Loving-3-phase-detox for Spring rejuvenation

There needs to be a balance in everything and that includes a detox programme.

Our body is so intelligent it detoxes anyway, daily and seasonally, better still if we give it a helping hand.

There are many obvious reasons for doing a periodic detox: the pollution we are surrounded by, including industrialised food, the medicines we take (including vaccines), the endogenous substances our bodies produce under stress which interrupt smooth elimination and the little physical exercise we do to oxygenate the body, are just a few examples.

No doubt, every now and then, our body requires our loving attention. In fact, the intention of a detox should be the desire to give our body some loving attention. Hence, the loving-3-phase-detox is designed to be gentle on your systems, yet effective. Having convinced you as to "why", let me explain "when" and "how" to detox.

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When? There are only two times of the year when the energy is propense to detox: one is in Spring and the other is in Autumn. Spring is when the activity of Liver is at its peak, Autumn when the Colon helps us to eliminate (especially the parasites). Still the Spring time has no equals for the all-around detox. The energies in our bodies are rising and moving, which aids in the clearing out process.

How? The key words are: in a loving, gentle and phased approach. According to the Chinese Medicine, the first, most external way to eliminate is via the Bladder, the water system. Starting from the water soluble toxins we skim the first layer of debris, eliminate toxic heat, acute inflammations but at the same time warm up and sustain the body in preparation for the next stage: transforming the phlegm. During the second stage we transform the more dense body fluids which form humidity and phlegm (giving the rise to chronic illnesses). We also prepare the intestines, ensuring their proper movement and elimination, setting up the ground for lipid soluble elimination that comes from the Liver filtering in the third stage.

Whereas we could do all of this at the same time, phasing out in three stages, ideally spread over 6 weeks, gives our body time to deal with each stage in turn. You could assign 10 days or minimum 7 days, for each phase.

Another important principle is to gradually eliminate foods that inhibit detoxification and include those that aid each stage of the detox. The gradual elimination is more gentle and the body does not go into the "deprivation" mode. What's more, I suggest when you eliminate a certain food, you replace it with a substitute, at least initially, for your body not to feel the lack, which may make it go into "storage mode" rather than elimination. So, for example a substitute for a coffee could be cacao (100% dark chocolate or hot cacao in the morning with honey to get a boost); a substitute for wine could be apple juice or apple cider vinegar diluted in water. Watch this space #loving3phasedetox for more substitute ideas to come on Facebook or Instagram.

It is important to highlight that the foods eliminated in the phase one and two are not included until the end of the detox programme. Even then, I recommend you to include coffee, alcohol, sugar, gluten, diary and meats as gradually as they were eliminated, one food at the time. As a matter of fact, you are likely to feel so good at the end of the programme you will feel more loving towards your body anyway.

I have created the loving-3-phase-detox with the following balancing principles in mind:

1. flowing with the seasonal cycle of the Nature to start in early Spring;

2. whilst eliminating certain foods from your diet you substitute with others for gentle effects;

3. gradual inclusion of clearing out foods, herbs and/or supplements;

4. gradual increase of physical activity as the Spring energy rises;

5. phased progression including one system at the time: urinary/blood (Kidneys), thick liquids (Spleen & Intestines) and lipids (Liver).
   

Below you find a summary table to aid you in designing your ingredients of the loving-3-phase-detox. Apart from the foods to eliminate, you have the suggestions of the substitutes, as well as foods, herbs and supplements to include in each phase, which help with that particular system involved. The final part of the table suggests routines you will benefit from in particular.

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	Phase I week 1 & 2	Phase II week 3 & 4	Phase III week 5 & 6
System / Organs involved	Urinary and Blood Kidneys & Bladder	Denser body fluids Spleen & Intestines	Blood and lipids Liver & Gallbladder
Elimination	Water	Phlegm	Lipids
Energetic	Warming up	Transforming	Moving
Foods to eliminate	coffee, alcohol	sugar and gluten	meat, diary
Foods as substitutes	barley coffee, cacao, green tea, apple juice, apple cider vinegar in water	some dry fruits and honey, gluten free grains (rice, buckwheat)	pulses, chickpeas, small fish and sweet water fish, eggs, tofu, nuts
Foods to include	algae, alfalfa sprouts, parsley, eggs	millet, linseed, kefir, apples, goji berry	cruciferous veggies, green vegetables, garlic, onion, ginger, whole cereal grains
Herbs to include	cleavers, nettles, horsetail, burdock root, birch sap	cinnamon, cloves, aloe juice, red clover	milk thistle, dandelion, artichoke,
Supplements to include	adaptogens, vit.C, magnesium, spirulina/algae	probiotics, chrome, magnesium, psyllium	magnesium, vit.B complex, Vit.A, omega 3-6-9
In the morning	warm water with lemon, ginger and honey	warm water with bentonite clay or zeolite, oats with cinnamon & cloves	half a grapefruit
In the evening	turmeric milk	miso soup, activated charcoal,	malic acid or apple juice with warm water
Physical activity	min 20min walk a day, thermal or epsom baths 2-3 times a week, a massage or acupuncture detox	min. 30min walk a day + Qi Gong, Yoga or other excercise 30min a day	min. 30min walk a day + 30 min of daily exercise + 2-3x a week one hour of aerobic activity

For any doubts, questions or clarifications contact me here.

For any suggestions, comments or experiences to share, please go to my Facebook or Instagram page and search for #loving3phasedetox.

Winter and the Water Element - the Inner Explorations

How to Stay Healthy and Balanced During the Winter Season with the Five Element Energies?

Have you noticed the clouds in the sky have become dark blue? Have you noticed the cold humid air penetrating your skin and getting deep into your bones? The energy is that of inward direction and of inner explorations, both for us and for all the Nature around. Even the energy pulses I sense on my patients have now been withdrawing and going deeper than in summer months. All this inner activity requires us to slow down and reflect more.

Connecting with the Water Element in Winter

Spirit focus

The penetrating energy of Winter is allowing us to dive deep into our Soul and see the bare bones of our essence, that is of who we really are. Winter is a perfect time for reflection on our identity, on the incarnation of our Spirit in this life. Knowing yourself is knowing your path in life, the Tao. The illness comes when we stray away from our path, from our essence and moving further away from the completion of that for which we were born. Hence, self-reflection is the time well spent for our health and wellbeing.

Apart from the downtime spent in self-reflection, it is useful to reconnect with your tribe too, the people who root your Soul into the society. So, family and long-time friends can be a mirror of your current existance; realising that you and them are one as the drops of water in the ocean. The only difference is that each human has an individual Soul, incarnated on Earth for his/her specific purpose. That implies you also need to recognise the boundaries between you and your tribe in order to direct your essence at your will. Otherwise, you become ill.

So, take time in Winter season to, first self-reflect and recognise your own essence, both individual and colletive, and then take notice of where your boundaries must lie. By the way, "the boundaries" does not mean erecting the walls, but recognising when you allow your essence to be compromised to the point you cannot will who you are into being.

Mind focus

It may not be easy to reflect on your essence and your place in the world. With such tumoulous energies in the worlds right now, one can find that the mind is easily dispersed by the social media, fast developing technology, constant availability to asnwer a phone or messages. Sleeplessness or emotional tribulations can result from such restless mind.

Winter energy in itself can be still but can be rough too, just as the sea, depending on the winds. In fact, the conscious mind can navigate those rough winds. Mind control comes particularly strong in Winter. Some of you may know that the mind is closely linked with the Heart in Chinese Medicine, fewer of you may know the brain is also related to the Kidneys. Kidneys, with their will power, determine what your mind focuses on. That's why we need to realise that "the mind over matter" does matter sometimes and disciplining of the mind is an act of our own will power.

I encourage you to try out one simple exercise of willing your mind. If you have thoughts that are negative and/or repetitive, try to say to yourself three time (more potent): "(your name) stop thinking about it, now". Sometimes willing your mind that way does work. There can be other ways and methods of training your mind.

Meditation practices are aimed at focusing your mind. I remind you of my weekly meditation sessions I hold live on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/DoroTao.ClassicalChineseMedicine

and soon to be available also on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/dorotao.kowal/

Body focus

Kidneys and Bladder are related to the Winter season and the Water Element. These organs take care of our waterway systems in our body, including distribution of warmth. Just like the central heating system, the thorough distribution of warm water around assures the right temperature is maintained in every parts of the body.

How to maintain our good circulation when it is freezing or nearly freezing outside?

First of all, the diet. Absolutely avoid ice-cold foods and drinks. They will not only slow down your circulation but also digestion, creating more phlegm and in turn lower your overall energy. There are also foods that are cold or cooling in nature, such as cucumbers, lettuce, mint and most fruits and raw vegetables. It is best to avoid or reduce cooling foods, selecting the seasonal ones and cooked preferably. If you are consistently feeling too hot in winter you may be having toxic heat inside and should seek treatment to adjust your energy rather than eat or drink ice cold foods to cool down in winter.

Secondly, I suggest hot and cold showers (with gradual application) to stimulate the circulation. Thirdly, do regular brisk walking or better: running. Yes, Winter is actually a good time to do some running. Since we are not totally hibernating species, we need to keep the circulation going well. Running awakes in us the primordial memory of flight from the danger, which stimulates the life preserving energy of Kidneys and the Water element in us.

And if you are feeling pulled down by long and dark winter days, remember to drink tea from the flowers of St. John's Wort plant. It's flowers have enclosed in them the peak summer sunshine and now you can boost your mood by drinking its infusion.

Generally, the Winter season is the time to eat more root vegetables and herbs based on roots, tubers or rhisomes. They give us sustenance necessary to keep the body going but simultaneously sustaining our Winter Yin energy. If you would need a consultation for diet and herbs best fitted for you in Winter months, contact me here https://www.dorotao.com/clinic-contact.

How do you live through the winter season yourself? Do you know that depending on our energetic make-up we approach each season differently? Leave your comment about your particular challenges or tips for living through the Winter season.

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Autumn - Body, Mind, Spirit clear-out

One starts sensing the arrival of Autumn after 20th September. The first signs are the insects, which feeling the cold nights, march inside the house. Before the leaves start dropping down, as trees withdraw their photosynthetic activity, you yourself may notice the difference in temperature between day and night and may even catch a cold.

This year I have also noticed the arrival of Autumn has brought a great need to clear out my body, my house and my life of what is no longer needed. For Autumn is the season of great preparations for the downtime in Winter. We can utilise this energy for our health and wellbeing if we align with the season's energy.

Body Focus: clearing out your gutters

This month I start from the physical aspects of the seasonal energy. Autumn is associated with Large Intestine (Colon) and Lungs, both being the Metal element in the Five Elements of the Chinese Medicine. The two organs are the mechanics of "out with the impure and in with the clean". Most of what goes through the Colon gets eliminated and most of what is inspired into the Lungs is absorbed into our bodies. When the Lungs struggle to absorb (or accept) we cough it out. When the Colon struggles to eliminate we feel clogged with impurities, which often show on the skin, our third lung.

If you have problems emptying your intestine, you should try waking up at 6am, which is the peak time for Colon activity; get moving around or better do some exercise, drink a glass of warm water and you will ensure emptying of the bowels. If it does not help, you may have an energy block stopping your Intestines from working efficiently. In such case book yourself for an acupuncture session right this month of October, when the Colon's activity is at its best. Click on the contact below to book.

To everyone of you, even who is emptying regularly every day, I suggest to take advantage of the seasonal energy and detox your body. The season of the Metal element resonates best with a heavy metal cleanse and/or a parasite cleanse. It is a good practice to do both at least once a year and I strongly suggest you do it in Autumn. Some examples of effective heavy metal cleanse supplements are alghe, zeolite or tourmaline water. For more information on how to use any of these supplements, please contact me by clicking below.

Sulfur is known to eliminate heavy metals, especially aluminum, and it is found, among other in cruciferous vegetables, allium vegetables (onion, leek and garlic, which are all related to the Metal element), green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and eggs.

All these vegetables add fibre to your diet which additionally improves intestinal movement. One more essential addition to the healthy intestinal clearing are microorganisms. You can take home made probiotics such as fermented vegetables or fermented diary products or for adding more variety of probiotic strains to your intestines, you may consider supplementing with probiotics.

The Classical Chinese Medicine does not promote colonics for generally healthy persons as these deprive the Colon of good as well as the bad bacteria. It is preferable to save colonics for when one really needs them, analogically to antibiotics, they should be used sparingly.

Mind focus: declutter your thoughts

How often in the recent couple of weeks (since the start of Autumn) have you managed to have your mind clear of thoughts and see the life through a clean lens?

Do you encounter difficulty in falling asleep as your head runs through the chores? Do you wake up at 3am or 5am in the morning and find yourself with the same thoughts you had when were falling asleep? Do you find it hard to focus during the day as your mind repeatedly side tracks from what you are focusing on?

These are some of the signs that you need a mental decluttering.

One of the best way to declutter your mind is through meditation. If you wish to get started join me in a weekly on-line, live-streamed meditations, each Tuesdays at 7.00am CET at the FB page https://www.facebook.com/DoroTao.ClassicalChineseMedicine.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Spirit focus: devoid your personal space of futile distractions

Clearing your personal space I mean leaving the space for yourself to be in. In another words, pay attention to distractions. A lot is always going on around you and in life in general. Deciding to let lots of it in, by giving it always attention, is your responsibility. The Metal element in this season, is helping you cut out most unnecessary distractions to create space, emptiness, vacuum, void. A vacuum by definition is already devoid of impurities. In such a state it is easier to reflect on what is truly inside of you, and that is the divinity.

So, it is a profound month for self-exploration and connection to the Divine, provided you take time to clear your body, declutter you mind and your personal space beforehand.

Contact me for questions and appointments

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Autumn Forest, Metal Element