Spark your Cleanse with Acupuncture

Cleansing can be thought of as taking a rest from certain foods in order to rid any excess waste or toxins from the body. In many ancient philosophies and religions, including traditional Chinese medicine, cleansing is thought to be a vital part of achieving optimum health.

What is cleansing?

Cleansing and detox can take many forms. These days, people often approach cleansing by committing to drink only fruit and vegetable juices for a period of five or 10 days. But that’s just one facet of cleansing and one way to look at it.

Cleansing can be tidying up your home or office. It can also be adding in an exercise routine or sauna therapy to promote sweating. In addition, acupuncture can also help to promote detox and cleansing and is great to add into your cleansing plan.

Can it help me achieve my health goals?

One of the major components of cleansing is making sure the body’s detoxifying and elimination processes are working right, meaning both nutrients are able to be absorbed and toxins are able to be processed and removed.

Cleaning up your diet simply helps to facilitate this process by not adding any more toxins into the mix, giving your liver and kidneys time to catch up.

In addition to a Clean Eating Program, Acupuncture treatments can help to aid in detoxification. Acupuncture is all about facilitating the movement of nutrients and toxins in the body. It can also improve the quality of sleep, which is where our bodies do most of our natural healing.

Acupuncture points for sparking a cleanse

● Liver 3: This point is located on the top of each foot, in the webbing between the big and second toes, where the tendons meet. Alternately pressing this point on each foot helps to regulate and refresh the liver, which is the most important organ involved in detoxification.

Photo credit: AcuMediaWorks

● Kidney 27: This point is located in the depression just below the tip of each collarbone. Alternately pressing this point on each side flushes toxins from the kidney, another important organ involved in detoxification.

● Large Intestine 4: This point is located on each hand in the webbing between the thumb and forefinger. Stimulating this point helps to flush toxins through the digestive tract and bowels.

Photo: AcuMediaWorks

Dietary recommendations to aid in a cleanse

Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests eating cooling foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables. Foods packed with chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants, are also strongly connected with supporting liver health, according to TCM.

These foods are especially good to eat to cleanse the liver:

● Parsley

● Kale

● Chard

● Bean sprouts

● Seaweed

● Mung bean sprouts

If you are looking to start a cleanse or detox program and don’t know how to get started. Give our office a call today to schedule a consult to see how we can best help you! (425) 686-4498

Check out Dr. Heintze’s Clean Eating Program-available now!

Dr. Ellie Heintze, ND, LAc, is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist in Bothell, WA at her practice Starting Point Acupuncture. She is a pain specialist, seeing people who suffer from chronic pain, migraines, as well as digestive issues. Offering pain relief injections, acupuncture, facial rejuvenation, and nutrition consults. Most insurances accepted. Dr. Ellie Heintze is also the author of the book, A Starting Point Guide to Going Gluten-Free on Amazon.