Ayurvedic physician John Douillard has a new website at www.LifeSpa.com
This site is filled with interesting tips such as the excerpts from an article about how to cleanse the body in the spring.
"Not only does spring bring us pleasant weather it also bring opportunities to cleanse the body of deeply stored toxins. Right now the elk and big horn sheep are coming down to lower elevations to dig up bitter roots from the softer ground. These bitter roots both clean the blood and liquefy excess mucus that accumulates in the spring from the long dry winter. The more dry you get in the winter the more reactive mucus you will produce in the spring. It is this excess spring mucus that acts as the breeding ground for all the spring colds that seem so prevalent this time of year. So those pesky dandelions are really good eaten this time of year as are all of the leafy greens and bitter roots. Most of us however, are not really big on foraging for bitter roots and therefore often miss out on this opportunity to prepare the body properly for nature's transition into spring and summer. To help get those minimal requirements of the bitter roots see the herb special of the month!
Douillard's recommended herbs include the dandelions that take over your lawn. His website says that in France the name for the dandelion is Piss de Lie which means " pee on the bed" because this is such a powerful diuretic. Nature provides us with this wonderful herb in the spring exactly when we need to remove mucus and dampness from the body. Dandelion is also full of potassium which is typically depleted by diuretics. So here we have a bitter root that is so needed this time of year
Dandelions greens are perfect in a salad or as tea (boil the leaves, add salt).
Doullard also offers a bitter root product called Liver Repair that consists of two bitter roots. The first is Kukti (also called Picorhiz). This herb is considered a liver protectant that strengthens the liver and helps it detoxify. The second is called phyllanthus. This herb is been studied to treat hepatitis B and acts as a cleansing agent the liver. What makes these two bitter roots unique is that while most western liver cleansers can be debilitating, these when combined are a powerfully supportive program for the liver. While the liver gently and deeply cleans the liver and blood with the phyllanthus, the kukti is rebuiding. It is a great seasonal combination. Take 2 2x/day for 4-6 weeks in the spring and fall to maintain the proper seasonal balance.
