As Iridologists, Naturopaths and Herbalists, we often see issues in the areas of liver and digestion – liver metabolism, inflammation, under-functioning, etc. I have been studying Alterative Herbs for the Rosemary Gladstar Herbal Certification class that I teach and realize that there are so many needs for alterative herbs or blood cleaners in the area of digestion. Some of the alterative herbs we are studying include Yellow Dock, Burdock, Dandelion, Red Clover, Echinacea. Alterative herbs work because they, “stimulate the process of absorption (intestinal tract), metabolism (liver), transport (blood and lymph), and excretion (lungs and kidneys).” (Moore. “Metabolism, the Liver, and Herbs”). Deficient energy in the liver will reduce life force and cause early degeneration of the blood and tissues.
The liver is our “Master Detoxifier” and is responsible for the condition of the blood and, therefore, the health of the entire system. When we strengthen the liver, we clean up the blood stream, which is the river of life. Most of us know the things that tax our bodies, especially the liver, things such as:
1. Alcohol
2. Fried, fatty foods (a chicken wrap meal at McDonald’s has over 1200 calories and a lot of fat grams)
3. Hydrogenated fats in processed foods
4. Food preservatives and artificial sweeteners
5. Toxic packaged foods and meats smoked with nitrates
The person with a weak liver will have a diet which reflects a blood sugar problem…it doesn’t matter whether it is a diet of coffee and doughnuts or raw foods and salads…they aren’t getting their body’s needs for proteins and fats satisfied!
So what in TCM they would call Deficient Liver Energy would be noticeable in the body in some of the following ways; you don’t need to have all of them to have a weak liver that needs support.
1. Busy and task oriented but poor follow through
2. Scaly, dry skin
3. Usually small body frame (bone structure)
4. Allergies/hay fever
5. Fluctuates between high energy and crashing energy
6. Uses stimulants to boost adrenals when energy is low
7. One who grazes for food every few hours/hypoglycemia at times
8. Poor circulation causes dry skin and brittle hair
9. Arthritis
10. Wounds are slow to heal
11. May prefer to live on carbs without enough fat or protein and this aggravates blood sugar levels
A weak liver will cause pollution in the internal environment because the system is polluted with the person’s own waste. The body’s response to the inflammation throughout the system ends up being asthma and hay fever and allergies. In addition, the menstrual cycle becomes painful in response.
So how do we correct the problem? Most of us who graze through the day, chide ourselves for being “nervous eaters” or never satisfied. But actually, the gas and bloating, busyness and grazing are our body’s ways of telling us we need more heat (chi, energy) to perform the tasks of digestion and absorption and blood cleaning. The first thing is to get more quality proteins and fats, increase plant foods in our diets with an emphasis on warming root vegetables, and add soups and stews to our daily diet. Sometimes steamed vegetables are better for people with this problem than raw.
Stay away from cold foods and drinks, too many raw foods (even salads) and especially sweet fruits and their juices.
Rely on teas made from the alterative herbs to heal and support liver and blood cleaning. Here are a few of Rosemary Gladstar’s suggestions for Liver Enhancing teas:
Liver Cleanse Tea
This tea is a digestive bitter, so it is quite strong, but can be diluted with extra water or lemon.
2 parts Burdock Root
3 parts Dandelion Root and 2 part roasted Dandelion Root (if available)
1 part Pau D’Arco
1 part Cinnamon
2 parts Licorice Root
½ part Yellow Dock Root
¼ part Echinacea Root
Be sure to steep the tea for 20 minutes because of the many roots. Drink 3 or 4 cups per day.