The spring is a time of awakening and revitalization as we become more active and ready to shed the weight and heaviness of the winter. While there are no shortage of diet and exercise plans that tout the benefits of juices, pills or whatever the next fad or trend is, there are simple steps you can take to help your body naturally detoxify so you can feel refreshed and lighter.
- Drink warm water with freshly squeezed lemon juice or a shot of apple cider vinegar first thing in the morning. Both lemon juice and apple cider vinegar have been shown to help your liver function, which helps your body naturally detox. Just make sure that you mix either of these with a good amount of water, to prevent damage to your teeth or esophagus.
- Do a few twisting yoga poses each day. In yoga, it is thought that twisting poses help to wring out toxins from the body, or that it helps to stimulate blood flow to the middle of the body, nourishing the organs and improving digestion. The easiest pose to begin with is a seated twist. Sit in an easy cross-legged position, or in a chair, and inhale, sitting up as tall as you can, making your spine long. Exhale and twist to the right, placing your left hand on your right knee or thigh, and placing the right hand behind you or on the chair back. Hold for a couple of breaths, and then return to center on an exhale. Inhale and twist to the left, taking your right hand to the left knee or thigh, and the left hand behind you. Hold for a couple breaths, then exhale and return to center. Repeat at least one more time on each side if you are able.
- Fuel your organs with healthy food. You may have heard that you can “sweat out toxins” by going to a sauna, but science doesn’t really back that up. In order to release toxins, organs like your liver need to have the proper fuel, which is a diet that is made up of primarily whole foods such as vegetables and fruits. In Chinese Medicine, dark leafy greens, berries, celery, beets, cruciferous vegetables, seaweed and even honey are helpful for the liver. Make sure to avoid fatty, fried foods, alcohol, sugar, dairy, and highly processed foods as much as possible.
- Exercise, emphasizing fast twitch muscle movements. The liver loves quick bursts of movement, such as sprints, boxing, jumping, power lifting, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Incorporate some of these movements each day for ideally 15-30 minutes. If fast twitch movements are not currently something you can do, don’t worry. Any type of movement, including lower impact exercises such as walking, swimming, tai ji, qi gong, or dancing is beneficial to the liver.
- Spend time outdoors and/or pursuing creative outlets or hobbies. Spending time outdoors is highly restorative to us and our body, mind, and spirit. Our liver is additionally nourished when we pursue creative endeavors, whatever that means to us. See if you can combine the two where possible, for example, going on a nature hike and playing animal bingo to see how many birds and animals you can find (one of my kids’ favorite activities), making flower portraits or crowns, painting en plein air (painting outdoors), or trying new outdoor sports.
Doing as many of these simple steps above as you can manage will allow your body to naturally feel its best. If you don’t have the time or energy to tackle them all, just pick one or two that speak to you the most or are the easiest to fit into your lifestyle and you’ll be on your way to your detox goals!
Note: This article was originally published in a local magazine for their March 2022 issue. For citation references, please contact Dr. Yocum at https://jenyocum.com/contact/
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