Spring is the season of the wood element in Chinese Medicine, and the associated organs are the gallbladder and liver. Many people struggle with physical conditions affecting those organs, including gallstones, fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis. Thankfully, Chinese Medicine offers some practical and easy solutions to help your gallbladder and liver function their best.
- Express your emotions.
The energy of the wood element is anger. Unfortunately in our culture, anger is one of the least socially acceptable emotions to openly express. However, when we push anger and pressure from high levels of stress down and do not allow it to naturally flow up and out, we cause energetic blockages that lead to stagnation and even worse, a condition called liver fire rising. This can cause redness in the face and eyes, outbursts of anger, irritability, tinnitus, and migraines.
One healthy way to express anger is to scream into and/or punch a pillow. Get as angry as you need to, cursing, yelling, punching, and crying until you feel like you’ve gotten it all out. Repeat this as many times as needed.
- Exercise it out.
One of the best ways to move any energetic stagnation in the liver and gallbladder is to exercise. Fast-twitch muscle exercises and cardio workouts are great choices, but even walking, tai ji, or doing any kind of movement will help.
- Drink warm water with lemon upon waking.
Lemon is used in Chinese Medicine to cleanse the liver, and drinking it with warm water helps to give a good start to your digestion for the day. Incorporating lemon into foods you prepare will also help balance the liver and gallbladder, since sour is the taste of the wood element.
- Eat foods that support the liver and gallbladder.
Beyond lemon, there are many other foods that support these organs, such as:
- Broccoli
- Beets
- Radishes
- Dandelion
- Kale
- Carrots
- Celery
- Grapefruit
- Herbs such as: basil, dill, chive, garlic, and cardamom
- Teas such as: peppermint, jasmine, green, and chrysanthemum
There are many other foods that help as well; if you mostly choose fresh, whole foods that are in season, and avoid processed, greasy, heavy foods and alcohol, then you will make choices that support the liver and gallbladder and help you to feel light and clear.
- Reduce caffeine, alcohol, and intoxicants during the spring.
The spring is a time of renewal, and so to give your body a fresh start after a long winter, cut down your consumption of these substances. Give your gallbladder and liver a fighting chance, and they’ll be able to better carry you into the summer months as you may begin to gather with friends at parties and gatherings. Make sure to instead stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water to help flush out any toxins from your system and keep yourself at peak condition.
Practicing these simple steps will help your liver and gallbladder to function optimally and leads to less stress. Because the liver and gallbladder are responsible in Chinese Medicine for planning and decision-making, you may even find more ease when it comes to those areas of your life as well!
Note: This article was originally published in a local magazine for their March 2023 issue. For citation references, please contact Dr. Yocum at https://jenyocum.com/contact/
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