More and more I am discovering, both on a personal level and with my clients, that in order to deal with any chronic ailment, there is no choice but to enter into a process of liver purging and cleansing. The liver and the gall bladder, are so intimately linked, that a cleanse of one, becomes the precursor to the purging and cleansing of the other. Stagnation in this area has such a rich volume of repercussions, physically, emotionally and spiritually. As I work with various modalities to hold the space for a client coming into balance, the point at which the progress becomes delayed is when we discover that the liver cannot effectively process the physical and emotional toxins any longer. It begins to send clear signals that come in the form of related symptoms so that the person will take notice and respond appropriately. So proceeding forward without doing anything, is like adding clothing to a drawer that is bursting at the seams already. The higher wisdom begins to scream, “No more until you make room to renew!! Clean up your closets. Purge your toxins!!”

Sluggish Liver Symptoms

When the liver is congested and sluggish, this can be responsible for such symptoms as: insomnia, constipation, gas, watery stools, painful and inflamed joints, painful feet, depression, moodiness, angry outbursts, painful periods, muscle spasms, restless legs syndrome, fibroids, endometriosis, low energy, low vitality, blood sugar issues (the pancreas begins to act up too), poor circulation, hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol, PMS and more. Also, the liver is the most emotional organ and its weakness is often connected to emotional sensitivity. Individuals who are emotionally reactive are more prone to a weak liver even if they do not have a poor diet or are not taking medication regularly. So it becomes crucial to stay emotionally focused and balanced to maintain a healthy liver.

Environmental Contributors

Another great contributor to a sluggish and inefficient liver are the environmental pollutants, chemical estrogens in our foods and plastics, over use of drugs, chemicals, poor food quality and of course a sedentary lifestyle (which deprives the body of regular sweating and the cardiovascular, detoxifying benefits of that.) Even among people who do not experience many symptoms or are not dependent on heavy drugs, the liver that has been faithfully doing it’s primary job of filtering blood day in and day out without being “cleansed” or oxygenated. Over the years, the circulating blood deteriorates in quality. Often symptoms are missed because the body is in such a state of stress that it ignores the symptoms. The person simply adapts to the symptoms by numbing out, not paying attention, or simply finding a way to live with a weakened liver (herbal laxatives, headache remedies, muscle relaxants, anti- inflammatories etc..) as a matter of course.

It has been found that children today are born with larger livers as a way to adapt to the to the environment. I am always amazed at how the human body triumphs over the tremendous odds!! Yet on the other side of that analogy is that it has been found that girls are having their periods earlier and earlier due to the environmental estrogens they are consuming. Men are having breast cancers more than before, and sperm counts have been found to be lower in men today due to the estrogens as well.

The liver and the hormones

As the main organ that is responsible for processing and metabolizing hormones, the liver becomes over worked and inefficient in ridding the body of these excess estrogens. The body, which has estrogen receptors in every corner, gradually becomes the storehouse for these havoc reeking hormones. They glom on to fat and on to reproductive tissue creating a complete stagnation of these areas. Weight gain ensues and a non-cancerous tumor begins to form. Fibroids, ovarian cysts, hormone imbalances, PMS, and endometriosis can be just some of the debilitating results.

With all of this evidence, is it a wonder why as a holistic practitioner, I have endeavored to educate people about the benefits of liver cleansing. Cleansing the liver can be a rigorous experience which at times scares people away from proceeding due to a fear that the process will be a too much of a deprivation. It does not have to be that scary.

Chinese herbs to the rescue!

The use of appropriate the Chinese herbs is what I have found to be extremely effective and user friendly. I encourage you to visit an excellent website called www. Sensiblehealth.com, for you to get to know Julia Chang, a Chinese herbalist who trained as a chemist here at the University of Toronto. She combines her western knowledge of chemistry and her eastern knowledge of herbs to effect an impressive group of detoxifying tinctures. You could go down to China town for these same herbs, but I have found in doing that, some clients have experienced reactions to the mold and mildews in the herbs from China town. So this, to me, is the best, most cost effective, and practical way to get these herbs easily and effortlessly.

Julia Chang M.Sc., who is a qualified organic chemist, follows in her family tradition in the use of Chinese herbs. She has more than ten years of experience in the natural health world and six years of experience working in the medical laboratory of North York General Hospital in Toronto, Canada. She has created a unique collection of herbal tinctures for gallstone removal, gallbladder diseases, liver congestion and stagnation, estrogen dominance, menopause, PMS, endometriosis, insomnia, arthritis, thyroid disorders, and allergies. You can contact her at jchang@sensiblehealth.com, For more details about her personal experience and treatment methods, please visit her website at www.sensiblehealth.com

The herbal tinctures are prepared in small batches using a cold extraction method.
They have been prepared in liquid form using water-alcohol as the solvent for extraction and as a carrier to facilitate the assimilation of the herbs. Julia feels that water is a poor solvent for many organic substances and does not go through the liver readily (taken from www.sensiblehealth.com).

While on the Cleanse…..

While on the cleanse it would be wonderful if, for a time, foods that weaken the liver, gall, kidneys and spleen could be avoided or minimized. These include, dairy products, deep fried foods, refined flour or sugar and ice cold foods or drinks. Nothing that creates mucous and thus a harder time for the liver while on the cleanse. Regular exercise which physically stimulates blood circulation and metabolism is also very helpful (taken from www.sensiblehealth.com). Moderation ought to be the rule of thumb after a month of a more rigorous regimen.

Chinese Bitters contains the herbs: Chinese Gentian and Bupleurum. The Gentian purges the liver of fire and damp heat. Bupeurum is a “Chi” regulating herb that is used commonly in the stagnation of liver. Together they are an effective liver purger, that have been found to help alleviate the toxic effects from over use of medication such as painkillers or hormone therapies. They help in digestive juice production. Alleviate menstrual cramps, reduce uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts due to the liver’s improved efficiency in eliminating estrogens. This type of liver purge can assist the body in dredging and purging old emotions of trauma and anger that may be stored in the tissues of the organs (taken from www.sensiblehealth.com). So this cleanse is wonderful in combination with receiving Polarity Therapy. The Bitters are phenomenal! And In conjunction with Coptis (taken from www.sensiblehealth.com) another excellent Chinese herb the Bitters are also effective for alleviating hormone related insomnia and hot flashes experienced in menopause(especially if the symptoms are worse at night). It has also been found to promote pregnancy. It has natural anti-inflammatory properties and has been found to help alleviate joint or arthritic pains (taken from www.sensiblehealth.com).

As I go on about the wonders of Chines Bitters and the purging of the liver, I say to many clients who are suffering with years of symptoms, “Don’t take my word for it. Try it yourself!”. One thing that I know for sure though, is that a clean liver is an opportunity to renew life.

I look forward to hearing how you are doing on the cleanse. I welcome your experiences. Drop me a line at my contact me page. 

Blessings to you!!