Here at Dherbs, we often receive the question, “When should I cleanse?” Well, that is entirely your decision to make, but interestingly enough, certain organs have optimal cleansing time periods. Most health experts say that it is best to detox the body during sleep because that is when it naturally regenerates and builds new bodily tissues.
Traditional Chinese medicine indicates that the liver works best between 1-3 in the morning. Since the liver is the main detoxification organ, we think that detoxing it while you sleep is a good idea! You have to be sound asleep, though, for the detoxification process to work optimally. It is also important to have enough bodily fluids for the detoxification process to be successful.
When you have a system that is free of toxins and chemicals, you can experience better metabolism, quicker weight loss, and ability to manage weight. To help you achieve these results, you can drink certain beverages before bed.
Rose Tea
Rose tea, in Chinese medicine, can help improve your internal energy flow, your qi (chi). Imbalanced chi can lead to states of depression or high stress levels, which can cause negative energy and toxins to accumulate in your system. Drink a cup of rose tea about an hour before you go to bed to promote healthy blood flow and good energy.
Lemon Water
If you have read articles on our website, you know we love lemon water. Drinking lemon water at night helps to rid toxins from your blood. It is best to use organic lemons to avoid pesticide consumption. Juice half a lemon in a cup of lukewarm water because warm water doesn’t shock your system or take heat from your digestive system.
Oat Tea
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as oat tea. The tops of the oat plants have been used to make a tea that is chock full of nutrients. It even contains proteins that aid the first and second phases of liver detoxification.
Peppermint Tea
Mint has many uses in the world of herbal remedies. If you ate more than you probably should have at dinner, drinking mint tea can help the digestive process. Overeating is a common reason why people don’t sleep well. Drink a cup of mint tea an hour before bed to assist your body in breaking down food. Mint also helps the liver with its toxin removal process.
Chamomile Tea
This is a classic sleepy time tea, but it can be used for so much more than relaxation. Chamomile actually helps prime the liver’s detoxification pathways. Furthermore, chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties that help with overall detoxification. If you need to calm your nerves, this is the tea to drink.
Jujube Fruit
This is a Chinese herb that helps to nourish your blood and burn fat. This fruit also helps to improve your sleep and lower stress levels, which helps the liver function like it should. Additionally, jujube strengthens the spleen, which can be overworked if your liver is stressed.
Schizandra Berry Tea
While this sounds like a made up fruit from the fictional world of Willy Wonka, making a tea with this fruit helps protect the liver. Studies have also shown that these berries have adaptogenic properties, meaning they help all the systems in your body function without disrupting normal pathways.
In addition to drinking the above teas, it is beneficial to drink lots of water throughout the day. You may also want to try falling asleep before 11pm because you want to make sure you are fast asleep during the liver’s optimum functioning period (1-3am as explained in the beginning of the article). And as always, diet and lifestyle come into play when you are trying to cleanse your system of toxins. Make small changes to start on a healthier path.
