TCM: It’s Spring and the Liver is needing some love

It is finally Spring! Our bodies are awakening from a long winter’s nap and it’s time for new growth.

What does this mean for our Qi, our vital life force and flow of energy?

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Spring is the time where the Liver’s energies take the stage. Just like spring is a time of new growth with plants and animals after a long hibernation, the Liver is showing expansive energies and is associated with new growth in our human bodies, almost as if we, too, need to streeeeetch up toward the sun.

What role does the Liver play in our expression of health?

The Liver’s most important job is to store the blood.  It will regulate the volume of blood being used depending on what the body is needing. For example, when we are exercising the Liver will send the blood to the muscles to moisten and nourish them. By doing this, it raises our energy level so we can keep up with the higher demands of our exercise.  If the Liver is not functioning right, the blood will not flow to where it is needed and we can become tired more easily.  The Liver’s ability to store blood is very important with menstruation.  When the Liver is performing right, the menses will be normal, if not there can be a lot of excess bleeding, pain, clotting, and PMS. Another sign of Liver stagnation is difficulty recovering from illness or recurrent illnesses. If the Liver is functioning correctly, the body will be able to fight off pathogens. When Liver is flowing and supported, we can process toxins with greater ease and fight off pathogens when our body encounters them.

The Liver is also responsible for the smooth flow of qi (energy) all over the body. It does this by making certain that all of the qi of the other organs is flowing in the proper direction.  This is why we need to keep our liver happy and healthy!  If our Liver’s qi is flowing smoothly, then our emotions will be balanced. If the qi is blocked somehow, we can experience anger, frustration, depression or nervous energy.  It can also manifest as hypochondriac pain in the chest, throat, or belly.

Liver controls the sinews, which are our tendons and ligaments attached to our muscles and bones. We all know how nice it is when stretching to have moist, supple sinews instead of dry and brittle connective tissue.  When Liver is in need of support, it may present as spasms, numbness, tremors and muscle cramps. The Liver manifests in the fingernails and toenails, which are related to the sinews.  If your nails have spots, cracks, ridges or are dry and brittle, this means that the liver blood is deficient.

The Liver opens into the eyes and helps us to see clearly.  Emotionally, this corresponds to us being able to see things clearly and how connected we are to reality. Deficient Liver blood will lead to blurred vision, dry eyes, color blindness and floaters.  Heat really affects the Liver and this will show with red burning eyes, even headaches, ear ringing and a bitter taste. A healthy Liver will allow us to have a clear sense of direction in planning our futures and organizing our lives.

How can we support the Liver?

Spring is the perfect time to support the Liver by eating fresh green foods and being conscious of expressing our emotions.

Because fresh produce is starting to sprout, we naturally are inclined to eat lighter foods than we did in the winter.  Baby greens, salty foods and pungent herbs will help support the liver and detox the body.  This time of year is the perfect time to detox the body to relieve it from toxins that have built up.  This may also help detox our emotions like frustration, anger and impatience.  All of this will help us begin again and live our lives feeling renewed and purposeful.

We need to remember that the body doesn’t like cold foods, so steaming or sautéing our food is a wonderful way to support the liver.  Eating fried or fatty foods can irritate the Liver, which will present in our emotions and energy.

Foods that nourish the Liver: 

• Honey/mint tea

• Herbs – basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill, bay leaf, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, horseradish, mint, lemon balm, angelica root, prickly ash bark

• Complex Carbohydrates – grains, legumes, seeds

• Vegetables – beets, carrots, watercress, onions, mustard greens, taro root

• Raw foods – sprouted grains, beans, seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables

• Fruits – lemon, lime, grapefruit

• Bitter Foods – rye, romaine lettuce, asparagus, amaranth, , quinoa, alfalfa, radish leaves, citrus peel

• Herbs that clean the Liver - dandilion root, bupleurum, mandarin, milk thistle seeds, Oregon grape root, chamomile flowers

• Foods that detox the Liver– mung beans and their sprouts, lettuce, cucumber, watercress, seaweeds, celery, millet, tofu, plum, chlorophyll rich foods, mushrooms, rhubarb root, radish, daikon radish

The activity that the Liver loves the most is being outside, soaking up the sun and enjoying all of the new beautiful growth that is happing around us.

To learn more about how the Liver affects your flow of qi or to have your own Liver evaluated through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine, please reach out to me! You can find me at Mind and Body Family Wellness in Lenexa, KS.

~Beverly Lynch

Dipl. OM., L.AC. | Mind and Body Family Wellness