What does Detox mean?

Aug 24

“Going on a detox/cleanse/reset/juice cleanse”, whatever you want to call it, is something you may have considered, or at least you’ve probably heard the ideas thrown around. This is most commonly done to lose weight or “recover” from a season of not eating very healthfully. It makes sense, and there is a time and a place to do a detox, but without the proper timing or working with a practitioner, this could really backfire by putting tons of extra stress on the body, slowing metabolism, and releasing toxins to re-circulate the body without fully exiting.

The good news? You don’t have to “go on a detox” because your body has systems in place that detoxify on the reg. It’s a part of a well functioning body and happens consistently and naturally. Detoxification does not exist for weight loss, however it enables our cells and systems to work at peak function, which could lead to weight loss but also has far-reaching impact beyond that!

Read on to discover how it works and how to support these processes every day- without refusing food!

What are we detoxing?
First, let’s talk about what is actually being detoxed. A toxin is defined as any substance that creates harmful effects on the body. Toxins can come from our environment, such as air/water pollution, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, chemicals in the home, radiation, heavy metal exposure, etc. They can also come from inside the body, for example, cellular or metabolic wastes, bacterial/fungal/parasitic overgrowth, poorly digested food, or stress hormones or materials that the body is done using.

How does it function?
The systems involved in detoxification include the cardiovascular, digestive, lymph, urinary, and respiratory systems and the skin.

Cardiovascular- Blood links every organ in the body and is essential for delivering critical nutrients to organs and shuttling debris away. Blood is especially sensitive to toxins and is one of the first parts of the body affected by toxic exposure.
Digestive- Digestive system filters toxins, poorly digested food, bacteria, and other unusable substances. The intestines provide a physical barrier and probiotic bacteria which aid proper detoxification. The liver filters toxins from the blood, and the gallbladder prepares toxins to exit the body.
Lymph- Lymph carries bacteria, viruses, and organic material to be filtered out by the liver and lymph nodes. It acts as a pre-filter to the liver which helps take some of the burden off of the liver. After lymph is filtered, it returns to the bloodstream.
Urinary- The kidneys filter waste from the blood and prepares it to exit in urine.
Respiratory- The lungs filter waste products, mostly CO2. Respiratory rate also controls pH levels.
Skin- Sweat glands are a major point of toxin excretion. Our skin is our largest organ making sweat one of the most effective methods of toxin removal.

Phases of Detoxification
Detoxification has three phases. Phase 1 and 2 are official. Phase 3 is an unofficial phase but VERY important. You’ll see what I mean below…

Phase 1: Breaks down toxins to be water-soluble in order to get them ready for Phase 2 via the use of enzymes. This process often makes them even more toxic to the body, so it’s important that Phase 2 is in optimal condition especially if Phase 1 is!

Phase 2: Sends the now water-soluble waste through one of six different pathways to prepare it for excretion by binding them to the proteins that will take them out of the body. (For the health/science nerds out there, the six pathways are: glutathione, sulfation, glucoronidation, peptide, acetylation, methylation).

“Phase 3”- Excretion. This is not an official phase, however the excretion phase is obviously very necessary for getting all this prepared waste alllll the way out!

To break it down more simply…imagine you have dropped a dish and there is broken glass all over the floor…Phase 1 is when you sweep up the glass and put it in a box. Phase 2 is when you take the box out to the trash can. And Phase 3 is when the truck comes to take the trash out.

Our bodies will NOT allow these toxins/waste to circulate. As a protective mechanism, it will need to get rid of them or store them. If something is preventing the body from getting rid of the toxins/waste, it will all have to get stored somewhere to prevent harm on the body. Toxic waste may get stored if detoxification pathways are not open or the detoxification systems are over-burdened from too much. Our systems are more than capable of removing toxins if we provide the systems that work toward that goal with nutrients and support AND remove toxins that we can control.

Dangers of Detoxing:
If we try to detox on our own before ALL of the pathways are open, we can stir up previously stored toxins to circulate in the body with no way out. This can lead to more toxic waste (Phase 1) and more symptoms caused by the toxins that are stirred up. Additionally, losing a lot of weight rapidly can also bring on symptoms due to unleashing many toxins that have been stored in the fat.

A Note on MTHFR:
Many people have probably heard of the gene mutation MTHFR or have heard that in pregnancy, getting folate, rather than folic acid, is SO important (fyi- not just pregnancy). In pregnancy, folate is imperative for brain development of the baby. In everyone is important for DNA production, immunity, and healthy cells.

MTHFR is a gene and an enzyme. Around 50% of the population has this gene that codes the enzyme to work properly. The enzyme is responsible for converting homocysteine to methionine in the methylation detoxification cycle. Methonine makes glutathione which is a major detoxifier for the body. MTHFR enzyme converts folic acid into the usable form which is methylfolate.

MTHFR in summary:

MTHFR hinders detoxification.
It converts homocysteine and folic acid.
An estimated 50% of the population has this gene and their bodies cannot convert folic acid into folate so their body can use it.
If you have not been tested for MTHFR, no problem, its generally a good idea to decrease folic acid (which is also added to gluten and grains).

5 Simple Ways to Support Detoxification Every Day:
1. Reduce Stress: detoxification is a parasympathetic process which means it does not happen when the body is under stress. Find ways to unwind and reduce stress every day.

2. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Detoxification is most active while we are asleep. Getting enough sleep and getting quality sleep is essential for proper detoxification.

3. Move your body and sweat while doing it. Lymph does not have its own propulsion system so it relies on us moving to flow throughout the body. Sweating is a major way to remove toxins.

4. Consume a mostly whole-food nutrient-dense diet. Fatty acids are vital for phase 1. Fresh fruits and vegetables support phase 2 activity. High quality protein nourishes the amino acid and sulfation pathways.

5. Work with me! It takes properly functioning foundations to ensure detoxification is optimal. We will dive into diet to make sure you are consuming enough of the appropriate nutrients, digestion to ensure you are properly absorbing and utilizing these nutrients, as well as ensuring function is appropriate for detoxification, blood sugar to take stress off your liver and make sure you have stabilized blood sugar so your body can focus on parasympathetic processes (like detoxification).