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In this issue
Cover image
Back to Schooldays
Rowson's Comment
Around the Block
News in Brief
Stop the War
Mini-march
Lysistrata Day
Fringe Festival
Straight to the Point
Time to Finnish
Day in the Nick
Starting Over
Readers Letters
Herbal Cleansing
Local Music
Tripping Out
Tippling at the Tup
Property
Housing Matters
Very Testi
Art Happenings
Vietnamese Food
Entertainment
Gardening
Marathon Man
Surfing N16
Man in North Bank
Xword
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As the wheel of the year turns,
darkness gives way to light and Spring calls out to us to keep in rhythm. The bright green
shoots and buds and the rising sap of the trees signify the rebirth of life and the
forging of new creative energies. Take a leaf or two from nature's book and try a seasonal
spring cleanse.
The cleanse suggested here can be personalised to individual needs and is targeted mainly
at the liver, lymphatic system and the kidneys, but consequently benefits the whole system
and increases energy levels. Start with a daily salad of fresh dandelion and chicory
leaves and include plenty of other leaves such as rocket, watercress, parsley and sorrel.
Don't underestimate the power of a simple salad. Leaves such as these are incredibly
fortifying and cleansing. After a few days begin the mild liver flush – add a
tablespoon of virgin olive oil and the juice of a lemon to half a pint of spring water.
Drink this in the morning on an empty stomach for five days and keep your diet light and
fresh. Be prepared for outbursts of anger that turn into bubbles of creativity as the
energy of the liver shifts and clears. To deepen the effects add a teaspoon of gentian,
barberry or milk thistle tinctures. These promote bile flow, dredge the liver, aid
digestion and clean the bowel.
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After a few days' rest, start experimenting with dried
tea mixes, or even better, fresh juices of birch leaves, chickweed, nettle, cleavers,
dandelion leaves and mullein leaves. Birch leaves are an often-overlooked source of
vitality and healing. They purify the blood and kidneys and dissolve and disperse all
accumulations of waste.
Chickweed has similar decongesting properties and is something of a panacea. It is
nutritious and aids waste loss by regulating the thyroid gland and balancing body fluids
via the kidneys.
Cleavers works on the kidneys and lymphatic system and benefits all conditions involving
lymphatic congestion including tonsillitis, arthritis, measles and cancer. It also has a
reputation for assisting weight loss. Stinging nettles are famed for their spring
cleansing and mineralising properties and should form the basis of any mix.
Dandelion leaves stimulate the kidneys and increase the flow of urine and therefore the
amount of toxins excreted. The leaves are particularly high in mineral salts, especially
potassium which is important for healthy kidney functioning.
Mullein
is an excellent all round lymph cleanser and is soothing and healing. The following daily
rituals to accompany the cleanse will ensure that your efforts are maximised and the full
health and emotional benefits are enjoyed. Drink fresh juice of carrot (cleans the liver)
and apple (supports the kidneys).
Occasionally include a wheat grass or other sprouted grain juice, the equivalent of
receiving a small blood transfusion of the highest quality. Take some form of exercise to
keep the blood moving and the mood buoyant and wherever possible combine with fresh air.
Deepen your connection with nature on a long or even short walk.
Walking harmonises the energy of the liver and is the perfect way to assimilate the
surging forces of nature reborn. Be gentle yet firm with yourself. Don't push things too
fast or the body will be overloaded with a backlog of waste to clear. Listen to your body
but keep moving forward – like the clocks!
Deanna practises herbal medicine and iridology in Stoke Newington. Contact
her at www.healingherbs.org or www.n16health.com .