How to Support the Liver Naturally: TCM Foods, Herbs, and Recipe.

Understanding the role of the liver

The liver is responsible for the smooth movement of energy, blood, and emotions throughout the body. In TCM (traditional Chinese medicine). Liver stagnation is when its flow becomes constrained, and can show up as tension, digestive discomfort, irritability, headaches, or a feeling of being stuck physically or emotionally.

Nearly all liver imbalances originate with stagnation. It is the largest organ in our body, weighing more than 3 lbs! The 5 basic functions of the liver are detoxification, regulation of internal food supply, bile production, storage of nutrients/hormones, and the manufacturing and release of blood proteins. The liver by day works as a digestive organ and a detoxification organ at night. The liver sits at the root of how our body metabolizes, through the process of breaking down (catabolism) and building up (anabolism) various materials of the body, waste products and toxins, bile, hormones and blood cells, etc, from the hepatic artery and portal vein. 

The Liver Flow and the Importance of Rest

Everything that enters our body through our blood via the stomach comes into communication with our liver; it is a busy organ and is prone to heat because of its many duties. Liver heat must be balanced as heat is needed for the liver to properly metabolize and move blood and materials, and can become problematic if overly hot and inflamed or too low in fire, stagnant, and unable to properly eliminate. The liver does not have its own blood-pumping system and is tucked next to the lungs and diaphragm under the right ribcage. It is our breathing that helps to move the blood through the liver. Engaging our parasympathetic nervous system through deep breathing, rest, and relaxation is important to allow our liver to cleanse and reset itself. This is especially important during “liver time,” from 1-3am, as seen in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Foods and Lifestyles that Obstruct the Liver

• Overconsumption of rich & heavy foods (dairy, red meat, eggs in excess)
• Excess consumption of poor-quality fats.
• Excess nuts & seeds.
• Chemicals & toxins in food, water, or the environment.
• Highly processed and refined foods & oils.
• Hormonal changes.
• Lack of sleep.
• Overwork or Burnout
• Overconsumption of alcohol & drugs.
• Suppressed emotions
  • anger
  • frustration
  • irritability
  • resentment

Liver Support Recipe

Adjust to your own preference and portion size.

Grain:

• Millet – 1 Cup per 3 Cups of water

Veggies:

• Cabbage
• Turnip
• Leek

I used 1/3 head of cabbage, one turnip, and two leaves of leek.

Herbs/Spices:

• Rosemary (dried or fresh)
• Black Pepper (whole or ground)
• Cumin (seed or powder)
• Fennel (seed or powder)
• Ginger (dried or fresh)
• Lemon Balm (dried or fresh)

Season to your liking, I took the whole dried spices of rosemary, black peppercorn, and fennel and ground them in a mortar.

Steps:

To Cook Millet and add grain to water, bring to a boil, lightly fluff with a fork, and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit. Fluff and serve.

Next, add ghee or sesame oil (non-toasted) to the pan. Add herbs, spices, leek, and saute. Then add chopped turnip and cabbage and lightly steam or saute until tender. I prefer the veggies lightly cooked.

Therapeutic Benefits

Alliums ( onion family ), rosemary, lemon balm, black pepper, ginger, cumin, and fennel are all liver-supporting foods that stimulate the liver out of stagnation.

Brassicas: Cabbage and turnip aid in liver stimulation.

Millet and radish detoxify and cool the liver. Millet also aids in building, nourishing, and tonifying liver blood. 

Noteworthy Additions

Raw and sprouted grains, beans, and seeds stimulate liver energy flow and would be a great addition to this dish. 

Add 1tsp of ACV per one cup of water used in cooking millet ( ex., 1 cup millet, 3 cups water = 3tsp vinegar). Add honey to the ACV, and top the millet and veggies with this harmonious mix. This mixture brings liver harmony. 

Vinegar (unrefined) is a powerful remedy for removing liver stagnation. The Bitter and sour flavor brings detoxifying and activating properties when added to a balanced diet.

Vinegar is not recommended if any signs of excess heat are occurring. Substitute lime, lemon, or grapefruit instead for a milder effect and flavor. Systemic liver heat signs are:

• Redness
• Sweating
• Fever
• Anger
• Frustration
• Signs of sensitivities to light, sound, and touch.
• Inflammation (damp heat)

In Closing

This post is rooted in folk medicine, traditional food therapy, and self-education. It reflects traditional ways of food and herb preparation as well as a wellness perspective passed down long before industrial medicine, and is not medical advice.

This is not intended for medical advice or the replacement of professional care. Rather, it is an invitation to learn how food, breath, rest, and tuning in to our bodily systems can bring support outside of institutional systems.

You are the primary authority of your own body. If you are navigating illness, pregnancy, medications, or complex health concerns, seek counsel from practitioners and professionals you trust before taking alternative advice.

Our symptoms are merely the body’s way to communicate what it needs to return to a balanced and vital state. Your body is not a problem to be fixed, but an intelligent living system that generates healing. Your symptoms are not to be ignored or suppressed but listened to. Listen to your body, research what resonates, and tune into the oneness of nature and the body’s living system.

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