8 Ways to Detox using TCM

It’s important to know when it’s time to clear out clutter and streamline your body like you would to your wardrobe at the end of every season. Detox diets—sometimes known as ‘cleanses’ or ‘flushes’—are a popular and promising way of doing just that. Biologically speaking, our body already comes equipped with several systems to detox, thanks to three critical organs:

The Liver - The first line of defence against toxins, your liver acts like a filter to prevent toxic substances contained in foods from passing into your bloodstream. Maintaining healthy liver function is essential for overall health and wellbeing1.  

The Colon - This organ has bacteria that produce both healthy and unhealthy chemicals. You need to keep your colon moving regularly since its main role is to flush out toxic chemicals before they can do you any harm.

The Kidneys - The kidneys are constantly filtering your blood and getting rid of toxins in the form of urine. From the TCM perspective, healthy kidneys can help nurture reproductive organs, promote strong and healthy bones, and support nourished, beautiful hair². 

Natural detoxing might prove too much for our bodies due to our daily habits such as consumption of junk food and sweetened drinks. Compound that with today’s sedentary and stressful lifestyles and it would seem that we are inviting physiological mayhem if we rely on natural but slow detoxification processes.

This view isn’t confined to the ‘Western’ way of thinking.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Physician Chen Yan Fang, from the Eu Yan Sang TCM Wellness clinic located at Royal Square @ Novena, believes that this is the reason why people nowadays are unhealthier. “People are eating too much processed foods, not achieving work-life balance and facing computers all the time,” she explains.

“Living in a heavily polluted environment will also cause toxins to increase.”

Physician Chen points out that once our body’s natural detox channels weaken, it is important to revitalise them via external forces. TCM believes that the best way to detox is through sweating, vomiting, heat clearing and nourishing one’s vitality. She emphasises that TCM herbs used for this function will not overly burden one’s body, and advises people who take over-the-counter products to be wary as they could contain ingredients that do more harm than good. Some common foods and herbs that are good for detox includes:

• Broccoli
• Bamboo 
• Eggplant
• Scallions
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Lemon

Practised for centuries by many cultures around the world—including ayurvedic medicine and TCM—detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body inside out. Find out more about nutritionist-backed tips on detox and cleansing. 

By removing and eliminating toxins and then feeding your body with healthy nutrients after, detoxification can protect you from diseases and renew your ability to maintain optimum health. A detox programme can help the body’s natural cleansing process by:

• Resting the organs through fasting
• Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body
• Promoting elimination through intestines, kidneys and skin
• Improving circulation of the blood
• Refuelling the body with healthy nutrients

Ways to detox with TCM 
1. Vomiting
Although it may sound daunting and upsetting, some prescribed TCM can induce vomiting for toxins to be purged from the mouth. 

2. Perspiration
Exercising or consuming medicinal soups—detox is achieved through perspiration as you get your Qi and blood moving.

3. Heat-clearing
Good for people with high fever, dry mouth, sore throats and similar symptoms. Some Chinese herbs that are helpful include: Peppermint (Bohe, 薄荷), Momormica Fruit (Luohanguo 罗汉果), Cicada Slough (Chantui, 蝉蜕), Blackberrylily Rhizome (Shegan, 射干) and Chrysanthemum (Juhua, 菊花) are some of the Chinese herbs that help to ease a sore throat.

4. Replenishment
Good for people who are experiencing numbness in the limbs or weakened body. Refuel your body with nutrients and adopt a healthy diet consisting of whole grains, lean proteins, and plenty of vegetables. 
Replenish your Qi with Codonopsis (Dang shen) and Astranagus (Huang Qi). Angelica Root (Dang gui) is recommended to replenish the blood, while Dried Ginger (Gan jiang) and Cinnamon (Rou Gui) replenish Yang whereas American ginseng replenishes Yin.

5. Purging
There are several ways to purge toxins out of your body and system. They include fasting, to rest the organs, or even TCM techniques like acupuncture and cupping.

6. Warming
For spleen, stomach and gastrointestinal deficiency. Use a hot water bottle, warm water or medication that warms the stomach.

7. Elimination
For when you’ve eaten too much, experiencing indigestion or feeling bloated. Useful when you are experiencing flu, dry mouth, dry throat and giddiness.

8. Harmonisation
Practise harmonisation by maximizing your Qi energy, such as practising Qigong, being at peace and avoid information overload and sources of radiation, such as the TV and your cell phone.