Liver health according to TCM

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver is the organ responsible for the smooth flow of emotions as well as Qi and blood. It is the organ that is most affected by excess stress or emotions. The liver’s partner organ is the gallbladder.

The liver is responsible for the smooth flow of Qi and blood in your body. It controls the volume and smooth flow of blood in your vessels and also stores the blood.

The eyes are the sensory organ related to the liver. If you have any eye issues, such as blurry vision, red or dry eyes, itchy eyes, it may be a sign that your liver is not functioning smoothly. The tendons are the tissue associated with the Liver. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine strength comes from the tendons, not muscles.

The taste that corresponds to and supports the liver is sour. If you crave sour foods, that may be your Liver communicating that it needs an extra boost, so be sure to include high-quality vinegar and sweet and sour recipes in your diet.

Anger is the emotion associated with the Liver. If you are often irritable, get angry easily, have trouble unwinding at the end of the day, or find it hard to let things go you are experiencing a liver disharmony

Tips for liver health

Engage in regular gentle exercise , such as swimming , walking , qi gong , tai chi , yoga , anything that isn’t too hard and fast.

Stay calm, Take it easy and try to let go of stressful situations as much as possible. Easier said than done in our busy lives , but it is good to be mindful of how you are managing stress.

Drink alcohol in moderation. The liver is responsible for metabolizing alcohol, drinking less

alcohol will preserve its energy.

Eat liver friendly food :-)

There are many types of liver disharmonies that benefits from different types of food but as a general rule it is good to include bitter , sour and naturally sweet foods.

For example : Bitter: romaine lettuce, radishes, asparagus, rye

Sour: apple cider vinegar, grapefruit , lemon

Sweet: grains, honey , cherries, strawberries

If you would like to know more about the energetics of food and TCM treatments , I am here happy to help ! :-)