As Spring light grows brighter, it shows the dusty corners and the cobwebs that have gathered over winter it’s time to spring clean. So why not treat your body just like your house and clear out a sluggish liver. In Western and Chinese Medicine the Liver is the organ and meridian system for detox and regeneration, clearing out and metabolise fats that have been stored during the winter and the liver is the organ to do this.
With its detoxifying abilities, it’s important that we make sure this organ wakes up with Spring so that we don’t suffer from stiff joints, high cholesterol, painful periods and even erectile dysfunction.Blood has to flow smoothly through the body and if the liver can’t get rid of waste efficiently, the body will become painful and toxic. Emotionally, in Chinese Medicine, this leads to anger and frustration rather than flexible, clear-headed problem-solving.
It’s easy to fix though. Here are a few tips:
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- Try not to eat after 6 pm or before 9 am. After all, breakfast means breaking of a fast so try not to have snacks after dinner or grazing between meals.
- Cutting out milk, cheese, ice-cream and buttery spreads, replacing with olive oil or coconut milk in stews and curries, will ease the congestion on the liver.
- As the variety of fresh fruit and vegetable increase, try more salads and raw foods at the table. Thinly slice courgettes, grate carrots and toss through with lemon juice, olive oil and a sprinkle of salt as an alternative to the hot, cooked dishes that got us through the winter. These sour flavour dishes stimulate the liver and the raw element helps with the production of enzymes to digest and metabolize foods with ease.
A favourite recipe of mine from my Good Food: Better Sex Cookbook, replaces heavy, refined carbohydrate pasta with light luscious courgettes. You don’t have to have a spiraliser for this recipe you can use a potato peeler to shave thin slices then roughly chop lengthways. Green is the colour for the liver in Chinese Medicine, it helps stimulate the gall bladder to produce bile to further help the liver break down a fatty rich diet. So keep it clean, keep it green.
Black Olive and Lemon Courgetti (serves 2)
- 2 Spiralized Courgettes
Dressing
- 100g Black Olives
- 80g Basil Leaves
- 80-120g Flat Leaf Parsley
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- 5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Juice of 1 Lemon
Method
Spiralize the courgettes whilst popping all the other ingredients into a blender and blitzing for 30 seconds so that the olives are still chunky. When ready toss the tangy, zesty dressing through the courgetti with a fork.
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Now is the time to make the change you’ve been wanting to. I’ve been supporting people and groups for over 20 years to make the changes they want to see in their life, so now it’s time for you. Together we can work on a diet plan and lifestyle changes that help you create the life you want.
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