Instead of detox: the three forces that really cleanse you

The liver does not work alone. There are three systems behind everything your body does every day - each with its own task:

The spleen It breaks down food into what your body can utilize. If it can't do this, leftovers are produced - and these leftovers put additional strain on the liver.

The liver It ensures that everything flows and is discharged. If it stagnates, everything stagnates - including what phase I, II and III are supposed to process and remove.

The kidney It provides the basic energy for all cleansing processes and eliminates what is not needed. When it is exhausted, the entire system lacks power.

Three levels. Three systems. But let's start at the beginning.

🍲 Step 1: Warming the center - so that transformation is possible

Before the liver can do its work, the food must first be fully processed. This is the task of the spleen.

In TCM, the spleen is the powerhouse of transformation. It breaks down everything you eat and drink and transforms it: into Qi - your daily energy - and into blood, which supplies every cell.

When the spleen is strong, the food is completely transformed. No leftovers, no strain on the liver. You feel light, clear and full of energy.

If the spleen is weak, the transformation remains incomplete. Residues arise - TCM calls them „dampness“ and „phlegm“. Feeling of heaviness, fog in the head, flatulence, water retention, tiredness after eating.

These residues put a strain on the liver. It also has to process what the spleen has not managed to do. Phase I and Phase II are overloaded - not by toxins from outside, but by incomplete digestion from within.

The spleen works like a cooking pot - it needs heat. Cold, raw food is like ice in this pot.

What exhausts the spleen:

• Cold raw food, smoothies, yogurt
• Sugar and sweets
• Dairy products (especially for a stuffy nose, heavy head)
• White flour and too much bread
• Snacking between meals

What the spleen loves:

• Everything warm and cooked - even in summer
• Rice, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato
• Steamed vegetables instead of salad
• Ginger, cardamom, caraway, fennel as daily spices
• Protein with every meal - eggs, pulses, fish

It's not just the what that counts - but also the when:

3 meals. Real breaks. No snacking.

• At least 4-5 hours break between meals
• 12-hour break from eating overnight (e.g. 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.)
• 70-80% eat your fill, no more

💡 Why eating breaks are so important:
In 2016, the Japanese Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the Nobel Prize for his research into autophagy - your body's cellular waste disposal system. During breaks from eating, your cells recognize old, damaged components, break them down and use them as raw materials.

A recycling plant in every single cell. 4-5 hours without snacking is enough to initiate the process. 12 hours overnight deepens it.

Important to understand: Autophagy is not a switch that „turns on“ after X hours. It is a process that is always running - but is ramped up when insulin levels are low. After 4-5 hours without eating, the insulin level drops significantly and autophagy increases. After 12 hours (overnight) it deepens further. After 16-24 hours it becomes particularly intense - this is the basis of intermittent fasting.

What we recommend - and why: Not 16:8 or 18:6, but the natural rhythm that TCM has known for thousands of years: three meals, real breaks in between, 12 hours overnight. This is enough for daily cellular maintenance - without stressing the body. Radical fasting can attack the kidney essence in exhausted people. People who are deeply exhausted need to build up, not empty themselves even more.

Your tools for a strong center:

Rice congee - the basic recipe:

• 1 cup of rice (white round grain) + 8-10 cups of water
• Simmer for 2-3 hours on the lowest heat until a creamy porridge is formed
• With ginger + spring onion (warming), with red dates + goji (nourishing), or with pumpkin + carrot (strengthening)
• Daily as breakfast, or 1 congee day per week

Digestive tea after a meal:

• 1 teaspoon each of fennel, caraway and aniseed - press down lightly
• Pour in hot water and leave to infuse for 10 minutes
• Warms the center, relieves flatulence, supports transformation

Abdominal self-massage - in the morning, 2-3 minutes:

• In bed, lying on your back
• Palm on the navel
• Circle clockwise 36 times - gently, do not press
• Then 36x counterclockwise
• Stimulates intestinal peristalsis, warms the middle, prepares digestion for the day

💊 If you want to strengthen the spleen on a deeper level:

Dr. Weidinger W08 - Warm center
Strengthens spleen and kidney yang. Warms the center from the inside and builds up the base - where congee and spices alone can no longer reach.
⏱️ In the morning after breakfast and before going to bed, 4-6 tablets each with warm water. 👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/weidinger-w08

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🌿 Step 2: Move the liver - so that everything flows

The spleen has transformed. Now what has been processed must also flow - and what is not needed must be discharged. This is the task of the liver.

In TCM, the liver is a conductor. It ensures that Qi, blood and emotions flow freely. When it works well, digestion runs smoothly, the mood is balanced and phase I and phase II of detoxification run efficiently.

If it stagnates, everything stagnates: Pressure under the ribs, irritability,
Headaches, sluggish digestion, PMS - and liver cleansing comes to a standstill.

The biggest burden? Not just bad food - but chronic stress and suppressed emotions. Cortisol directly inhibits phase II detoxification of the liver.

4 things your liver needs:

1. less sugar

• Reduce sugar
• Replace fruit juices and smoothies with whole fruit (max. 2 portions/day)
• Avoid ready-made products - read the list of ingredients
• For this: protein and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, rocket) - provide the building blocks for Phase II

2. bitter substances - daily

• Before eating: 3 leaves of radicchio, or 1 tablespoon of artichoke juice, or 20 drops of dandelion tincture
• Lunch: Plate half green - spinach, chard, broccoli, rocket
• Bitter stimulates the bile - more bile = better fat digestion = less stress

3. exercise - daily

• 20 min walk - without a podcast, without a goal
• Side stretches - the liver meridians run along the side of the body
• Shaking exercise: Shake the whole body for 3-5 minutes. Releases stagnation immediately.

💡 Pro tip: Qi Gong or Meridian Yoga - ideal because both combine movement, stretching and breathing work. Lateral stretching and twisting movements in particular open the liver and gallbladder meridians in a targeted manner.

🧘 Qi Gong: www.meine-tcm.com/thema/qi-gong/qi-gong-uebungen-erklaert/

🧘🏻‍♀️ Meridian Yoga: www.meine-tcm.com/thema/meridian-yoga

🔴 Qi Gong LIVE lesson - every Monday at 6:15 pm on YouTube:
www.meine-tcm.com/live-qi-gong-klasse

4. emotional expression

• What you don't say congests the liver
• Anger and frustration need space - don't suppress them
• A river that flows cleans itself

The bitter herb pharmacy:

• Dandelion - As tea, tincture or fresh plant juice. Stimulates the liver and gall bladder. Perfect to start with.
• Milk Thistle - THE liver protector. Active ingredient silymarin protects and regenerates liver cells. As capsules or powder.
• Yarrow - Supports the liver and gall bladder, has an anti-inflammatory effect. As a tea or in a liver compress.
• Artichoke - Promotes bile flow, lowers blood lipid levels. As a vegetable, juice or capsules.

💊 If you want to specifically support the liver flow:

Dr. Weidinger W07 - Small bupleurum really big
Brings the liver qi into flow. Harmonizes, releases stagnation. Studies have shown that the main herb Bupleurum has an anti-inflammatory and liver-protective effect.
→ Late morning and early evening, 4-6 tablets each with warm water.
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/weidinger-w07

💡 The combination:
W08 in the morning and before sleep (strengthening the base), W07 in the morning and early evening (moving the flow). As a 4-week cure.
For signs of heat (night sweats, restlessness): W07 + W14 instead of W08.
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/weidinger-w14

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🌙 Stage 3: The night - where the real work happens

The spleen has transformed. The liver has moved. Now - at night - the actual cleansing happens. Everything you have built up during the day now comes to fruition.

And the kidney - the third system - plays the decisive role in this. In TCM, the kidney is the root. It provides the basic energy for all Cleaning and transformation processes and excretes what is not needed. The spleen needs strength to transform. The liver needs strength to move. Where does this power come from? From the kidneys.

But it is not a system that you activate. It is a system that you protects. What exhausts the kidneys - chronic stress, lack of sleep, overwork - cannot be compensated for with teas or cures. Only through rest.

What exhausts the kidney:

• Chronic stress - over months and years
• Too little sleep - regularly less than 7 hours
• Too much coffee - fuels without replenishing
• Overworking - giving more than you have
• Cold drinks - cool the kidney fire
• Radical fasting - draws on reserves that are not there

What strengthens the kidneys:

• Sleep - non-negotiable
• Heat - especially on the feet and lower back
• Warm water - no ice-cold drinking
• Walnuts - a handful a day
• Black foods - black sesame seeds, black beans
• Bone broth - nourishes essence, warms, mineralizes
• Breaks - the kidneys regenerate in silence

The evening protocol - the heart of this guide

Everything comes together here. The evening protocol supplies phase II with building blocks, stimulates the bile flow, warms the kidneys and prepares for deep sleep.

Step 1 - Last meal before 7 pm

• Light, warm, with protein
• Steamed vegetables + rice + egg or fish
• 70% is enough - then the 12-hour eating break begins

Step 2 - Bitter shot (20 minutes after eating)

• 1 tablespoon of artichoke juice - or 20 drops of dandelion tincture in a little warm water - or 1 teaspoon of Swedish bitters diluted
• Stimulates bile flow and prepares the liver for night work

Step 3 - Protein nightcap (8pm - 9pm)

• 1 small cup of bone broth (warm) - or warm almond milk with 1 tablespoon of almond paste - or 1 tablespoon of collagen powder in warm water
• Provides the liver with the amino acids that Phase II needs overnight
• Bone broth simultaneously nourishes the kidney essence - warms, mineralizes, builds up

Step 4 - Liver compress with herbs (3-4x per week)

• Beforehand: drink 1 cup of yarrow tea
• Soak a small towel in hot yarrow or dandelion infusion and wring out
• Place on the right upper abdomen (where the liver is located)
• Dry towel over it, hot water bottle on top
• Lie down for 20-30 minutes, breathe, do nothing
• Simple variant: Only with warm water - the heat alone promotes blood circulation

Step 5 - Foot bath with ginger (2-3 times a week)

• Warm water + 3-5 slices of ginger + 1 tbsp sea salt
• 15-20 min - can be done in parallel with the liver wrap
• Conducts energy downwards, warms the kidneys, promotes deep sleep
• Then put on warm socks

Step 6 - Breathing exercise in bed

• Hands on the lower abdomen
• Inhale: abdomen lifts (4 seconds)
• Exhale: abdomen lowers (8 seconds)
• At least 10 breaths - activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowers cortisol, prepares for deep sleep
• If it feels good, do it for longer - 5, 10 or 15 minutes. The longer you stay with it, the deeper the relaxation. There is no such thing as „too long“. 

💡 Pro tip: For advanced practitioners: 4-7-8 breathing.
Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, breathe out for 8 seconds. The breathing pause may feel unusual at first - this is normal and will soon subside. 🎥 Video instructions: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0w-Xdx-9Qs&t=1s

Step 7 - Sleep before 11 pm

• From 9 p.m.: Dim the screens
• No caffeine after 2 p.m.
• 1-3 o'clock at night: liver time in TCM - the great regeneration
• At the same time: Glymphatic cleansing in the brain

💡 Why sleep is the most powerful cleanser:
In 2012, the glymphatic system was discovered - a detoxification system in the brain that only becomes active during deep sleep.

The intercellular spaces in the brain enlarge by up to 60%. Cerebrospinal fluid flows through these channels and transports waste products away - including beta-amyloid, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Elimination is twice as fast when we are asleep as when we are awake. No tea or cure can replace this. Sleeping pills have been proven to disrupt the process.

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📍 4 acupressure points for transformation

Daily in the morning or evening, 60-90 seconds per point, both sides.

Ma 36 (Three miles of foot)

• Location: Outer side of lower leg, 4 fingers under the kneecap
• Effect: Strengthens the spleen - the basis of transformation. THE point for energy and digestion.

Le 03 (Large meeting)

• Location: Back of the foot, between big toe and second toe, 2 finger widths towards the ankle
• Effect: Moves the liver energy, releases stagnation. THE point for irritability and pressure.

MP 06 (meeting point of the 3 Yin)

• Location: Inside of lower leg, 4 fingers above the inner knuckle
• Effect: Connects the spleen, liver and kidney - the only point that reaches all three systems.

Ni 03 (Large torrent)

• Location: Inside of foot, between inner ankle and Achilles tendon
• Effect: Strengthens the kidneys, nourishes the root. For deep exhaustion and cold feet.

📍 All points in detail: In our free acupuncture atlas you will find all the points with pictures and detailed instructions.
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/akupunkturatlas

💡 Tip: Even more effective with the AkuPen

Acupuncture pen with fine tip - hits the points with millimeter precision. Includes access to the online video library with over 80 acupressure points explained in video + symptoms for many clinical pictures.
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt

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📋 A day that shows how it's done

Not every day has to look like this. But this one shows you how all the building blocks work together. Take from it what fits into your everyday life - and build up step by step.

☀️ In the morning

• Tongue scraping: 5-10x from back to front. Take a quick look at the coating - it shows you how your transformation is working.
• Oil pulling: 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, pull through the teeth for 5-10 minutes. Take a shower or prepare breakfast at the same time.
• Liver drink: juice ½ lemon + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar + pinch of turmeric in warm water. Drink 15 minutes before breakfast.
• Abdominal self-massage: 36x clockwise, 36x counterclockwise. 2-3 minutes.
• Hot breakfast: oatmeal porridge with walnuts, cinnamon and goji berries today. Served with ginger water.

🌤️ Morning

• No snacking. No fruit in between. Only ginger water or dandelion tea.
• The spleen needs to rest between meals. During this break, autophagy - your cellular waste disposal - is running.

🍽️ Noon

• Before eating: 3 leaves of radicchio, or 1 tablespoon of artichoke juice, or 20 drops of dandelion tincture. Bitter substances stimulate the flow of bile.
• Today: steamed broccoli with rice and lentils (dal combination), served with turmeric. Plate half green.
• Afterwards: 1 cup of digestive tea (fennel-caraway-anise).

🚶 Afternoon

• 20 min walk - without a podcast, without a destination. Just walk.
• 3 min side stretching or shaking exercise.
• No snacking. Water or tea.
• Acupressure: Ma 36 + Le 03, 60-90 seconds per side. Can also be done at the desk.

🌙 Evening - the centerpiece

• Dinner (before 7pm): Steamed zucchini, a piece of steamed fish, little rice. Light, warm, with protein.
• Bitter Shot (20 minutes afterwards): 1 tablespoon of artichoke juice or 1 teaspoon of Swedish bitters in a little warm water.
• Protein nightcap (around 8 pm): 1 small cup of warm bone broth. Supplies the liver with amino acids for phase II. Nourishes the kidney essence.
• Liver compress (around 20:30): 1 cup of yarrow tea. Soak towel in hot yarrow infusion, wring out. On the right upper abdomen, dry cloth over it, hot water bottle on top. 20-30 min. Today at the same time: foot bath with ginger + sea salt.

😴 Bedtime

• From 9 pm: Screens off. Warm socks. Book instead of cell phone.
• In bed: breathing exercise - hands on the lower abdomen. Inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds. At least 10 breaths - 5, 10 or 15 minutes if it feels good. There is no such thing as „too long“.
• Acupressure: MP 06 + Ni 03, 60 seconds per side.
• Sleep before 11 pm. The real work begins.
• 1-3 o'clock: Liver time. Glymphatic brain detoxification. Autophagy at full speed. The kidneys regenerate.

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✓ Practical tips

✓First step: Consistently cut out sugar and sugary foods for 2 weeks. Your liver will thank you measurably. But sugar hides - often where you don't expect it:

• Read ingredients list - Everything that ends in „-ose“ is sugar: fructose, glucose, sucrose, dextrose, maltose. Glucose-fructose syrup, corn syrup, maltodextrin and invert sugar are also sugar.
  🚨 Exception: Not every „-ose“ is bad. Galactose is metabolized independently of insulin and even helps the liver to break down ammonia. D-tagatose hardly affects the blood sugar. Both are real alternatives - if sweet, then smart.
• Supposedly healthy traps: Fruit yoghurt, muesli bars, granola, ready-made muesli, smoothies, fruit juices, dried fruit, agave syrup, honey in large quantities, protein bars, „sugar-free“ products with fructose.
• Hearty surprises: Ready-made sauces, ketchup, salad dressings, bread (especially toast and baked rolls), pickles, red cabbage from the jar, frozen pizza, sausage, spice mixes.
• Short-chain carbohydrates: White flour pasta, white bread, pizza, pastries - are quickly converted to sugar in the body and place a similar burden on the liver as sweets. If you eat pasta, eat it wholemeal and as a side dish, not as a main course.
• Drinks: A glass of orange juice contains as much sugar as a glass of cola. Iced tea, energy drinks, tonic water, ready-made smoothies - all fructose bombs for the liver.
• Instead: Water, ginger water, unsweetened tea. Whole fruit (max. 2 portions/day) instead of juice. Cook your own food instead of ready-made products. If sweet, then rice malt or a pinch of cinnamon - the spleen tolerates both better.
• Rule of thumb: If a product has more than 5 ingredients and you can't pronounce them all - put it back on the shelf.

✓ Pre-cook the congee: Congee is perfect for preparing. Cook a large portion (3 cups of rice, 24-30 cups of water) and fill it into jars or containers. Congee will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. In the morning, simply heat a portion, add water or broth (congee thickens when stored), and serve with your favorite toppings: Ginger, spring onion, goji, nuts. You can also freeze congee in portions in freezer bags, which will keep for 2-3 months. This way you always have a hot breakfast ready, even if you're short on time in the morning.

✓ Shopping: Broccoli, spinach, chard, radicchio, rocket, carrots, pumpkin, rice, eggs, lentils, fish. Ginger, turmeric, fennel seeds, caraway seeds. Dandelion tea, yarrow tea, artichoke juice, apple cider vinegar, lemons. Walnuts, goji berries, red dates. For the evening protocol: bone broth or collagen powder, almond butter, sea salt.

✓ Not all at once: Start with one thing - e.g. eliminate hot breakfast + sugar. Then add the evening protocol. Then the bitters. Step by step.

✓ Time frame: Go through 4 weeks consistently to feel the difference. Then decide what remains.

✓ Do not forget the kidney: Warm socks. Warm water instead of cold drinks. A handful of walnuts daily. Cut down on coffee. Take breaks. These are not small things - this is kidney care.

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⚠️ When caution is advised

This guide is for healthy adults who want to support their cleansing systems. In certain situations you should speak to your doctor or TCM therapist beforehand:

→ Pregnancy and breastfeeding - Some herbs (dandelion, yarrow, wormwood) and acupressure points (Di 04) are not suitable. Do not experiment on your own during pregnancy.

→ Taking medication - Bitter substances and liver herbs can
Influence the metabolism of medication. Clarify this in advance, especially with blood thinners, thyroid medication and immunosuppressants.

→ Gallstones - Bitter substances and artichoke juice strongly stimulate the flow of bile. This can trigger colic if you have known gallstones. Check with a doctor first.

→ Liver diseases - In the case of diagnosed fatty liver, hepatitis or increased
Liver values: medical supervision is essential. This guide is not a substitute for therapy.

→ Eating disorders - The golden rule (3 meals, breaks between meals, no snacking) can trigger existing or past eating disorders. Please proceed with caution and seek professional support.

→ Severe exhaustion - If you are already chronically exhausted, start gently. Not all at once. Congee and sleep first - add the liver measures later when the basis is in place.

→ Children - This guide is designed for adults. Different dosages and recommendations apply to children.

If in doubt, always ask. A good TCM therapist or doctor will not replace this guide - but will supplement it.

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🌿 Your TCM herbs at a glance

You have learned about the three systems. Here is a summary of which herbal formulations specifically support them:

For the spleen - strengthen the base:
Dr. Weidinger W08 - Warm center. In the morning and before sleep.
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/weidinger-w08

For the liver - move the flow:
Dr. Weidinger W07 - Small bupleurum really big. In the morning and early evening. 👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/weidinger-w07

The combination: W08 + W07 as a 4-week cure. Base and flow together.

For heat signs (night sweats, inner restlessness): W14 instead of W08.
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/weidinger-w14

🔮 Which system do you need the most support from? Find out with the free TCM analysis: 👉 www.meine-tcm.com/tcm-analyse

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Note: Please consult your doctor or TCM therapist if you have any existing illnesses or are taking medication.