THE WILLIS PROTOCOLS: SPRING LIVER CLEANSE
Especially for the Deficient Constitution
by Carol Willis, MA

(C) Copyright by Carol Willis, 2005. All rights Reserved.

[Permission is granted to forward this article only in its entirety to individual friends. Please request permission of a list owner before posting it to an e-list. Please write for author's permission before publishing it to a web site or hardcopy periodical. cbwillis@lightlink.com ]

["The Willis Protocols" are a series of thematic articles on natural healing and wellness, documenting what has worked for me over the years, together with my notes on underlying fundamentals and rationale. Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. The following should be taken as the speculative writing of a layman and personal history only. - CBW]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

- Introduction
- Why cleanse the liver?
- What's wrong with the usual?
- A Natural Approach
- When to start your cleanse
- The Juice Foundation
- The bitter taste
- Adding the herbs
- The Herbs
- Cleansing herbs
- Nourishing herbs for the deficient constitution
- Optional add-ons
- Making your juice and herb blend
- TCM Chinese Liver Cleanse Boost: 3 days
- Summer and Autumn
- Weight Loss
- Review
- For further reading

INTRODUCTION

Spring is the time for liver cleansing in both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and in western natural healing. It's time to clear away the congestion, cobwebs, the sleep of winter, to clear away the accumulation of the last year. The idea is to clear the way for new growth in life, circulate the chi (life force), get ready to spring into action with joy and new plans. Clear away the old and outworn, and allow your spirit to shine through. And possibly lose some weight in the process.

There are many approaches to liver cleansing and general detoxification, most of them too harsh and even harmful for the deficient constitution. Here is one more reason to first make the distinction between the excess vs. deficient constitution, and determine the degree of excess or deficiency in order to orient one's thinking about healing for the individual. [Reference: my article"Excess vs. Deficient Constitutions"]

The spring liver cleanse approach introduced here is especially designed for the deficient constitution (of whatever degree), and has the added advantage that part of it will work also as a gentle anytime cleanse for the excess constitution. Furthermore, this cleanse with its nourishing herbs also deeply supports the deficient constitution at the same time it cleanses. That idea would not make sense to many, but it can actually work for the deficient constitution as outlined below.

Why cleanse the liver?

Why cleanse the liver? Doesn't the body do that on its own? Yes and no. The body tries, but the liver is overloaded in today's world with environmental toxins, food toxins, emotional toxins, pharmaceutical drugs of any kind. A toxic liver is more prone to allergies. A toxic liver is more prone to stuck chi (life force), resulting in irritability, frustration, anger, poor rest, etc. I speculate that a toxic liver may contribute to development of autoimmune disorders. So the liver needs some help but, by the same token, over cleansing is not recommended, especially for the deficient constitution that can be greatly weakened by other approaches.

What's Wrong with the Usual Cleanse?

Other approaches that are too harsh for the deficient constitution include hefty use of herbs such as bupleurum (TCM liver dredge), turmeric (curcumin), beet root, dandelion, along with colon cleansers or purgatives such as senna, too much cascara sagrada or buckthorn, even diuretics such as cleavers. They use lots of psyllium, and colon cleansers, as it's often assumed the person is constipated, their colon transit time is slow, and they have a lot of old material stuck to the sides of their colon. Which may not be true. A lot of cleansing programs are more like dynamite. Can we say "effective" ??

Bupleurum is a very strong chinese liver dredge. It's not uncommon for TCM practitioners to overlook the importance of the excess vs. deficient constitution even though this distinction actually derives from TCM. It's not uncommon for a TCM practitioner to have as one goal with a patient to circulate their chi with a bupleurum herb formula. The TCM practitioner sends the patient home with herbs to boil for a week, and tells them nothing of what to expect. The patient is expecting to simply "feel better". A person of deficient constitution may find himself sleeping more soundly and feeling emotionally better at first, then he sleeps longer and more soundly, and then may feel he's sleeping TOO deeply. Or he doesn't much notice, just trusting the practitioner. The patient has reached a turning point long before he is due back at the practitioner's office, which is disturbing since every day is now becoming critical. Bupleurum effects involve deep liver dredging and are cumulative, not just nourishing as many other TCM herbal formulas. The patient with deficient constitution, and some others, are going to find themselves in trouble at this point, and they may not call the practitioner, thinking they will be returning to the office in a few days anyhow. A deep liver dredge is going to remove toxins but will also deplete blood stores, which will weaken the deficient constitution. In my own experience, about 3 days of a small amount of major bupleurum formula, at bedtime, on occasion of emotional crisis, emotional "charge", or stuckness, allowing for extra sleep time, is about all that the deficient constitution can handle and then it works very well. (Excess constitutions can have their problems with bupleurum as well, such as nightmares, headaches, brain fog, etc., even when the colon elimination is quite open.) Bupleurum is a wonderful herb, but also very tricky, and needs almost daily monitoring for appropriateness, and nothing like the so-called "recommended" amounts on the bottle - that would be way too much for nearly anyone, even for a day or two. On my view, major bupleurum formulas need to be relabeled and the "recommended" amounts and instructions adjusted downward.

Turmeric/curcumin herb has gained high popularity in recent years. It has an effect on the liver, but may be more irritating and toxic for many people than anything else, causing bad dreams, fitful sleep, itching, and generally ill humor. When cooking with turmeric, I make sure any one person will not get more than 1/2 teaspoon turmeric in their meal (including having second helpings if likely), as more than 1/2 t. per person seems to foster the unpleasant side effects above.

Dandelion is a traditional western herb for liver cleansing. It can be rough on the deficient constitution in more than small amounts and not for very long. If the liver area gets to feeling like it stings, or has a sense of fullness, you've had enough dandelion for a while.

Blessed thistle is a blood and liver cleansing herb, very bitter, and a little bit goes a long way.

Ayurvedic Triphala (amla, behada, plus harada) is known as a mild colon cleanser, but it also has some liver cleansing properties. Triphala also has a very bitter taste.

Milk thistle is an extremely popular herb for cleansing and nourishing the liver. As widely as milk thistle is touted for ongoing use, I personally have some reservations about using it all the time, and recommend muscle testing for appropriateness and amount, and reassess monthly or sooner, and paying attention to your own intuitive "felt sense" if taking milk thistle ongoing.

A NATURAL APPROACH

My approach is very simple and natural, not harsh like most spring/liver cleanses. As such, it is suited to the deficient constitution, but any adult can use it. The foundation of this protocol is: one meal a day of homemade fresh juices (mostly vegetable juices), plus a custom combination of herbs. That's basically all there is to it. Plus abstaining from dairy, sweets, alcohol and other congesting or toxic foods. I whisk my herbs into freshly made juice for an energizing powerhouse that will gently cleanse, clear the cobwebs from your mind, and very possibly allow you to lose weight easily and naturally if that is your desire.

When to start your cleanse:

Because we need hot/warm foods in cold weather, wait until your local spring weather gets into the 60's (F.) or higher nearly every day before you start your cleanse. If you tend to be chilly, wait till the weather gets into 70's or higher nearly every day. You'll want to do the cleanse for a week, or a month, or more, depending on your goals, so think ahead to a range of likely weather patterns for your area. You'll know when it's comfortably warm enough for you to begin, and you will actually begin to prefer and crave fresh juices and lighter foods that go with warmer weather.

THE JUICE FOUNDATION

This protocol involves ONE PINT or more of freshly made juice per day, taken as one meal (with the ground herbs whisked in). For myself, I make 2-3 cups of juice for a meal. Extreme version: if you want to do more juicing, do two meals a day during the cleanse. Even the deficient constitution can do a juice meal twice a day occasionally, providing they get enough protein at one other meal and with the addition of protein powder in your juice blend.

If you don't have a juicer, get one. Just get a juicer and use it! My Champion brand juicer is one of the very best investments I have ever made, bar none. It's guaranteed for 5 years, and I've had it for 24 years as of this writing. Everyone has their favorite brand and style of juicer, and their own ideas about ease of cleaning etc. Don't believe what you read against rival juicers on those friendly comparison graphs on the internet -- consider the source, and many of the negative claims made about "other" juicers are quite simply false. You have to get your experience, ask around, don't take others' word for it, do your own investigation hands-on if possible. It doesn't matter what kind of juicer you have, just find one you like and USE IT. Juicers do have a fairly good-sized "footprint" on your kitchen countertop. I leave mine up all year around so it's ready for action and inviting to use.

Here are some juices and juice combinations for your liver cleanse:

- 100% romaine lettuce. (Do not juice other lettuces -extremely bitter and metallic tasting - romaine only. Note: Diabetics may want to use romaine lettuce only, or romaine + celery, or romaine, celery and beet.)

- 100% green apple (Has malic acid, good for the liver and liver cleansing. Get the hardest, crispest Granny Smith or Pippin green apples you can find, small size is no problem and can be a bargain.)

- 100% carrot (the classic health food drink, loaded with the beta carotene form of Vitamin A)

- Carrot and 3 stalks celery (organic sodium!)

- Green apple and 3 stalks celery.

- Green apple, carrot, celery.

- Carrot, tomato, celery.

- Romaine, carrot, tomato, celery.

- 100% grapefruit, or orange, or pineapple (occasionally).

- 100% purple grape, diluted with some water. I dilute juice with about 25% water. Grape juice is extremely concentrated and sweet so some dilution is desirable especially if making 2-3 cups of juice! Purple grapes have resveratrol, a special nutrient.

- Purple grape diluted, with some celery, or orange, or grapefruit.

- Cucumber and tomato.

- Cucumber, tomato, and zucchini.

- Other dark greens, however these may not be very juicy. Personally, I'd stick to the vegetables and fruits above and save the other greens for salads.

A huge salad chock full of all kinds of vegetables makes an excellent 2nd meal while on a cleanse or seeking weight loss. If juicing for 2 meals, make your 3rd meal a substantial portion of lean protein source and a salad or steamed vegetable(s). This amounts to a fairly low carbohydrate approach, and with the juice and cleansing herbs, you emerge clear, bright and shining from your spring program. A juice breakfast or lunch can be ideal as well in the summertime as well, right up until cold weather sets in, when you need to be eating more warmly. Your juices are room temperature when made and eaten freshly. Do not refrigerate juice, but rather eat immediately. Avoid cold foods generally as they kill enzymes.

Optional addition for liver cleanse:

One small fresh BEET added to any juice or blend. Note: fresh beet will cause the liver to dump toxins into the bloodstream, which can make a person very nauseous if amount of beet used is excessive. One small beet per day will normally be ok, or NOT to exceed 1/4 cup of beet juice. You may need even less in order to be comfortable. Better to start low and work up to 1/4 c. beet juice in your blends. Fresh raw beet will turn stools red, or cause a red drainage from them in the toilet, so don't be alarmed, it's not blood. If you're using fresh beet in your juice mix, skip the ground beetroot in your herbs. Use fresh beet if you can, as it has strong presence and is powerful. Beet stains badly, as do carrots, so wear old clothes and/or an apron when juicing.

Optional additions to give "zip": a handful of radishes, or 2 inches of daikon radish which is milder than regular red radishes, or 1/2" ginger. (Do not use these additions if you have strong pitta dosha or inflammatory tendencies, especially the ginger which is an extremely hot-temperature herb and vasodilator. For more information on Ayurvedic, the doshas, and pitta dosha, I recommend a google.com search to educate yourself on these subjects.

Favor the romaine, vegetable blends, and green apples during a cleanse or for weight loss. If you are a diabetic or have those tendencies, use romaine lettuce almost exclusively, with some celery, with maybe some tomato and/or radish. In other words, keep the carbs down. Celery is a superb source of *organic* sodium and has other unique properties; juice your celery LAST so its strings will not inhibit other juicing. Romaine is bitter (not nearly as bitter as other lettuces, which you don't want to even think about - save other lettuces for salads), but that's part of what makes romaine so useful for liver cleansing. Bitter greens are good for liver cleansing. Some of the bitter taste will be offset by your ground herbs, and optional additions.

Juicing is powerful concentrated nutrition. Who would sit down and eat 10 carrots in one sitting, or 4 large green apples, or a big head of romaine lettuce? If you've never juiced before at all, start with plain green apple, maybe one cup. Then go to plain carrot, one cup. Then begin experimenting with the list above. Then increase the amount to 2-3 cups per meal as soon as you're ready. You will quickly start pushing the envelope of your former taste barriers. Don't worry about fiber, you can get fiber in your other meal(s). Fiber is really not a problem when you're juicing for one meal, or even two.

The Bitter Taste:

Americans are not used to the bitter taste of some fresh vegetable juices. How you respond to a bitter tasting juice blend will say a lot about your character and how you approach life. Are you curious? thoughtful? experimental? playful? joyful? adventurous? going for the gusto? ready to be impressed? What is your ability to confront life, meaning what is your ability to simply be steadfastly present and LOOK squarely at something in life, without flinching, without running away, without making nasty sounds or grotesque faces, without trying to sell others on how "bad" something seems to you. Can you generate sincere interest in something? Can you confront a bitter taste like an adult and not as a bratty, spoiled child? Juicing is a wonderful positive LIFE PROCESS with much to teach and with carryover value to the rest of life. So BE THERE (fully present with your whole being) or be square.

Ironically, people who need liver cleansing the most are often the ones who are most challenged by the bitter taste. So start small and work up as you get used to the natural flavors. Some juices are an acquired taste. Here's a chance to exercise an adventurous palate.

Adding the Herbs:

I have quite a list of herbs I use personally. The idea is to add a variety of ground cleansing herbs. The contents of one capsule of each goes into the blend. You can get powdered ground herbs, or you can get the easy-to-find herbs in capsules and then use the capsule as a convenient measuring device. I recommend the capsules, however if you really get into juicing in a big way and over longer periods of time, you may want to hunt down plain ground herbs as you save a bundle per ounce, but you will need to repackage and label them into jars and find a place for all that in your kitchen.

If you really want a custom program, I suggest you survey the list of herbs below, study the different herbs, then go to the health food store and muscle test as many on the list as you can find in the powdered herb or encapsulated form (not tinctures that usually contains alcohol). Skip this step if you're not facile in muscle testing, but if you are, it can empower you to fine-tune your own herb and supplement program with great precision with regard to the herbs and supplements used (or not used), as well as the most appropriate amount for you at the time. More on that in another article.

ALL AMOUNTS below refer to the contents of ONE CAPSULE, unless otherwise noted (muscle test and experiment for your own individual amounts), or about 1/2 teaspoon.

The BRANDS on the single herbs are: Nature's Way, Now Foods, or
Nature's Sunshine Products (NSP), unless otherwise stated.

Other brand abbreviations:
NSP = Nature's Sunshine Products.
PF = Planetary Formulas.

THE HERBS

Cleansing Herbs:

Red clover (blood cleanser)
Yellow Dock (blood cleanser)
Sarsaparilla (x1-2) (blood cleanser)
Burdock (blood cleanser)
Dandelion (liver cleanser)
Beet Root (liver cleanser) (skip if using raw beet)
Blessed Thistle (liver cleanser) (1 every other day, alternate with Chaparral below)
Arizona Naturals brand - Chaparral (1 every other day during cleanse)
(lymph cleanser)
Yucca Root - (kidney cleanse)
Gotu Kola (for mental clarity, suited to all constitutions, a favorite herb of yogis and other meditators).

Colon cleansing (the principle here is to keep the elimination open so toxins can exit):

NSP "All Cell Detox" (formerly called Special Formula) (x1-6). (Note: does have a tiny amount of cascara sagrada in it for colon cleansing.) One capsule would be the mildest, and most people will not notice the colon cleanse effect, but would likely notice if 6 were taken. Therefore, there is lots of flexibility in this formula depending on how much you use, so experiment.

and/or:

Triphala classic Ayurvedic herb formula, very mild colon cleanser. SolarRay brand Triphala capsules (x2). OR. PF Triphala Internal Cleanser - powder.
OR PF Triphala Internal Cleanser 1000 mg.- (x1) take as pill with the juice. (very bitter herbs if chewed).

I personally use 1-2 of the NSP All Cell Detox and 1 of the PF Triphala Internal Cleanser. If constipated (very rare), I would use more of either or both. In other words, you may not need much of the colon herbs unless you tend toward constipation.

Other Options for colon cleansing:

- Ground flaxseed (whisk a spoonful into blend, a mild laxative, and thickens your juice blend).
- Eat a dried fig or three, if more colon cleanse is needed.
- Cascara sagrada or buckthorn herb (optional if strong colon cleanse is needed). OR NSP brand "LBS-II" which is an herb blend for a stronger colon cleanse. Note, these stronger colon herbs will produce an urgency, so you
will want to be close to home around the days you do them. A strong colon cleanse is not essential, but the bowels must be open and moving, probably a bit more than usual, so toxins can exit the body - which is the general idea of a cleanse!

Gentle nourishing herbs for the Deficient Constitutional type: (also good for maintenance as well as during the cleanse):

Damiana (especially good for hot flashes and post-menopause)

NSP "BP-C" (TCM liver/blood support). (x1)
NSP "HY-C" (TCM kidney yin and liver support) (x2-4).
NSP "KB-C" (TCM kidney yang support) (x2-4).
OR, instead of the above three, chew well while taking juice:
PF Rehmannia Endurance (yin tonifier), (x2)
PF Rehmannia vitalizer (yang tonifier),(x2) and
PF Women's Dong Quai Tonifier (x1) (liver/blood tonifier, can be used by men also).
OR, instead of the above, Sunrider brand - one Quinary packet,
which contains the equivalent of 10 capsules of herbs that
support all 5 elements in traditional Chinese wellness.

Optional add-ons:

Amino Acids: Solgar/Twinlabs or Now Foods brand Methionine 500 mg. (ok for short term use during the cleanse, not for maintenance).

General cleanser and nourishment (optional):

Spirulina powder - high in beta carotene. Super immune booster, possibly good for persons with low white cell count. Contrary to some writing, spirulina is not high in protein, in terms of *grams*, so don't think of spirulina as a protein source. (Contraindicated for persons with autoimmune diseases including hashimotos-hypothyroid.) 1-3 level teaspoons. Earthrise brand powder.

OR Chlorella (same caveats as spirulina).
OR Super blue green algae (same caveats as spirulina). Cell Tech or other brand.

Thickeners (optional):

A scoop of protein powder (though makes the blend less cleansing and more nutritious, but not really a problem for the deficient constitution - they can actually cleanse and be nourished simultaneously and it works well for them). Nature's Plus Spirutein strawberry or banana work well in most everything. Or a plain soy protein. I recommend avoiding whey, as it tends to raise insulin levels and many people are sensitive to the dairy source. Protein powders are dicey, as many are sensitive to their bases - muscle testing at the health food store is recommended. You will be fortunate to
find one or two in the store that work for you.

A spoonful of ground flaxseed as mentioned above (mildly laxative) as well as bulky and thickening to the juice.

Adding a banana to a fruit smoothie will thicken it. You can use the blender, OR mash banana in a dish and add it to the smoothie at the end of preparations, for texture, eat it with a spoon when you get to the bottom of the glass. Great for more active persons, and adds fiber and potassium.

DO NOT use ice in the blender as a thickener. Cold drinks and foods are a SHOCK to the body and inhibit natural enzymes. This is the last thing you want to do. You want your blend to be room temperature. Commercial juice places use ice in this way to produce a fancy result, but the cold is extremely harsh on the body.

Making Your Juice and Herb Blend:

After juicing the amount you will use immediately, take the juice bowl to the sink, skim off the foam and discard foam. Add herbs to the juice. Add protein powder if desired. Whisk until all blended. Add any mashed banana at the end, mix with spoon. Pour into a glass and enjoy. Alternatively, pour your juice into the blender, put the herbs and any protein powder into the blender, blend, scrape the sides, pour into a glass. Whisking is not much trouble, and you lose fewer herbs stuck to the sides of the bowl. Can you tell that my favorite kitchen tools are the juicer and the whisk?

Drink all of your juice blend in one sitting. Do not refrigerate. The natural enzymes in the juice oxidize quickly. The more quickly fresh food spoils, the more enzymes are in it. Notice how quickly fresh apple juice turns brown - this tells you there are a lot of enzymes in there, so drink up and enjoy.

TCM Chinese Liver Cleanse Boost: 3 Nights

To kick off your liver cleanse, gently suited to the deficient constitution here (with possible problems such as headache and bad dreams for the excess constitution so I do not recommend for excess), you can use a major bupleurum herb formula before bed for 3 nights only. Planetary Formulas Bupleurum Liver Cleanse, 1 tablet chewed, and chase with a swig of water before bedtime, get to bed early, and allow 2 hours extra time for sleep if you end up needed it. You will mostly likely have sweet or no dreams and a remarkably peaceful night as your liver is getting a deep dredge, and your chi is being healed to circulate more freely. Experience emotional relief and release from old anger, resentment, and trauma. Do this concurrently with your juice and herbs regimen, the first 3 days, to kick off the cleanse. (Subsequently, if you ever have extreme stress or trauma, 1-3 nights with the bupleurum formula, 1 tablet chewed and chase with a swig of water, acute SHORT-term use, remember to allow extra time for sleep if needed, can be very helpful to keep a free flow of energy during these times. Note that some of the effects of bupleurum are cumulative, so keep that in mind when estimating needed sleep time. You want to get the full healing effect especially emotionally so do not allow yourself to be rushed in waking or getting up. The deficient constitution can begin to get diminishing returns after about 3 days, as the liver may start to become over-dredged.

Summer and Autumn:

Make 2-3 cups of juice as a meal from time to time in warm weather, more often if desiring to lose weight. As you get to know more about your herbs, develop a feel for them, understand your constitutional tendencies, and become facile in muscle testing yourself, add in whatever herbs would benefit you at any given time.

Weight Loss - It's Like Spa-Food Only Easier:

Do fresh juice, herbs, cleansing, and lower carb in warm weather, and the weight will tend to fall off of you, especially if you're taking walks or going to the gym. Add the neti pot for sinus purification by saline lavage 2-7 times a week. Purification, clean, fresh, natural, and colorful are the keys. You'll also have clearer and more radiant skin with this protocol. Use a juice and herbs meal for weight loss -- maybe breakfast and/or a late lunch? For your other meals, favor freshly prepared generous amount of lean protein sources such as fish, chicken, pork, lamb, beef, eggs, plus lots of highly colorful vegetables in season (visit a farmer's market) and salads in warm weather, include the good fats olive oil and avocado, and lots of fresh water (not iced). Diluted tea (half water) or very diluted fruit juice (juice ~10%) with no ice make a low cal, low carb tasty treat in the summertime. Sparingly add a starchy vegetable such as fresh corn in season or minimal whole grains, or a piece of fruit, so you're not feeling carb deprived. You'll also get carbs in your juice. Take your vitamin-mineral supplements. Work out 3x a week, or take brisk 30-40 minute walk daily. Drink lots of water. Remember your spiritual practice. Voila! It's a transformation -- A RADIANT NEW YOU! Clear the way for your light to shine forth.

Review:

Deficient constitutions can do the fresh juices, cleansing herbs, nourishing herbs, and 3-day bupleurum formula at night.

Excess constitutions can do the fresh juices and cleansing herbs.

For further reading my articles on:

- Excess vs. Deficient Constitutions
- Neti Pot and Jalaneti
- Muscle Testing your Foods and Supplements (coming soon)

Carol Willis
cbwillis@lightlink.com
March 7, 2005