nettles (taken in tea form)

Other detoxifying tips include:

• Drinking plenty of water- it is essential to help flush toxins from your system
• Try eating your largest meal mid-day and avoid late night eating to give your organs a chance to rest and detoxify over night.
• Eat lightly sautéed or steamed foods avoiding anything fried or greasy
• Avoid dairy products and cheese and decrease your animal meat consumption.
• Exercise regularly – it helps ride the body of toxins through perspiration.
• Rest! The body has to work extra hard while cleansing so it’s important to listen to your body and rest.

For some these basic tips may be enough but for others it may not be if your body has gotten too far out of balance. A professionally designed and monitored cleansing program, customized to you, including dietary changes, herbal formulas and acupuncture can help to correct imbalances and bring you back to a vibrant state of health. Ask for more details if you feel this applies to you.