Calls from Your OrgansHave you ever had these feelings? Your arms often feel sore and numb, and your calves are prone to cramps when you sleep at night. You may wonder what’s going on. This is because our internal organs have accumulated too many toxins, and the body is sending us a distressful signal and asking for help. Regular detoxification is absolutely necessary for a healthy body, but do you know where the toxins are hiding in your body? Let’s explore.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), an issue with your kidneys can affect your voice and your speech quality, and your voice may sound hoarse. If you have heart issues, your left arm may be sore, numb, and painful; and you are more prone to tongue ulcers, insomnia, and heart palpitations. When your spleen and stomach are weak, you may experience migraine and fat accumulation, especially in the abdomen. If your liver is stressed out, you may experience cramps in your calves at night when you sleep; and the surface of your nails may have raised ridges or sunken downwards. When you suffer from lung issues, you may experience constipation because the lung meridian is associated with the large intestine meridian, and you may be more emotionally sensitive to sadness and grief.

If there is an issue with the internal organs, it is necessary to detoxify them in a targeted manner, otherwise, the accumulation of toxins will cause more damage to the body down the road. Let’s talk about how to detoxify each organ specifically.

Yongquan AcupointDetoxify the Kidney

The most important acupoint to detoxify the kidney is the “Yongquan”(KD-1) acupoint. As the source point in the kidney meridian, Yongquan acupoint can help relieve many aging-related health challenges, such as strained voice, hot flushes, night sweats, memory loss, dry coughs, ear ringing, nocturia, which is frequent urination at night, etc. Yongquan acupoint is the lowest and most yin part of the body that is in constant contact with the yin energy of Mother Earth. Where is it located? It is on the sole, in depression with a foot in plantar flexion, at the junction of the anterior 1/3 and posterior 2/3 of the line connecting the base of the 2nd and 3rd toes with the heel. The best way to massage this acupoint is to alternate pressing and massaging for 5 minutes for each foot in the evening between 7 pm to 9 pm, which can speed up the detoxification of the kidneys. Jogging and walking are favorable exercises that are easy to perform to strengthen the energy flow in your kidney meridian, twisting poses from Yoga also help detoxify and massage the kidneys.

Foods with a black color help nourish the energy in the kidney meridian, such as black beans, black sesame seeds, walnuts, wild rice, and wild mushrooms. When the energy in the kidney meridian is enhanced, it can remove toxins more efficiently. Seaweeds are also a great choice to detoxify the kidneys, they also help remove the radioactive substances in your body. Foods with a diuretic nature also help cleanse the kidneys, such as cucumber, celery, and radishes.

Shaofu AcupointDetoxify the Heart

The “Shaofu”(HT-8) acupoint is one of the most important acupoints on your palm when it comes to detoxifying the heart meridian. When a loose fist is made, the Shaofu acupoint is located at the tip of the little finger between the 4th and 5th metacarpal bones. You can add some pressure when pressing this point and alternative both of your hands.

Did you know that foods with bitter taste help detoxify the heart meridian? The most popular remedy from TCM to detoxify the heart meridian is the core of lotus seeds, it looks like a small green shoot and has a bitter taste. It disperses the excess fire in the heart meridian but does not affect the Qi (energy flow) in the body, so it has been considered the best food to dissolve excess heat in the heart meridian due to toxins overload. You can use it to make tea, and add some licorice root to enhance this detoxification potency

The best time to detoxify the heart meridian is around noon between 11 am to 1 pm because the energy is peaking in the heart meridian during this period. Foods with red color help nurture the heart, such as dates and berries. Longan fruit has been long regarded as a heart-tonifying fruit. A short nap during this period also helps rejuvenate your heart and facilitate detoxification.

Shangqiu AcupointDetoxify the Spleen

According to TCM, the spleen meridian not only helps drain the toxins and waste matters in the body, but it also helps enhance your digestive system.

The “Shangqiu” (SP-5)acupoint can help detoxify the spleen meridian, it is located in a depression distal and inferior to the medial malleolus midway between the tuberosity of the navicular bone and the tip of the medial malleolus.

Foods with a sour taste help detoxify the spleen meridian, such as plum and lemon, which can help dissolve toxins and enhance digestive function. When your digestive system is strong, it can eliminate toxins more efficiently and quickly.

The best time to detoxify the spleen meridian is between 9 am to 11 am when the energy is peaking in the spleen meridian. You can do some exercises to strengthen the energy flow in your spleen meridian. A simple exercise is to clench your hands and gently beat your calves because the energy of the spleen meridian passes through your calves, about 5 minutes for each leg. This exercise can help remove accumulated toxins in your spleen meridian and boost your spleen function.

Why is the spleen very important for your digestive system, and how to self-check and enhance your digestive system with TCM, please read here.

Taichong AcupointDetoxify the Liver

Taichong(LR-3) acupoint is the most important acupoint to detoxify the liver. It is located on the dorsum of the foot, between the first and second metatarsal bones, in the depression distal to the junction of two bones, underneath the first dorsalis pedis artery of the first metatarsal bone. You can massage with your thumb for 3 to 5 minutes. You don’t need to press too hard and massage alternately on both feet.

In addition to detoxification, it is also important to improve the self-defense ability of the liver against toxins and virus attacks. Goji berries have been known to nurture the liver in TCM. Goji berries help protect the liver and enhance its resistance to toxins. The best way to enjoy this amazing healing food is to chew it when taking it, so the body can fully enjoy its benefits.

The detoxification process reaches its peak in the liver meridian between 1 am to 3 am. During this time, the liver is actively eliminating toxins, and the body should be put into a sleep state so the liver can complete the detoxification process.

Here are some simple exercise tips from TCM to help detoxify the body.

Hegu AcupointDetoxify the Lungs

Hegu (LI-4) is an important acupoint to help detoxify the lungs. It is located on the highest spot of the muscle when the thumb and index fingers are brought close together. You can pinch this spot with your thumb and index finger press firmly and then release for about 3-5 minutes for each hand.

The lungs govern our skin, sweat is a great way to remove toxins in the lungs and refresh your lungs. A hot bath or sauna is also a great way to detoxify your lungs.

Between 3 am to 5 am, the body enters the best time to detoxify the lungs. It is important to let your body rest in a deep sleep state to support the detoxification process in the lungs. When you wake up early in the morning, your body is fully energized and the air outside is relatively fresher. You can take a deep breath and raise your arms, cough a few times, and then quickly drop your arms to help squeeze out the phlegm in your body. The sputum can carry a lot of toxins; this exercise can not only help keep the throat clean but also detoxify the lungs deeper.

Foods with a white color help soothe the lungs, such as cauliflower, mushroom, lobok, radish, and pears.

Here are some natural remedies to calm a cough easily and strengthen your lung function.

Detoxification is more important than nutrition during this toxins overload age we live in. When the body is clean, it can absorb nutrients better and function better. What do you think?

What are your favorite tips for detoxification, please share them with us.

If you are interested in more self-care tips from the ancient wisdom of TCM, please check the book by Lucy Liu “88 Most Important First-Aid Acupoints for Self-care from TCM“. This book includes 88 most important acupoints (acupressure points) from the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for self-care. It is designed in a beautiful and colorful card fashion, which is very visual and user-friendly to the readers, it is also easy to memorize the information with precise visual aids. This book covers the most common health challenges, such as cold, fever, cough, sore throat, headache, indigestion, diarrhea/constipation, bloating, insomnia, night sweats, computer syndromes, shoulder pain, back pain, etc. It can also be used to effectively manage chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure, chronic pains, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and weight management; and it can also be used for anti-aging purposes and enhancing longevity.

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About the author: Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu

As a Holistic Health Practitioner, Registered Dietitian, TCM Practitioner, Energy Healer, Master Hypnotist, Reiki Master, Advanced Theta Healing Practitioner, Author and Speaker, Lucy Liu, the founder of optimalhealthsolutions.ca, has gained a good reputation in holistic health after many years of serving patients and clients as a holistic health practitioner. Lucy has developed a unique and comprehensive approach, which combines Western Medicine, Chinese Medicine, Energy Medicine, and Alternative Medicine together, to help others achieve optimal health by creating harmony between the body, mind, and spirit, and maintain long-term success for healthy lifestyle changes.
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