There are thousands of detoxes out there, though, there is little evidence that ‘detox diets’ actually remove toxins, this is the job your liver and kidneys do every day. What we need to focus on when it comes to ‘detoxing’, is nourishing these organs.

The liver does a seriously tough job. It works around the clock functioning as the body’s very own detox centre.

You see, the liver filters blood.

Imagine a giant sponge, when you filter blood through the giant sponge, all the toxins that we don’t want in our blood, get left behind in sponge (liver).

Pollution, additives in our food, alcohol, cigarettes – they all leave toxins behind in the blood that the liver then has to try and filter.

So naturally, the liver sometimes just needs a really good clean – our bodies function better when they’re clean. Doesn’t everything?

Back to the liver, in Chinese Medicine a blocked liver can mean blocked Qi, so we want to get things working as soon as possible. Not only so our system can detox the way it’s meant to, but so that our Qi can flow, and we can feel our best. For more on Qi, we’ve written a blog here.

Signs your liver isn’t functioning at its best:

• You’re constantly exhausted, with no real motivation; “what life goals?”
• You are tired and could sleep all day; “work? Do you think they’ll notice if I don’t turn up?”
• Digestion isn’t working properly; bloating, gas, pain, diarrhoea/constipation; “surely everyone’s jeans are uncomfortable”.
• Emotional; anxiety, depressed…cue, patient partners.
• Headaches; “I could have sworn I bought a 64 pack of Advil yesterday”.
• Muscles and joint pain…everything is hurting, all the time…
• Gaining weight; “I’m sure my clothes are shrinking”.

We’ve all probably seen most of these, maybe not at the same time, but one or another along the way. Together however, they’re signs that perhaps your liver isn’t functioning at its best. One of the biggest causes of lethargy is sugar consumption. Did you realise that your daily sugar habit could be the reason you feel awful all the time? Excess sugar runs rampant in the blood stream, ending up in our liver. Have you been eating too much sugar? Time to detox your diet and cleanse your liver.

But I’ve always felt this tired…

Well, guess what? You can feel better. And you will.

What are the benefits of a Liver Detox?

Cleaning the liver results in improved liver function, the result of this is healthier blood reaching all your cells.

Blood is our life force, healthy blood means an overall healthy (and happy) human.

So, what are the direct benefits of this?

• Increased energy, goodbye caffeine
• Clearer skin
• Improved digestion, no more bloating or bowel troubles
• Less joint and muscle pain
• Less bruising
• Potential weight loss

What can we do about the liver? How can we clean it up?

A few things, one of the most notable is a supplement called Milk Thistle. Known for its ability to protect the liver and promote healthy liver and kidney function, Milk Thistle may help the liver repair itself by growing new cells. So that’s a win.

Limit your intake of sugar.

Go organic, or at least pesticide free for a few weeks, to eliminate external toxins (that you can’t control) from your diet.

Dr. Nat Kringoudis is a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM); she developed our Liver Cleanse Tea for the purpose of wellbeing. Nourishing the liver, and helping you be the best version of you. It’s self-respect in a teacup.

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