Holistic detoxification

I read this dozen ways to detoxify your personal environment from about.com and called it holistic detoxification because it also involves the mind, spirit and emotions. I'm republishing this for the people I care for.

1. Eat a balanced diet that emphasizes plant-based foods and minimizes animal products as well as refined sugars.

2. Boost your immune system by walking or exercising about 30 minutes a day.

3. Avoid air pollution, such as tobacco smoke and industrial fumes, whenever you can.

4. Walk or sit in the sun for at least 20 minutes a day, for a dose of Vitamin D.

5. Clean your indoor environment of toxins, using natural cleaners.

6. Air out any dry-cleaned clothing or fabrics before using them to minimize contact with PCE (Perchloroethylene) and TCE (Trichoroethylene).

7. Use natural insecticides and organic fertilizers in your garden.

8. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water everyday.

9. Cook food in glass, ceramic, iron, or steel containers instead of plastic made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride).

10. Choose skin products that contain no estrogens, placental components, phtalates, or parabens.

11. Resolve emotional issues, lower your stress levels, and surround yourself with positive, supportive people to make your body a stronger, less hospitable field in which cancer may grow.

12. Set aside regular time to relax, write a journal, meditate, or pray, away from all of your electronic devices. Reconnect with your true self and clear your mind and spirit.

The Mother of Lungs

Based on TCM, the spleen is a vital organ and is the mother of lungs. The spleen filters the air to transport only pure air up to the lungs and transports impure air down to the stomach. However, there are times the spleen couldn't function well when exposed to outside factors like cold drinks or very cool environment. That is why we catch a cold when we're outside in the cold, and why hot chicken soup is good for colds. The hot temperature will help the spleen recover, so even just drinking hot water (one part hot water, one part tap water) will do the same good job.

The spleen is important to the lungs, so it should be taken cared of. Too much thinking will also affect the spleen. Coupled with sadness or grief, sooner or later, you'll hear that grieving person coughing. Grieving for any loss, whether material thing or a loved one will affect the lungs.

Eating spicy foods moderately will also help the lungs. The spleen likes sweet foods, but too much sweets will also harm the spleen. That is how holistic TCM is, each vital organ has a mother or a son, can control another organ and be controlled by another organ, is affected by emotions and even by the tastes of food.