when and why cleanse the liver?

now that we're well into march - if you're in the northern hemisphere - it's high time for a detox. so why is this a particularly good time to cleanse over other times of the year?

the answer really is inside yourself - with how you're feeling. it is of course still a difficult time with covid19

and you may never in a million years imagine yourself saying "...think I'll switch out all sugars for some apple cider vinegar". but you can feel the change in your body as the sun comes back into our hemisphere. as all of nature adjusts and opens and sprouts - you can feel your own openness to the newness all around

 

and it is this energy that's needed to renew our much needed organs of detoxification. in the chinese calendar - this is the time of year for the liver and the gallbladder (but for me, this is just external validation for what you can feel internally).

but why is a detox or liver cleanse needed? if we eat a great diet - isn't that enough? well in a word - no

the liver is responsible for more than 500 separate functions - so its smooth running is vital for everything else to work, and we are exposed to an unfathomable number of toxins in our food, in our clothing, in that candle, in those cleaning products, that deodorant, your sofa, your skincare...

 it's great if you're consciously trying to avoid toxins - but there's a lot and they are sneaky! and the more toxins that we come into contact with, the harder the liver has to work, in time it gets congested and is not operating as well as it should. which further reduces its capacity and it gets more sluggish, so a cleanse is ideal to reboot and get it working at its best.

here are some signs that your liver might need a good cleanse:

• bloating
• constipation
• fatigue
• dark urine
• itchy skin, hives or rashes
• nausea
• hormonal imbalance/oestrogen dominance
• a higher than normal chemical sensitivity
• eyes are bloodshot/greying of skin around them
• dark spots on cheeks or around eyes (called 'liver spots')

 

and if you're ticking a few boxes above....time to start thinking detoxing thoughts